From The Editor's Desk

Letter to the Editor: Mom of Murdered Son Speaks Out

Heather Cramer, mother of murdered son Michael Smith, speaks out in this letter to the editor.

  Letter to the editor:  As the immediate family of Michael Smith, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of the good people of Forsyth County who investigated the tragic events of his death and brought it to closure for us with a guilty verdict and life sentence for Jill Smith. We are grateful to the firefighters and police who rushed to the scene that night in an attempt to save Michael's life. Lt. Debbie Lindstrom's (Arson Investigator) diligence and commitment to this case was professional and thorough. We want to thank her for becoming Michael's voice and his champion. Sgt. Sebastian Strano and his team spent countless hours interviewing everyone relating to that night and events surrounding it. Our thanks to them for …

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UPDATE: Guilty Verdict in Jill Smith Arson-Murder Trial

Peter Delaney who was also charged with felony-murder and first-degree arson was found not guilty on all charges.

Update: 2-28-12, 3:45 p.m. (details of verdict and sentencing) A Forsyth County jury has found 35-year old Jill Smith guilty of killing her husband in a fire that started in the master bedroom of the couple's home located in a south Forsyth County subdivision in 2010. The medical examiner confirmed Mr. Smith’s death was due to a combination of smoke inhalation and thermal burns. After a day and a half of jury deliberations a verdict was reached and read by the jury foreman Tuesday morning (see video above) in the packed courtroom of Forsyth County Superior Court Judge David L. Dickinson. Trial testimony centered on Forsyth County fire investigators, firefighters, and witnesses. The state argued that the fire was intentionally set, while …

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Man Arrested On Arson Charge in Cumming

The man was apparently upset after seeing items that were given to him by his dad being loaded into a truck.

A 19-year-old man has been charged with arson after allegedly setting a U-Haul truck on fire that was filled with items of furniture belonging to a cousin and apparently the suspect. Terrence Lynn Brown, of Grayson, was arrested and charged with first-degree arson, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff's Office incident report. The report states that around 12:15 p.m. on Nov. 29, Brown was seen lighting a paper bag with a cigarette lighter and throwing it inside a loaded truck at Star Storage located at 2815 Buford Highway in Cumming. Brown then "jumped out of the truck," and drove off in a 2012 black Dodge Challenger. An employee at the storage facility called the Forsyth County Fire Department to put out the fire. Soon thereafter, the …

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