Verdict reached in 2013 Chambers Co.murder trial

CHAMBERS COUNTY, AL (WTVM) - The verdict has been reached in the 2013 Chambers County murder trial.

The jury has found Kason King guilty of murder, guilty of unlawful imprisonment, guilty of domestic violence, and guilty of burglary.

King was on trial for the shooting death of 32-year-old Jarrad Smith.

Smith was found dead inside a home on County Rd. 53 in Chambers County almost five years ago.

Authorities believe Smith was shot while in the shower with King's ex-girlfriend.

"I'm glad it's over for the families. It's been a tough week, seems like it's been a month. Relief and we are on to the next stage," said Chambers County Assistant District Attorney Robbie Treese. "We had an eyewitness, we had DNA, we had glass matches, and we had trace evidence from the FBI and crime lab. Overall, it was a really strong case, but a tough one."

The jury heard testimony from the ex girlfriend of Kason King, who was in the shower with Jarrad Smith at the time of the murder, the homeowner of the house where the murder scene happened but wasn't there at the time of the incident, and one other person inside the home.

Treese says the prosecution is looking outside the sentencing guidelines for the maximum sentencing allowable under the law for King.

Before the trial, News Leader 9's Parker Branton spoke exclusively with Smith's family.

"There's not a day that goes by that he's not with me, or I don't think about him. He will never be forgotten he was a loving son a good hearted son and he's dearly missed," said Smith's mother Rose Smith.

The Chambers County District Attorney's office is asking for a pre-sentence report where the probation officer will look into the defendants background before the sentencing date in mid-June.

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