Kalvin Michael Smith, a man who spent 20 years in prison for a crime he claimed he did not commit, has been found dead in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Winston-Salem Police Department responded to a death investigation on Charleston Court on Wednesday morning. Police Chief William Penn confirmed the victim’s identity as Kalvin Michael Smith, aged 52. There is currently no evidence of foul play or suspicious activity, and the cause of death remains unknown.
Smith was convicted in 1997 for the robbery and assault of Jill Marker at the Silk Plant Forest store in 1995. Marker suffered severe brain injuries from the assault, which involved severe blunt force trauma to the head. The investigation revealed that Smith conspired with another man to rob the store but denied assaulting Marker. However, multiple individuals claimed to have heard Smith admit to the crime.
Smith’s case gained widespread attention and controversy, with advocates arguing that his conviction highlighted prejudice and bias in the criminal justice system. Students from local universities protested for his release in 2016, and a grassroots group called the Silk Plant Forest Truth Committee pushed for a new trial. In November 2016, a judge ruled that Smith’s attorney had failed to present crucial evidence during his original trial, leading to his release after serving 20 years of his 29-year sentence.
Following his release, Smith faced further challenges. In March 2017, he was injured in a shooting incident, and in August of the same year, he was accused of assaulting a woman. Smith turned himself in after warrants were issued for his arrest.
The investigation into his death is ongoing, and further details are awaited.
