Indiana man held in his wife’s fatal weekend shooting

FRANKFORT, Ind. (AP) – A central Indiana man who’s a former deputy town marshal faces a preliminary murder charge in his wife’s fatal shooting.

Keith A. Smith, 56, was arrested Saturday after the body of Lisa Smith, 50, was found in Frankfort, about 40 miles northwest of Indianapolis. He’s being held without bond at the Clinton County Jail.

On Monday, a judge ordered Smith to be held on a preliminary murder charge and gave prosecutors 72 hours to file formal charges.

During the hearing, Smith could be heard sobbing, and as he left the courtroom, he said, “Tell everyone I’m sorry.”

According to court documents, Smith told investigators that he and his wife had argued before he got his gun to demonstrate how they could have a “suicide pact,” the (Evansville) Journal & Courier reported. He said he pulled the trigger to shoot himself, but he accidentally shot her instead.

Smith “sat on the edge of the bed and smoked a cigarette” after the incident, the documents state.

The documents suggest that Smith “had no concept of times” while recalling the events of the day. He also was unable to remember how the argument started, the documents said.

Smith once served as a deputy marshal in the town of Colfax, WLFI-TV reported. Clinton County Sheriff’s Maj. Joe Mink said Smith was terminated for rule violations after working for the sheriff’s office for less than a year.

The case will still be heavily investigated, according to Chief Deputy Prosecutor John Myers.

Smith is expected to appear in court again this week after the former charges are filed.