A dispute between brothers in London, Kentucky, turned fatal in the winter of 2022. Grant Smith, a 59-year-old White man, was shot and killed on December 2, 2022, at a residence on Old Crab Orchard Road. Authorities reported that an argument between Grant and his younger brother, 56-year-old Bailey Smith, escalated into violence. The disagreement was said to be over stolen property and money. The confrontation ended when Bailey allegedly entered his brother's home and shot him in the kitchen.
After the shooting, Bailey Smith fled the scene armed with a pistol, prompting a search. Law enforcement, including the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police, and the London Police Department, began looking for him. The next day, December 3, investigators developed information on his whereabouts. He was located and arrested without incident that night at a business off U.S. 25, just north of London.
The investigation continued after the arrest.
Shortly after midnight on December 4, a Laurel County Sheriff's K-9 named Maverick located the suspected murder weapon, a handgun, near the Pittsburg Cemetery. Bailey Smith was taken to the Laurel County Detention Center and initially charged with murder and fourth-degree assault. He was held on a $500,000 cash bond.
During a preliminary hearing, an investigator testified that Bailey Smith claimed his brother had assaulted him prior to the shooting and that he acted in self-defense. The case did not proceed to a trial. Instead, Bailey Wilson Smith pleaded guilty to an amended charge of first-degree manslaughter. As part of the plea agreement, the Commonwealth's Attorney recommended a prison sentence of 18 years. Formal sentencing was scheduled for July 28.
