Reasons for stabbing still not clear

Apr. 24—From Staff Report

Pauls Valley Democrat

Motives are still unclear why a Maysville man stabbed another person multiple times before surrendering himself to authorities the following day.

Gary Smith, 34, now faces a felony count of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, while his sister, Heather Smith, 37, was formally accused of helping her brother escape by giving him a ride after a stabbing incident back on April 13.

A document filed in the criminal case shows Maysville police responded on that day to a local residence in the 300 block of 6th, where they found a man with multiple stab wounds to his stomach, back, shoulder and arm.

Although injured, the man told officers he had returned home where he was met by Gary Smith.

He claimed the two shook hands when Smith punched him in the face and started stabbing him. The motive for the action remains unrevealed.

Family members told officers Smith left the scene with his sister. Heather Smith later claimed her brother jumped out the truck she was driving and just took off walking.

The following day another family member made a call to inform authorities Gary Smith was being driven to the county sheriff's office to surrender himself.

While in custody Smith is reported to have simply said he wanted a lawyer when asked if he would like to tell his side of the story.

After the stabbing the injured man was first taken to a hospital in Purcell before later airlifted to an Oklahoma City facility.

Smith's run-ins with the law stretches back a few years as he was accused in 2014 of assaulting a police officer.

Five years later he was given a 10-year suspended sentence after causing damages to items in a county jail cell in Pauls Valley. Additional assault charges in 2018 and 2020 resulted in some of that time being revoked.

----A couple of recent cases in Garvin County involve the discovery of large amounts of currency law enforcement officials believe were to be used in the purchase of illegal marijuana.

The defendant in one of those cases is Mark Anthony Lee Jones, 32, who was found to have $100,000 in cash in the sports utility vehicle he was driving.

The vehicle was stopped back on April 11 a mile or so north of Pauls Valley as it traveled northbound.

Jones claimed his trip to Oklahoma was to visit a sick grandfather. When a copy of the vehicle's rental agreement was sent by message, drug task force agents learned it was only scheduled for one day as the trip was to start and end in Austin, Texas.

A K-9 dog is reported to have alerted on the vehicle as a bag was found in the back of the SUV where the spare tire is located. Inside were bundles of currency totaling about $100,000 as Jones was taken into custody.

Another $20,000 was found and another Texas man arrested on the same accusation just a few days later.

Rick Jamal Roland, 33, of Fort Worth was arrested after $20,000 was found by agents during an Interstate 35 traffic stop April 16 in a southern portion of Garvin County.

A small amount of marijuana was also found as Roland was charged with two formal counts, including a felony possession of drug proceeds.