Katrina Ashley Edland was born on July 16th, 1982.
She was the youngest child of her mother, Vicki.
Katrina had two siblings, an older brother named Chad and a younger sister named Miranda.
As a child, Miranda looked up to her older sister Katrina.
Miranda often tried on Katrina’s clothes and used her makeup, as she admired and wanted to be just like her.
Over the years, Miranda and Katrina developed a deep bond and became more like best friends than sisters.
When Katrina was young, her parents separated, and she lived with her mother.
Katrina was raised in Monee Park, Illinois, a bedroom community located outside the city.
Those who knew Katrina described her as a kind-hearted and fun-loving individual.
Katrina particularly cherished the holiday season and thoroughly enjoyed giving gag gifts to her friends and family.
Overall, Katrina was very happy and deeply involved in her church.
She had a strong desire to help others and was more than willing to offer her time to anyone in need.
Even though Katrina was happy, she still yearned to find love and believed she had met her prince charming when she encountered Todd Smith at a bar.
At age 20, Todd, a successful financial planner who owned his own business and worked out of his home, had three daughters.
Despite their differences, the couple hit it off, and Todd’s work flexibility allowed them to travel extensively.
Three years into their relationship, Todd proposed to Katrina, which she happily accepted.
The couple planned an intimate ceremony in a local park, and Katrina was ecstatic about their future together.
She loved her stepdaughters and was eager to build a bright future with Todd.
Moreover, Katrina’s mother Vicki and her siblings Chad and Miranda loved Todd and considered him a great guy.
They trusted him to take care of Katrina and believed the duo was a perfect match.
Following their marriage, Katrina and Todd settled in Monee Park, where they began their life together.
On October 20th, 2012, Katrina Smith, a 30-year-old woman, called her mother Vicki and told her she was house-sitting for a friend.
During their conversation, Katrina mentioned that she would be coming over for dinner on October 24th and had news to share with her mother.
Vicki sensed something was going on, but she wasn’t sure what it could be.
Before hanging up the phone, Vicki promised to cook Katrina’s favorite dish: chicken and dumplings.
However, she would never have the opportunity to fulfill that promise.
Several days after that phone call, Katrina disappeared, and Vicki would never see her again.
At 5:00 p.m. on October 23rd, Todd Smith contacted 911 to report the disappearance of his wife, Katrina Smith.
Todd informed the dispatcher that Katrina was house-sitting for a friend and that he had been unable to reach her for several hours.
He stated that the house was empty when he drove to where she was staying.
Miranda and Chad, Katrina’s sister and brother, became concerned when they learned of her disappearance.
Chad, who was training with the U.S. Army in Oklahoma, immediately flew to Illinois to assist in the search for his sister.
On the night of the 23rd, a resident called police to report an abandoned vehicle near Rock River.
According to the resident, the car was not parked on the roadside but was in an easement, as if it had been abandoned in a hurry.
When police arrived to investigate the vehicle, they ran the license plate and discovered it belonged to Katrina Smith.
Upon examining the car, the police officer found no sign of a struggle or Katrina.
When Katrina’s mother Vicki heard the news that her daughter’s car had been found abandoned in a ditch on the side of the road in an unfamiliar area, she knew that something bad had happened to her daughter.
It was the only plausible explanation that made sense to Vicki.
If Katrina’s car was in that area, someone had taken her and parked the car there after Katrina disappeared.
After Katrina’s car was found, her case was officially classified as a missing person case, and the search for her intensified.
At 11:00 p.m. on October 23rd, police took Todd Smith to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department for a formal interview.
During the interview, Todd disclosed to detectives that he had last seen his wife Katrina on October 22nd.
Todd claimed Katrina returned home for a short while to do laundry because she had a big job interview the following day.
As the laundry was going, Todd explained to detectives that Katrina left to go to the mall to buy something and returned home at 8:30 p.m.
However, Todd mentioned that Katrina quickly left the house again to go out for a final time.
Todd stated that Katrina had informed him she had one last stop to make before returning to the house she was house-sitting for a friend.
The day after Katrina was classified as a missing person, Todd Smith took to the media to plead for his wife’s safe return.
In a heart-wrenching and emotional appeal, Todd broke down in tears as he expressed his desperate desire to find his wife Katrina.
He appealed to the public, asking anyone who knew anything about Katrina’s whereabouts to come forward and share information.
As the hours passed, the search for Katrina intensified.
Search crews consisting of officers and volunteers dedicated their time and effort to locating the missing woman.
Their efforts focused specifically on a park located near the spot where Katrina’s car had been abandoned.
Investigators hoped that any evidence or clues regarding her disappearance could be found in the vicinity.
When Chad, Katrina’s brother, arrived in Illinois from his Army training in Oklahoma, everyone met him at the park to search for Katrina.
Chad, using his military training, took control of the search party.
He charted and plotted on a map and divided the volunteers who had come to look for Katrina into teams.
Chad got people out looking, ensuring that a thorough search was conducted.
As officers searched the park, they used dogs and stood side by side walking in a straight line.
This tactic was used to cover as much ground as possible and ensure that they did not miss any items of evidence, no matter how small.
The officers took every precaution to ensure they did not overlook anything in their quest to find Katrina.
Katrina’s mother Vicki hung up missing person flyers for Katrina all around town.
She left these flyers at gas stations, convenience stores, and lamp posts.
