Denarieya Letrex Smith, a 30-year-old Black man, was beaten and stabbed inside the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Alabama, in the early hours of October 1, 2022. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office ruled his death a homicide from sharp force injuries. Reports say other incarcerated men called for help but correctional officers did not respond in a timely way. Smith was serving a life sentence for an attempted murder conviction from Covington County at the time of his killing.

Smith’s death came amid several recent fatalities at Donaldson and amid longstanding scrutiny of the facility and the Alabama Department of Corrections for violent conditions and alleged failures to protect inmates. His family retained attorneys who said Smith had shown remorse and efforts at self-improvement and who seek accountability for what they called an entirely unnecessary loss. No suspects, arrests, or charges have been reported in connection with the homicide.