NORTH VERNON — Officers with the North Vernon Police Department said that the victim in a suspected homicide knew the alleged attacker, and died from a knife wound Tuesday.
William Steven "Billy" Smith, 45, North Vernon, was arrested on a preliminary charge of murder after a five-hour search by police in Jennings County. He is currently being held without bond at the Jennings County Jail.
North Vernon Police Department Sgt. Andrew Richmond said that Smith has lived in the North Vernon area for several years, but hasn’t had a stable home address during that time. The deceased individual is an acquaintance of Smith’s, Richmond said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, detectives were not yet ready to release the name of the victim, police said.
The search for Smith started around 1 p.m. on Tuesday after a deceased person was found in a residence in the 100 block of West Walnut Street in North Vernon, police said.
A citizen tipped central dispatch as to Smith’s whereabouts that evening, Richmond said.
Smith was seen walking a dog in the area of West O&M Avenue, east of the North Vernon Education and Training Center, around 6 p.m. when officers with NVPD, the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana Conservation located him, Richmond said. Police said Smith fled across residential back yards to escape, but that the suspect did not physically engage officers when caught.
Smith was in possession of what appeared to be two controlled substances and drug paraphernalia upon his arrest, Richmond said.
Smith is facing charges of robbery, theft and possession of methamphetamine in addition to murder, according to arrest records.
Despite reports that Smith was possibly in the Seymour area, Richmond said police believe he never left Jennings County during the search.
North Vernon police said that Smith has come into contact with local law enforcement frequently.
Police department records show Smith has been involved in at least 22 incident reports since 2004, and has been arrested 14 times since 2010.
Court records show that Smith plead guilty to domestic battery with a prior, a Level 6 felony, in November of 2020. He was sentenced to 360 days in jail by Jennings Circuit Court Judge Jon W. Webster.
