Described as a bubbly girl with an old soul, 14-year-old Kelly Anne Bates was known to hang around a much older crowd. Naturally, it came to no surprise to the teen’s parents that she had begun to date a much older man. At 16, when
Kelly decided to introduce them her boyfriend, “Dave Smith”, claiming he was 32-years-old, Kelly’s mom says that the hairs on her neck began to stand up the moment she met him.
Kelly Anne Bates, and Smith’s legacy of violence against women would go on to make national headlines.
In spite of her mother’s attempts to keep Kelly away from Smith, shortly after introducing him to her parents Kelly began spending more and more time at Smith’s home. Although still worried about her daughter’s relationship with this much older man, it seemed to Kelly’s mother that Smith did have Kelly’s best interest at heart and would often phone her parents to discuss concerns he had about her. It wouldn’t be long before that impression was shattered and the cycle of possessiveness and violence with in the couple’s relationship began.
Kelly’s mom eventually discovered the truth about “Dave’s” identity. Preferring to be called “Jimmy”, Smith claimed he only lied about his age because he felt that if she had known how old he really was she wouldn’t approve of the relationship. Kelly would come home to check in every few days. Her mother noticed that Kelly’s appearances had drastically changed during this time. When Kelly visited her parents’ home they reported that she looked as if she hadn’t bathed, she had begun to lose weight rapidly, and was often seen with bruises and what appeared to be bite marks.
Kelly’s mom had no idea that the man her teenage daughter was dating was not “Dave Smith”, nor was he 32-years-old. Smith’s real name was James Patterson Smith and he was much older than Kelly’s mom had suspected. Smith was actually 48-years-old, making him over 30 years Kelly’s senior. It would seem odd that the man that claimed to love this girl would go out of his way to disguise his identity, however, Smith’s checkered
past may be one explanation.
History of Relationships in the Link
There were several arguments between the couple and Kelly would return home for short periods, but would always return back to Smith. Never admitting to the abuse, Kelly spent less and less time with her family, until eventually, she cut all contact with them. Kelly’s parents did receive some cards from her, but they noticed that the cards were not written in Kelly’s handwriting. Her mother felt something was terribly wrong but was unable to do anything about the situation.
Her mother’s instinct was unfortunately correct. On April 16, 1996, Smith reported to a local police station that his girlfriend had accidentally drown in his bathtub. Police arriving to the scene at Smith’s home found blood in virtually every room of the house, indicating that there was much more to Kelly’s death than an accidental drowning.
Weeks before her death, Smith gouged Kelly’s eyes out and tied to a radiator by her hair. For at least three weeks she was refused food and water, scalped in places, and her inner thigh was burned with a hot iron. Her arms, legs, hands, and knee caps had been completely crushed. Medical examiners found 150 separate stab wounds on her body, including the inside of her mouth and her empty eye sockets. She was mutilated to her face, mouth, nose, and genital areas. Finally, in what probably seemed like an act of mercy to Kelly, Smith knocked her unconscious with a shower head and drown her.
Smith denied having anything to do with Kelly’s murder and stuck to his story that her death was a result of accidental drowning, but he did admit to abusing Kelly. He said that she would often inflict injuries upon herself, making the abuse appear worst than it was, and would purposely “wind him up” by taunting him. Smith’s excuse for beating, stabbing, and gouging her eyes out was only because she had “dared him” to do it, and claimed that Kelly was the one that provoked him into torturing her.
It only took an hour for the jury to find Smith guilty and he was sentenced to life in prison. It is perhaps one of the few cases where jurors were offered professional counseling services in order to deal with being subjected to the horrific police photographs of Kelly’s badly mutilated body and the crime scene.
