December 18, 2023
Florida Man Charged in Husband's Violent Death
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 4 MIN.
HuffPost reported there are also allegations that Swilley disposed of evidence in a landfill on the night of the murder and "eras[ed] Ring camera video footage from that night."
It took some time for investigators to place Swilley under arrest. "For more than seven months, authorities searched for leads in the case," People recounted, "and on Nov. 2, 2023, Swilley... was arrested and charged with premeditated first-degree murder and tampering with evidence."
Evidence that came to light in the case included "that Smith was a victim of domestic violence in his relationship and was close to securing a new job in a different county – one he planned to move to without Swilley," People Mag detailed.
"Swilley was also the beneficiary on Smith's $333,000 life insurance policy," the article noted.
HuffPost reported that Swilley established a GoFundMe after Smith's killing and raised a substantial amount of money.
Baker described complicated emotions around Swilley's arrest, saying, "I have cried more than I have from the beginning, because now I couldn't call Tim."
"That was the first person I wanted to call and say, 'We got him.'"
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
