MARION COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The trial of a Marion man being held on charges in the March killing of a New Mexico State Police officer is far from beginning, as attorneys from both sides grapple with a mountain of evidence in the case, newly issued court documents show.
Jaremy Smith is accused in the roadside killing of Ofc. Justin Hare along Interstate 40 west of Tucumcari in March.
Hare pulled over to help Smith who was stranded along the highway when Smith shot him, according to court documents. Smith then fled in Hare’s police unit and crashed it.
Story continues below
Remembering: ‘The Ultimate Leader,’ a tribute to Bill Anderson
Community: How can you get to the New Mexico State Fair?
Food: Restaurant health inspections on temporary pause in Albuquerque
Podcast: Local Impacts of SCOTUS Decision On Homeless Encampments
He’s charged with carjacking resulting in death and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The same day, law enforcement launched a manhunt for Smith and he was arrested two days later in Bernalillo County, officials said.
“The investigation remains very much ongoing, including, but not limited, (to) extensive forensic testing of evidence collected in South Carolina and New Mexico,” U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez wrote in an Aug. 15 filing.
Attorneys say they’ve accumulated 20,000 pages of discovery including law enforcement reports, photographs, videos, phone records, GPS data and other material.
“Suffice it to say, this investigation is large and complex, involving federal and state law enforcement entities in both New Mexico, South Carolina and various states in between,” Uballez wrote. “Given the nature of the crimes, there are hundreds of federal and state law enforcement officers in this investigation, many of whom have generated reports subject to disclosure.”
Smith won’t face the death penalty if convicted, Uballez notified the court earlier this month.
Smith, 33, also faces 17 charges related to the death of Phonesia Machado-Fore, a Pee Dee paramedic whose body was found March 15 outside of Lake View in Dillon County.