An Alabama woman who killed her alleged rapist was initially found unfit to stand trial, but she still faces life in prison and reportedly isn’t getting adequate psychiatric care.
According to The Appeal, Brittany Smith was indicted in March 2018 for the murder of Joshua Todd Smith. Months earlier, in January, Brittany, who had recently divorced, allegedly shot and killed Smith at her Stevenson home, at 211 Sharon Drive, after she said he raped her twice and threatened to kill her family if she told anyone about it.
According to police documents, Brittany told investigators that Smith became violent after she told him she wasn’t interested in a relationship with him. Out of fear, she allowed him to sleep on her couch for the night, but secretly sent messages to her mother after the attack.
“Todd has tried to kill me literally. Don’t act like anything is wrong…he will kill me if he knows,” Brittany reportedly texted to her her mother.
Afterward, Brittany’s brother, 26-year-old Christopher McCallie, came to her home with a pistol. He put it on the table and instructed Smith to leave, according to what Brittany told the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
An altercation ensued, with Smith allegedly assaulting McCallie and putting him into a headlock. The news outlet reported that Brittany then retrieved the weapon and fired at Smith several times.
A rape crisis center report obtained by The Appeal described 33 wounds on Brittany’s body, including bite marks on her neck and chin. A toxicology report found that Smith had meth and alcohol in his system during the incident.
The victim said she knew Smith briefly while in high school. The next time she to spoke to him was years later in December 2017, when she was looking for a puppy. She got in touch with Smith, who was breeding pit bulls at the time, via Facebook.
Shortly after, Smith allegedly began making romantic advances toward Brittany. She said she brushed the advances off each time but did meet up with him about purchasing a puppy.
In January 2018, Brittany saw Smith again when she gave him a ride to her home, after he called her and said he was stranded in a park without help. She allowed Smith to stay at her home for the night, according to police reports, but the man allegedly kept pressing her to start a relationship with him. Smith became violent when she said she “never saw him that way.”
After the shooting, Brittany was arrested and charged with murder.
Brittany reportedly suffered a mental breakdown after her arrest. She was held at the Jackson County Jail for a month while awaiting a spot at the psychiatric hospital. Brittany was reportedly confined to a cell 23 hours a day. Her mother told the outlet that she was receiving “One A Day” women’s vitamins instead of PTSD medication.
Despite a judge finding her unfit her to stand trial in February, Brittany could face life in prison if a judge dismisses her Stand Your Ground claim at an upcoming hearing. MEAWW reported that she’s currently in a list of 160 who are awaiting evaluation by a psychologist.
[Featured image: Brittany Smith/Facebook]
** Additional reporting by Leigh Egan **
