Police allege murder-for-hire in sgt. stabbing

[unhappycamper]

Police allege murder-for-hire in sgt. stabbing
By Estes Thompson - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Oct 3, 2008 17:50:51 EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. — The husband of a female soldier found stabbed to death near her home was arrested Friday and charged with murder along with a second man authorities say was hired to kill the woman.

The death of 29-year-old Sgt. Christina E. Smith was the third off-post killing of a Fort Bragg servicewoman in four months, stunning a tight military community that was still seeking to come to grips with the earlier deaths.

“For me, I was thinking, ‘No, gosh, not another one,”’ said Fayetteville police spokeswoman Theresa Chance.

Sgt. Richard Smith, 26, was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, Chance said. Pfc. Mathew Kvapil, 18, faces the same charges, and Chance said he was hired by Smith to kill the wife as the couple walked together Tuesday evening.

An initial hearing was scheduled for Monday for both soldiers. Officials said they didn’t know if either man had been appointed an attorney yet.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/ap_soldierstabbed_100308/%2e