Ronald J. Smith

Ronald J. Smith, a 30-year-old man from Columbus, Ohio, was remembered as a dog lover who enjoyed music, getting tattoos, and playing chess and basketball. He was also an avid sports fan who followed the Cleveland Browns and the Ohio State University Buckeyes. His life was cut short in a violent encounter in the spring of 2023.

On the evening of March 10, 2023, around 6:25 p.m., police responded to a call in the Hilltop neighborhood. They found Smith with gunshot wounds on the 300 block of South Warren Avenue. According to authorities, the shooting occurred during an attempted robbery. Smith was rushed to a local hospital for medical care, but he succumbed to his injuries three days later, on March 13.

The Columbus Police Department's investigation led to arrests within several months. On August 17, 2023, police apprehended 23-year-old Anferny Slaughter of Franklinton and charged him with murder. In December 2023, a second suspect, 20-year-old Kalan Hansard, was also arrested and charged in connection with Smith's death. Both men had previous encounters with the law. Slaughter had faced a juvenile charge of delinquency murder in 2016 that was later dismissed, while Hansard had been indicted in 2021 for improper handling of a firearm.

The case against Kalan Hansard moved through the court system and reached a conclusion. On June 8, Hansard, then 22, accepted a plea agreement. He had originally faced six charges but pleaded guilty to two: involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery. Both charges included a three-year firearm specification. As a result of his plea, Hansard was sentenced to a minimum of 20 to 25.5 years in prison.

With Hansard’s conviction and sentencing, the case is considered solved. The latest development was Hansard's plea agreement in June 2026. The outcome of the charges against Anferny Slaughter is not detailed in available records.