GUILTY MS - James Smith for kidnapping, assault of 5 & 8yo boys, Derby, 2013

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James Smith, 41, of the Leetown community, has been arrested after a more than 2-hour pursuit after he kidnapped and assaulted two young boys, including slashing the throat of the 8-year-old, according to Hancock County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Don Bass.

Smith is charged with attempted murder, sexual assault and kidnapping. Bass said more charges would be filed as the investigation continues.

According to Bass, Smith abducted the 8-year-old and a 5-year-old from a residence in Picayune and took them to a residence off Mitchell Road in north Hancock County.

After the 8-year-old had his neck cut, he was able to escape and Bass said he ran about 500 yards to a neighbor's house for help. Bass said the Smith was "an acquaintance of the boys' stepmother."

Bass said the call came in about 5:30 Wednesday evening and when deputies arrived, they spotted Smith in a vehicle and began a pursuit. Smith eventually jumped out of the car and escaped into the woods, leaving the 5-year-old in the vehicle.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/12/man_arrested_after_kidnapping.html
 
An 8-year-old boy, the older of the two taken from Pearl River County, was airlifted to a hospital. The wounded child was in fair condition considering the circumstances, Bass said. The other boys is believed to be 4 or 5.

The boys' guardian had reported them missing in Pearl River County.

"It's bizarre," Bass said.

Investigators accused Smith of abducting the boys, taking them to his mobile home, and assaulting them.

The 8-year-old got away and walked about 500 yards to a neighbor's home and asked for help, Bass said. Deputies arrived and saw the younger child coming out of the woods. Smith had put the child in his vehicle but stopped and fled and the child got out of the vehicle and tried to get away, Bass said.

Investigators at first had no idea where the older child was assaulted and weren't sure where the boys live. The youngest child did his best to answer their questions, Bass said.

It wasn't immediately clear if Smith is related to the boys, he said.

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/12/18/5205088/childs-throat-slashed-suspect.html#storylink=cpy
 
Oh those poor little guys! What kind of a beast does this???? Prayers tonight for the little ones.
 
What kind of courage did it take for an 8 year old to run for help AFTER his throat had been cut? Amazing!
There's going to be a lot more coming out about this case, I'm sure. My thoughts and prayers to these two little boys, the EMTs who helped them, and the surgeons on whose skills the oldest boy now depends.
Thank God there was someone home at the neighbour's house who would become involved and help these children.
 
This is Terrible, Terrible, Terrible.
 
This is horrible. Thank god those boys got away.

This guy is 41 and I doubt this is his first encounter with the law. I checked RSO's in MS and didn't see one with that same name and age. His name is common and that makes it hard to dig up his past.
 
It's actually quite scary when you think about how many insane - evil people are walking around amongst us. Reports like this are becoming a common occurrence. They also seem to be get more bizarre and people actions seem to be getting more depraved. :(
 
A Mississippi man, who was supposed to be wearing a monitoring bracelet, allegedly kidnapped two young brothers, sexually assaulted them and slashed the throat of one — who still managed to escape and get help — authorities said Thursday.

snip

The older boy, whose throat was cut, was reported stable Thursday at the University of South Alabama Hospital in Mobile.

snip

Investigators believe Smith sexually assaulted both boys and cut the older boy's throat, the sheriff's office said.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...ith-kidnapping-assaulting-two-young-boys?lite
 
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...ith-kidnapping-assaulting-two-young-boys?lite

"Smith was sentenced early this year to five years in prison under Mississippi's racketeering law for drug violations and assaulting a police officer in Pearl River County, state corrections records show. But he served only four months and was freed under house arrest on June 21 after he completed drug and alcohol rehab."

The boys had been in the care of their father's live-in girlfriend.

Smith, a man with a lengthy and violent criminal history has been identified by LE as her distant cousin. Although LE says Smith had not been around the boys often, he was familiar with them. Bail has been set at $3.5 million.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/19/james-h-smith-kidnapping-throat-cut_n_4475890.html

The boys father had, apparently, been released from jail recently. This may not have any bearing on the incident.

http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/24256797/man-arrested-accused-of-kidnapping-slashing-boys-throat
 
The two children who were allegedly abducted by James Harold Smith this past Wednesday, are said to be holding up well according to Hancock and Pearl River County Sheriff’s Departments.

The 8-year-old remains in stable condition at a hospital in Mobile, Ala., according to Pearl River County Sheriff David Allison. The 5-year-old has been released back to the care of his father, Allison said.

According to Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam additional information has become available about the boys’ female caretaker when the alleged kidnapping took place.

When asked if there was a link between the caregiver, who is currently engaged to the boys’ father, and Smith, Adam replied, “My understanding is that the fiancée was involved romantically with the suspect.”

Also, when asked about reports of a shallow grave Adam replied that there was a hole, found by the parked vehicle of the suspect.

“There was a small hole and I don’t know if I would call it a grave,” said Adam. “No confirmation can be given that he (James Harold Smith) dug it, but it was found close to where his vehicle was parked. There had been a fallen tree with damp ground and we observed that the tree had been moved. That is where the hole was.”

Adam said he had no information on a Department of Health Services investigation on the adults closest to the children.

http://www.picayuneitem.com/local/x...cted-children-doing-well#sthash.kpGU7fyz.dpuf
 
Chief Deputy Don Bass said the injured boy was air-lifted to a hospital with serious injuries.


Officials believe Smith is a relative of the boys' soon to be step-mother.

http://hancockcounty.wlox.com/m/node/100883



The article says, "Smith was supposed to be on an ankle monitor, which had been removed"

WHY are these ankle monitors failing? Shouldn't there have been some bells and whistles going off somewhere?
 
From January 2016:

http://www.picayuneitem.com/2016/01/slasher/

James Harold Smith of Picayune pleaded guilty to two counts of kidnapping, two counts of sexual battery of two juveniles and one count of attempted murder, Second Circuit Court District Attorney Joel Smith announced Tuesday.

Smith was sentenced by Judge Chris Schmidt at the Harrison County Courthouse to 36 years per victim to run consecutive for a total of 72 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections...

Judge Schmidt told James Smith his sentence will be served day for day in prison without possibility of early release or parole, the release states.
 

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