Virginia Man Sentenced For Killing Wife After She Refused to Take Down Christmas Light
jonathanturley
Forrest M. Smythers Jr., 54, really wanted those Christmas lights taken down. Smythers was convicted of murdering his wife Dawn Smythers, in a dispute over the lights during which she allegedly hit him with a Christmas angel and he shot her between the eyes with a .22 caliber rifle.
Smythers was given life in prison plus 8 years after Smythers pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge.
He felt that, by January 11th, it was time to take down the lights. He insists that the gun went off accidentally in the struggle after the angel attack. Police found Forrest seated in a rocking chair — still holding the rifle — and his wife was dead on the sofa. The lights never were taken down.
