Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson has announced that a Duval County jury has recommended the death penalty for Pinkney Carter on two counts of First-Degree Murder. This recommendation comes following a retrial of the penalty phase from August 12-22, 2024, prompted by changes in death penalty procedures.
Carter, previously convicted in 2005 for three counts of First-Degree Murder, had been sentenced to life in prison for one count and death for two counts. The Honorable Mark Borello will issue a formal sentence after a Spencer hearing at a later date.
On July 24, 2002, Carter attacked his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Smith-Reed at her Arlington home. He shot Smith-Reed, her new boyfriend Glen Pafford, and Smith-Reed’s 16-year-old daughter Courtney Smith. Smith-Reed’s other children, ages 6, 8, and 14, were also present. The 14-year-old son, armed with a BB gun, discovered the victims and held his sister until first responders arrived. Smith-Reed and Pafford were pronounced dead at the scene, while Courtney Smith died a few days later in the hospital.
Following the attack, Carter fled to Mexico, discarded the murder weapon into the Rio Grande River, and was arrested but later released. He evaded capture under an alias in western Kentucky until 2004 when a Kentucky State Police trooper recognized him from a Most Wanted poster. Carter was subsequently extradited to Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Bernie De La Rionda and Chris Huband.
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