Man sentenced to life in prison without parole for 2022 deadly stabbing at Florence County motel

Taylor Ford
·1 min read
19

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A Florence County jury convicted 56-year-old Willie James Smith of murder Wednesday after the 2022 deadly stabbing of his roommate and co-worker, James McNamara.

Smith’s trail began on Monday, the 12th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said in a news release. He was arrested June 9, 2022; after calling 911 and telling them he stabbed his roommate and co-worker to death.

An autopsy revealed that McNamara had been stabbed three times in the neck and died due to massive blood loss, the release said.

After being convicted, Smith was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by presiding judge H. Steven Deberry. The case was prosecuted by 12th Circuit Assistant Solicitor J. Ryan White, the 12th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said.

“This is one of the most brutal killings I have ever prosecuted”, Assistant Solicitor White said. “The brutality of this crime was only matched by the sheer senseless nature of this killing. The defendant had a prior conviction for murder, and I felt compelled to do all that I could to ensure he doesn’t get another opportunity to take an innocent life.”

Before Smith’s sentence was imposed, White informed the judge that Smith had a pending murder charge from North Carolina. The warrant was served on Smith after his arrest for McNamara’s murder in Florence County, the release said.

White is the violent crime prosecutor within the 12th Circuit Solicitor’s Office who prosecutes violent crimes such as murder committed in Florence and Marion Counties, the release said.

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Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13’s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylor’s work here.

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