Brittany Smith Was Convicted of Murdering a Man She Said Raped Her — A New Netflix Documentary Tells Her Story
My first reaction when I see news headlines about women who kill their rapists, or fathers who kill men who tried (or did) rape or molest their son or daughter is, “Hmm, I think this person deserves a medal, not jail time.”
Though I can also see how vigilantism can be a problem in some cases too.
By Steve Helling
Published on November 10, 2022
A new Netflix documentary is examining the case of Brittany Smith, who was convicted of killing a man who she claimed attacked and raped her in her Alabama home in February 2020.
State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith began streaming on Netflix today. According to a press release, the documentary tells “the harrowing story of a woman trying to use Alabama’s Stand Your Ground law after killing a man she says brutally attacked her.”
Smith was 32 when she shot Todd Smith — who is not related to her — three times in her kitchen. She was arrested and charged with murder for his death.
But when she was interviewed by police, Smith said that she had been raped by the man and said he was threatening to kill her and her brother. She initially pleaded not guilty and said that she shot him in self-defense under the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law.
According to charging documents Todd and Brittany were having a conversation in her home in January 2018. At some point, Brittany alleged, Todd “got really mad” and began choking her. Brittany’s lawyer later said she was choked unconscious and then dragged to a bedroom where Todd raped her.
Brittany also told police that Todd had threatened to kill her if she went to the police.
After the alleged assault, Brittany and her brother took Todd to the store to buy cigarettes. While inside the store, Brittany allegedly told the cashier that Todd had raped her. After the cashier told Brittany’s brother about the alleged rape, the brother went to Brittany’s house armed with a gun to confront Todd.
At some point, the two men began fighting. Brittany said Todd was holding her brother in a headlock while threatening to kill them. Brittany told police she then grabbed her gun from the counter and shot Todd three times.
He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
A nurse who treated Brittany at the hospital testified that she had bruises, bite marks and signs of strangulation, but they could not determine definitively if a rape had occurred. According to AL.com, the nurse testified that most sexual assault cases lack physical proof.
Brittany Smith eventually pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but under the terms, she only had to spend 18 months in the Jackson County Jail and 18 months on house arrest. She was later released.
(Link): DEADLY FORCE What is Alabama’s Stand Your Ground law? Brittany Smith’s case explained
The next link is to The Daily Beast. You may have to register for free to read the entire thing:
(Link): The Brittany Smith Case Proves ‘Stand Your Ground’ Is for White Men Only
The new Netflix documentary “State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith” uses one tragic case to reveal the misogynistic and racist double standards of the legal system.
A brand new Netflix documentary is set to lay bare the horrific story of a mother who went to jail for killing a man she claimed brutally attacked and raped her in her own home.
Oct 25, 2022
Brittany Smith, 34, from Stevenson, Alabama, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison – although she ultimately served 18 months – after she fatally shot Todd Smith, who was 38 at the time, on January 16, 2018.
However, Brittany has continued to insist that she only killed Todd in a desperate attempt to save herself and her brother, after he viciously choked her until she lost consciousness, sexually assaulted her, threatened to murder her, and tried to strangle her brother.
Now, an upcoming Netflix doc, called State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith, is set to lift a lid on the controversial case, which garnered worldwide attention and sparked a massive debate about whether or not Brittany’s actions were justified.
Related:
Christian Pundit 