Trial set for suspect in North Vernon Murder

November Trial Date Set To Last A Week

Jennings Co Jail Photo

A trial date is set for William “Billy” Smith, 45 of North Vernon, who is the person suspected of killing Robert Boyd of North Vernon on May 11. Smith is currently being held at the Jennings County Jail without bond on charges of murder, robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, arson, resisting law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine, and obstruction of justice, according to court documents.

It all began when, according to court documents, officers of the North Vernon Police Department were dispatched to a report of a possible deceased person at the residence of 139 West Walnut Street in North Vernon. The initial responding officers subsequently found a deceased male later identified as 56-year-old Robert Boyd with a neck wound, laying on the bathroom floor.

Detective Nick Megel arrived on the scene where he met with the 911 caller who was also living in the house with Boyd and Smith, but is not related to either man. The witness said he had been staying with Robert and helping him around the house. He added that Smith slept in a bedroom in the house but also slept on the couch or in a makeshift tent attached to the garage made from scrap lumber and other items.

Around midnight the previous night, the witness informed Detective Megel that Smith and Robert had had a verbal disagreement. That morning after taking Robert’s dog, Lucke, for a walk, the witness was sitting on the front porch when Smith came running outside telling him they needed to go. According to the witness, Smith had a Bass Pro bag — a gift given to Robert by the witness — that looked full, which he swung over his shoulder and took off running. Additional witnesses at a nearby hair salon saw a male matching Smith’s description run across Walnut Street.

When the witness entered the house, he found Robert lying on the floor with some sort of cloth on fire in front of the door. The witness stomped the flames out and went to check on Robert before calling 911.

NVPD Officers Holliday and Thayer went to another residence to speak with a couple who had been at Robert’s home earlier to pick up a mower he had been working on for them. When they arrived, the man went to the back door when nobody answered his knocks at the front door. The witness states he saw a man with long hair to his shoulders wearing a dark shirt, a dark zip up sweater and blue jeans that appeared to have blood on them. The man told the witness that he’d cut himself on the leg and that Robert was in the bathroom and that he was sick.

Smith was eventually found and taken into custody by NVPD and deputies from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office the evening of May 11. During the foot pursuit that lead to his arrest, Officers Newsom and Holliday said that, without prompting, Smith said “Is this because I robbed a guy?”

Items belonging to the deceased were found in Smith’s possession.

Detective Megel noticed an unusual amount of blood and dry blood on Smith’s person and clothing as he was being taken into custody.

During the ensuing investigation, Officer Andrew Plank of the Columbus Police Department reached out to let local police know that he had spoken with a close contact of Smith. The contact revealed that Smith had a “hit list” of people he wanted to kill, in which Robert Boyd’s name was included. Names of some of Smith’s family members and other members of law enforcement were also included on the list.

On Friday, May 21 Smith had his initial hearing. He is represented by Columbus attorney Ben Loheide. Smith will go on trial Nov. 1, 2021 at 9 a.m. The Court set aside 1 week for trial.