GUILTY NC - Donald 'Brad' Smithwick, 33, Ahoskie, 4 Oct 2007

http://www.witntv.com/home/headlines/10258052.html

Police Officer Arrested In Ahoskie Kidnapping; Authorities Searching River

Oct 5, 2007

A man charged with yesterday's kidnapping in Ahoskie is a Kitty Hawk police officer.

Ahoskie Police Officers arrested Raymond Jedele of Kill Devils Hills for first degree kidnapping.

Kitty Hawk says Jedele has been an officer there since April 2006. He is now on disciplinary suspension without pay.

Hertford County authorities say there is still no sign of Brad Smithwick, who was abducted Thursday Morning. They are conducting searches in the Chowan River, but so far have found nothing.

Police say Smithwick was taken from his yard in Ahoskie yesterday and is believed to be seriously injured after police found blood in the bed of Smithwick's truck.

Authorities believe a second vehicle was used to take Smithwick from the scene. Deputies will continue the search for him today.

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=7177162&nav=menu45_2


As crews continue to search for any sign of Donald Bradley Smithwick of Ahoskie, his ex-wife was being booked into the Hertford County Jail. Janet Harrell Smithwick was arrested late Friday night and charged with being an accessory to the kidnapping. She's being held inside the Hertford County Jail on a $3-million bond.

Donald Smithwick was kidnapped in front of his home Thursday morning. Police search for him using boats and bloodhounds. A Kitty Hawk Police officer has already been arrested in connection with the kidnapping. Raymond Jedele is behind bars on a $10-million bond. Officers arrested Jedele overnight and charged him with kidnapping.

WAVY.com spent the day talking to people where Jedele lives in Kill Devil Hills and found a connection between Jedele and Janet Smithwick.

Neighbors tell us Janet and Raymond Jedele are romantically involved. They believe Jedele wasn't acting on his own.

WAVY.com did a little digging into Jedele's job history. We're told he worked for the town of Hertford as a police officer and then the Kill Devil Hills Police Department. He also did a stint with Blackwater USA in Moyock before joining the Kitty Hawk Police Department.

http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_100907_kidnapping_exwife_court.152862835.html

This story has lead our local news every night it is a shame. I feel sorry for the kids.

I just saw on the news that his body was found today. They showed the ex-wife being lead to court for her hearing this morning. She kept her mouth shut as the reporters asked questions.

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=134280&ran=80292&tref=po

Oh, this guy (Jedele) had some real smarts here. As LE, did he really think he was going to get away with kidnapping and murder? They described the ex-wife as a girlfriend, but he should've known better. I too feel sorry for the children.

http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_101707_ahoskie.17de56867.html

Updated information about the case.

From November 2010:

http://www.roanoke-chowannewsherald.com/2010/11/23/smithwick-murderers-accept-plea-arrangement/

Raymond Christian Jedele of Kill Devil Hills pled guilty to first degree murder while his accomplice, Janet Denise Harrell of Edenton, entered a plea of second degree murder...

After accepting the pleas, District 6B Resident Superior Court Judge Cy Grant sentenced Jedele to life in prison without the possibility of parole while Harrell will spend the next 157 months to 198 months behind bars...

Harrell and Smithwick were locked in a custody battle over their two children. Apparently, Smithwick won that battle and, according to several sources, was scheduled to be at the Chowan County Courthouse in Edenton on Oct. 5 to officially sign the custody paperwork.

Click to expand...