It turns out that the name apparently doesn't make the man as shown by a Long Beach murder suspect charged with conspiring to attack a witness in his trial.
Paul Gentile Smith, 49, of Long Beach is charged with the murder and torture of his high-school friend in Sunset Beach in 1988 and now faces new allegations of conspiring with
his girlfriend to attack a witness in his murder trial, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Smith was indicted Monday on the conspiracy charges, said Farrah Emami, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney's office.
Smith is also charged with special-circumstances, making him eligible for the
death penalty, for allegedly stabbing his friend Robert Haugen repeatedly on Oct. 24,
1988, nearly decapitating him, Emami said.
Smith left Haugen's body in Haugen's Sunset Beach apartment after the slaying and then set the body and apartment on fire to destroy the evidence, Emami said. He eluded capture until 2007, when he was arrested in Nevada on suspicion of domestic violence.
After he was arrested, Smith's DNA was put into a national database and it matched
evidence found at the 1988 crime scene, Emami said. He was extradited to Orange
County in March.
While in custody for the slaying, Smith obtained a phone number he believed belonged
to someone who could attack a witness in his case, Emami said, but the number led him
to an undercover officer.
Smith allegedly called the undercover investigator Nov. 17 and said he would pay $300
to have the witness attacked, Emami said. He gave the undercover officer a detailed
description of the witness, his cell phone and home phone numbers, where he lived and
the type of car he drove, Emami said.
Smith's girlfriend -- Tina Derae Smith, 46, of Mission Viejo -- discussed the
conspiracy with him several times, Emami said. He allegedly gave Tina Smith the phone
number of the undercover investigator and she is accused of calling the investigator to arrange a meeting.
Tina Smith was indicted on a felony count of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault
and faces up to four years in prison if convicted. She is being held in lieu of
$100,000 bail and is set to be arraigned Wednesday.
Tina Smith allegedly drove to a fast-food restaurant in Lake Forest Nov. 28 intending
to pay the undercover investigator $50 in advance to attack the witness. Paul Smith's attorney, Kory Mathewson, said he just received a copy of the indictment and was not familiar enough with it to comment.
Paul Gentile Smith, 49, of Long Beach is charged with the murder and torture of his high-school friend in Sunset Beach in 1988 and now faces new allegations of conspiring with
his girlfriend to attack a witness in his murder trial, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Smith was indicted Monday on the conspiracy charges, said Farrah Emami, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney's office.
Smith is also charged with special-circumstances, making him eligible for the
death penalty, for allegedly stabbing his friend Robert Haugen repeatedly on Oct. 24,
1988, nearly decapitating him, Emami said.
Smith left Haugen's body in Haugen's Sunset Beach apartment after the slaying and then set the body and apartment on fire to destroy the evidence, Emami said. He eluded capture until 2007, when he was arrested in Nevada on suspicion of domestic violence.
After he was arrested, Smith's DNA was put into a national database and it matched
evidence found at the 1988 crime scene, Emami said. He was extradited to Orange
County in March.
While in custody for the slaying, Smith obtained a phone number he believed belonged
to someone who could attack a witness in his case, Emami said, but the number led him
to an undercover officer.
Smith allegedly called the undercover investigator Nov. 17 and said he would pay $300
to have the witness attacked, Emami said. He gave the undercover officer a detailed
description of the witness, his cell phone and home phone numbers, where he lived and
the type of car he drove, Emami said.
Smith's girlfriend -- Tina Derae Smith, 46, of Mission Viejo -- discussed the
conspiracy with him several times, Emami said. He allegedly gave Tina Smith the phone
number of the undercover investigator and she is accused of calling the investigator to arrange a meeting.
Tina Smith was indicted on a felony count of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault
and faces up to four years in prison if convicted. She is being held in lieu of
$100,000 bail and is set to be arraigned Wednesday.
Tina Smith allegedly drove to a fast-food restaurant in Lake Forest Nov. 28 intending
to pay the undercover investigator $50 in advance to attack the witness. Paul Smith's attorney, Kory Mathewson, said he just received a copy of the indictment and was not familiar enough with it to comment.
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