A Phoenix man, Austin Smith, is in custody and charged with killing his wife, two of his children and a family friend near 67th Avenue and Camelback Road. Smith claimed the murders were what God had told him to do.
Smith, age 30, said he killed his wife, Dasia Patterson, because he thought she was cheating on him with his brother. He confronted Patterson about the alleged affair, which she denied. He then killed his daughters, 5-year-old Nasha Smith and 7-year-old Mayan Smith.
Smith did not kill his youngest daughter, age 3, “because she reminded him of himself,” according to the police report. Smith said his other “daughters reminded him of his wife whom he considered wicked in the eyes of God.”
Smith then went to an apartment near 67th Avenue and Osborn Road where his brother was staying. When Smith encountered a family friend, Ron Freeman, who told Smith he was crazy to believe his wife would be unfaithful, he shot him until he was dead.
Smith continued shooting, sending two more people to the hospital.