Jury trial begins in high-profile Smith family murder case in Georgia

Gori District Court in eastern Georgia has began a trial regarding the high profile murder case of the Smith family in Georgia in the summer of last year.

A verdict for the 19-year old shepherded   Malkhaz Kobauri will be delivered by the jury, as the latter is accused of the murder of Ryan Smith, four-year-old Caleb Smith and the rape and murder of Lora Smith.

• Lawyer refuses to defend suspect in brutal murder case of Smith family

Kobauri does not admit to the crime and speaks about “several foreigners” who killed the family on their vacation in the eastern, mountainous Khada Gorge of Georgia.

The pre-trial detention term ends on 9 April 2019 for Kobauri.Photo:IPN. 

The case Prosecutor Zaza Datukashvili claims that the prosecution has “strong evidence” that Kobauri committed the crime.

I, as the case prosecutor, assure the public that Kobauri will not leave prison and he will receive the punishment he deserves,” Datukashvili said.

What is known regarding the case?

• The Smith family went missing in early July 2018 and family’s friends addressed police for help.
• The bodies of Ryan and Lora Smith were found on 7 July in the Khada Gorge of  Dusheti region, in eastern Georgia.
• Initially police said that Ryan and Lora Smith had no signs of violence on their bodies. However, later the Interior Ministry stated that Ryan Smith was shot dead and as he was found in the river in a very poor condition the shots were invisible at first glance.
• Ryan Smith was shot twice, while Lora Smith’s body was found next to a waterfall.
• Kobauri was detained on 11 July and he himself showed the site to law enforcers where a four-year-old Caleb’s body was buried.
• The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that initially Kobauri admitted to the crime, but later he said that “two foreigners” killed the Smiths. A bit later he started speaking about “several foreigners.”
• The case prosecutor initially stated that the dispute between Kobauri and Ryan Smith emerged because of a riffle the shepherd carried with him.The prosecutor claimed that Ryan Smith told the shepherd to be cautious with the weapon, especially at the presence of a child.
• At first the Prosecutor’s Office stated that Lora Smith was likely to fall down from the cliff when she tried to escape. However, on 9 November 2018 Kobauri was charged with the rape and murder of Lora Smith.
• Now sexual motives have been named as the possible motive of the crime by the prosecution.
• Kobauri is mentally fit.
• If found guilty he may face lifetime imprisonment.

Ryan and Lora Smith had dual Georgia and American citizenship and had been living in Georgia’s eastern Marneuli region for more than 10 years, where they had a business producing Azerbaijani rugs.