ID’s The Writing on the Wall unboxes Stacie Smith’s murder by her cousin Timothy Ray Sutherland. It airs on the network this Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 10 p.m. ET.
An official synopsis states, “Shortly after finalizing her divorce, Stacie Smith is found dead in her kitchen, and the killer has left a message on the wall; with the writing on the wall as their first clue, police must unpack the secrets and lies in Stacie’s life.”
The Herald-Dispatch reported that Smith’s father found her body at her West Virginia home in late December 2009. Reportedly, the victim’s young son, who was present in the house, “told his grandfather that Stacie was sleeping.” Law enforcement officers found a significant amount of blood at the crime scene. They also found a disparaging phrase written on the living room wall.
Not long after, police arrested Timothy Ray Sutherland, who was later identified as the victim’s cousin, on unrelated charges. Following his arrest, Sutherland confessed to Stacie Smith’s murder which then led to a conviction.
Stacie Smith’s murder: Why did Timothy Ray Sutherland kill her?
According to the Charleston Gazette-Mail, murder victim Stacie Smith’s cousin Timothy Ray Sutherland admitted to fatally stabbing her. He also confessed to writing “cheating whore” on the wall in an attempt to cast suspicion elsewhere.
At his trial, Sutherland’s defense claimed that he was high on drugs and upset at the time of Stacie Smith’s murder. The accused faced first-degree murder and first-degree robbery charges in connection with Smith’s December 28, 2009 murder. His lawyer, Ronni Sheets, alleged that the defendant and the victim were arguing when the latter called him a junkie.
Sheets said, “This was not a premeditated murder at all, but the tragic act of a man who was high” on marijuana and ecstasy. Sutherland reportedly lashed out because his cousin’s comments about his drug addiction hurt and crushed him.
The outlet reported that Sutherland killed Smith, 32, while her three-year-old son was still present in the house. He stabbed her in the neck before writing the message on the wall and taking off with her money and car. The victim’s seven-year-old daughter, McKenzie, was at a friend’s house at the time. When Smith failed to pick up her daughter, her parents grew concerned, which ultimately led to the horrific discovery.
According to The Herald-Dispatch, the victim’s family told investigators that Sutherland had been staying with her at the time. Police soon identified him as a “person of interest” despite a lack of physical evidence.
FindLaw reported that police arrested Sutherland on December 30 on unrelated charges of failing to register as a sex offender. The count stemmed from a 2007 case when he was reportedly convicted of third-degree sexual assault. He served over two and a half years and received 20 years of probation. Following his arrest, the then-29-year-old confessed to Stacie Smith’s murder.
The outlet reported a jury convicted Sutherland of first-degree murder after a three-day trial in March 2011. This time, he received a life sentence without the possibility of parole, per The Cinemaholic.
The Writing on the Wall airs with Stacie Smith’s murder case on ID this December 16, 2023, at 10 p.m. ET.
