Howard Smith, their father , was an abusive and neglectful individual, who would do things like not let his kids wear jackets in winter , now some may say well its Florida......but they grew up in New York .
Howard , or "Smitty" as he was known had 3 kids there are 2 boys Joseph and John , and a sister Rena. Smith Sr. worked at a Marina, he denied his son John was his, and had almost nothing to do with his younger son. He used to tell John that his father was a street sweeper that worked the neighborhood.
John would later be molested for years by a family friend.
One night the father took young Joseph down to the marina to work on a boat, Joseph clad in only a T shirt and jeans, was left to sit on a snow covered dock for hours, his father told his kids not to shower, as the oils in their skin would keep them warm.
That night Smith Sr fell asleep while working inside leaving Joseph outside for hours, that night the same individual who molested John Smith, found Joe huddled and freezing gnawing on raw fish he caught as he hadn't eaten either.
The individual took Joe to Burger King , then a few days later took him to get a hoodie so he could keep warm, it would later be disclosed that this individual also molested Joe Smith, and per family rumblings, so may have Howard Smith.
In early 93 both brothers decided to move to Florida, Joe was struggling with a sever drug habit, and it came to light that he had been molesting his younger sister for the past 7 years.
Joes drug habit was so bad that on the ride down I95 Joe in a stolen Uhaul truck, and John in his mustang, Joe pulled over and traded weights and exercise equipment for heroin.
By the time they got to Venice, Joe was so high he flipped the truck John spun his Mustang around in traffic coming head on to go pick up his brother when he pulled up Joe was standing next to the over turned truck smoking a cigarette, like nothing happened. He jumped in Johns Mustang and the sped off.
John would go on to be a successful businessman, who would later have legal issues of his own, along with bring his molester to justice,
Joe however, fell even more deeply into drugs, using cocaine, heroin and pills daily , add into the mix a severe back injury, he was involuntarily committed to psychiatric care (302 in some states /Baker act in others) over half a dozen times.
By the time he killed Carlie Bruscia, he had prior 13 arrests since 93, and had served a total amount of time of 4 years, combined on probation. However his only prison stint was for writing fake prescriptions.
Smith demonstrated alarming behaviors as a child, when he got mad he would beat his dog, sometimes, hes lure the dog over with the promise of a treat, then he would haul off and punch the dog in the face for no reason. He would also beat the tar out of his younger brother and sister.
In 93, he walked up to a random woman and for no reason, smashed her face in with a motorcycle helmet, in another incident in 1997, he tried to lure a woman into a van saying he was stranded , he was arrested and an illegal firearm, and a knife were found in his possession. Later that year, hed also be accused, of pulling a woman into the bushes near a pool hall, and holding a knife to her throat..Oddly he was acquitted on that charge.
The new charge stems from an incident involving a threesome that was proposed by the John and Tara Reid, at some point during the tryst, Joe became angry when Reid rejected Joe Smith, and laughed and insulted the "size of his manhood". It was said that the same look he shot John in the courtroom while he testified against his brother was the same look he gave Reid as he sat in the corner of the room, watching his brother do what he couldn't.
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Guns were stolen during a break in at his brothers business, it was surmised that Joe did it , and one of those guns were used to kill Reid.
There are 3 prevailing theories in Reid's murder, and Joe Smith is indicated in 2 of them, 1 being revenge for the insult or that Joe may have been hired by someone to silence Reid, concerning a rape claim, Reid said occurred while the Smith's and a group visited Disney Orlando
Later Joe would confess to John what he did with Carlie Bruscia, believing his brother wouldn't turn him in.
While in prison other crimes, Smith committed came forth like burning down a house for insurance, money to feed his drug habit .
Even Jeb Bush remarked on Joe Smith wondering how this guy was even on the streets, again systemic failures, and those who refused to see the obvious lead to tragedy
