United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, has announced a chilling conviction: Daniel V. Smith has been found guilty of first-degree murder.
In a brutal attack at FCI Otisville, Smith, 65, of Otisville, New York, is accused of beating another inmate to death with a lock tied to a belt. The victim suffered a traumatic brain injury and fell into a vegetative state before succumbing to his injuries.
“Daniel V. Smith murdered a fellow inmate in cold blood at FCI Otisville by brutally beating him in the head,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, emphasizing the heinous nature of the crime. “Thanks to the career prosecutors and our law enforcement partners, the defendant has been held accountable.”
The incident occurred on October 26, 2021, when Smith was serving a sentence for an earlier assault. He had attacked another inmate housed next door in an attempt to secure a transfer to a different housing unit.
“On October 26, 2021, SMITH was incarcerated at FCI Otisville and brutally attacked another inmate without provocation,” the Indictment reads. “He swung a lock tied to a belt, striking his victim in the head repeatedly.”
Smith will be sentenced on December 4, 2025, facing a mandatory life sentence for his first-degree murder conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin L. Brooke, Shaun E. Werbelow, Benjamin D. Klein, Jeffrey C. Coffman, and Paralegal Specialist Jackie Fleury are handling the prosecution of this case.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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