GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, USA – AUGUST, 1992 Angela Denise Crockett, 26, was a young, ambitious woman with a promising future and a well-established career. She graduated with honors in nursing from the University of Texas, and worked part-time as a model and actress. She considered accepting a job offer as far away as Okinawa, Japan, as a midwife. Her friends described her as a woman who loved life. But all her plans were thwarted by a sadistic rapist.
Angela Denise Crockett
When she stopped calling her parents, her father became worried about her and went to visit her in the apartment where she lived. It was strange because her car was parked in the parking lot, the front door was locked from the inside, but Angela didn’t answer. Her father, with the help of the building manager, got into her apartment. What he found there shocked him and scarred him for life – his daughter Angela was lying on the floor, butchered.
It was clear at first glance that she had been the victim of a sexual murder. She was with her pussy exposed and her legs spread wide. Her bra was rolled up to expose her breasts. Near her head were her bloody panties.
The condition of the apartment and the cut wounds on the victim’s hands indicated that a fierce struggle had occurred at the scene between the victim and her attacker. There were traces of blood all over the apartment. However, Angela lost the fight and 114 stab wounds were found on her body. In addition, her throat was slit.
A forensic autopsy revealed not only rape but also brutal torture. Her windpipe had been cut and she was unable to scream. The rapist cut her back while she was dying in pain. Forcible penetration of her asshole was also proven.
When police detectives began investigating the murder, the most likely version of the investigation was that the victim knew or trusted the rapist. No evidence of forced entry into her home was found. The perpetrator even locked the door behind him when he left. He was not careful enough, however, and left a bloody fingerprint on the wine bottle in the fridge. He also left 11 of his pubic hairs and semen at the scene.
Further investigation led officers on the trail of 32-year-old Kenneth Renord Smith, a former resident of the same apartment complex. He allegedly frequently harassed Angela and left lewd messages on her car. When he was brought in for questioning and officers took his fingerprints, they matched the bloody prints on a box of wine in her apartment. His guilt was confirmed by DNA analysis of pubic hair and semen.
Kenneth Renord Smith confessed to the murder and rape under the weight of the evidence. He was sentenced to life without parole for 35 years. He is currently incarcerated at Ellis Prison, TX and will not be eligible for parole until September 23, 2027.