Vicki’s main objective was to spread awareness and ensure that as many people as possible were informed about Katrina’s disappearance.
However, due to her overwhelming grief and fear of finding her daughter’s body, Vicki was unable to participate in the search.
Throughout this difficult time, Todd, Katrina’s husband, remained emotional.
Chad encouraged Todd to stay strong, reminding him they needed to remain focused on finding Katrina.
He stood by Todd’s side the entire time, feeling awful for his grieving brother-in-law.
An officer discovered Katrina’s purse where her car was found.
As he continued down the road from where her car was found, he found additional items that belonged to her.
Among these were her cell phone and towels that appeared to have been used to clean blood.
It became clear that someone had been disposing of Katrina’s belongings as they moved away from her abandoned vehicle.
Unfortunately, police had no clue where Katrina was at that point.
However, they suspected something bad had happened to her.
The items found on the side of the road were taken to the crime lab for testing, and police eagerly awaited the results of their investigation.
In the meantime, police began delving into Katrina’s personal life in search of any clues that could explain her disappearance.
As officers delved into the investigation of Katrina’s disappearance, they aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of every facet of her life.
This digging involved examining whether Katrina had any relationships outside of her marriage, investigating any potential involvement in gambling or drug activities, and meticulously documenting her daily routines.
The officers interviewed Katrina’s friends and family extensively to gather this crucial information.
These individuals unanimously described Katrina as a kind-hearted, responsible individual who consistently prioritized her responsibilities and avoided engaging in any questionable activities.
Katrina’s loved ones expressed that she was known for her dedication to her work and for maintaining a strong work ethic.
According to their testimonies, she never exhibited any signs of addiction or irresponsible behavior.
In fact, they described her as a dedicated spouse and a hardworking woman who never compromised her integrity.
During the search for Katrina, a woman provided an intriguing tip.
According to this woman, she had witnessed a blue vehicle matching the description of Katrina’s car stopped on a bridge over Rock River on the night of her disappearance.
The trunk of the car was open, and she could see a person kneeling behind it.
However, the woman was unable to provide any specific details such as the person’s gender or race.
When the woman came forward and reported this incident to police, officers began considering the possibility that Katrina may have ended up in the river through foul play.
However, they still lacked concrete evidence to support this theory.
Officers knew they needed to investigate further to see if anyone had the motive to harm Katrina.
Despite claims that Katrina and her husband Todd were happily married, Todd remained a subject of interest.
Authorities had doubts, as there was always the possibility of hidden conflicts or secrets within the marriage.
The investigation into Katrina’s disappearance continued, and police received information that led them to another suspect.
They learned there was a boy in town who exhibited an obsession with Katrina.
This obsession went back to earlier in the year when Katrina confided in her friends about a teenage boy from her church who exhibited an unhealthy obsession with her.
It was alleged that the boy had been involved in acts of voyeurism, specifically targeting Katrina by spying on her through her bedroom window.
Katrina grew increasingly nervous during this time due to the teenager’s behavior.
However, the peeping activities eventually ceased when the teenager moved away for college.
Police became suspicious and wondered if the teenager had returned home at some point and resumed stalking Katrina.
As a result, they dedicated significant resources to track him down.
Three days into the search for Katrina, her cell phone, which was examined at the crime lab, revealed crucial clues.
The phone turned out to be a treasure trove of information for investigating officers.
By investigating Katrina’s cell phone, they gained valuable insights into her text messages, incoming and outgoing calls, pictures, videos, and even her GPS location.
Katrina’s phone data provided police with a wealth of knowledge, enabling them to piece together a clearer picture of Katrina’s activities.
For instance, they discovered that she was having an extramarital affair with a coworker named Guy Gabriel.
The relationship between Katrina and Guy Gabriel began innocently enough.
They initially met after work one night and hit it off.
Their connection grew stronger, and they became romantically involved.
However, detectives’ background check on Guy Gabriel revealed a darker side.
Officers discovered that Guy Gabriel had a history of domestic violence.
Moreover, detectives stumbled upon text messages sent by Guy Gabriel to Katrina demanding that she leave her husband Todd for him.
Because of Guy Gabriel’s history of violence and his messages to Katrina, he became the prime suspect in her disappearance.
Police thought it was possible Guy Gabriel got mad at Katrina for not leaving her husband for him and reacted violently.
When Katrina’s family found out that she had been having an affair on Todd, they were completely taken aback.
Everyone had long believed Katrina and Todd were the epitome of an ideal and happy couple.
To discover that Katrina had engaged in such betrayal left everyone in shock and disbelief.
Todd, who had no idea about his wife’s affair until the police investigation revealed it, was shattered.
The news that his wife had been unfaithful hit him hard.
Guy Gabriel met the police investigating Katrina’s disappearance at the police department for a formal interview.
During the interview, Guy appeared nervous.
Although he did admit to having an affair with Katrina, Guy denied having any involvement in Katrina’s disappearance.
According to Guy, he was at work the night Katrina went missing.
While police investigated Katrina’s affair with her coworker Guy Gabriel, they learned about an incident that occurred two weeks before Katrina went missing.
Witnesses told police that it was lunchtime at the auto shop where Katrina and Guy worked.
As all the workers stood outside chatting, a black Volkswagen Jetta sped through the parking lot.
The masked driver threw a stack of flyers through the car’s open sunroof.
These papers fell from the sky and landed at everyone’s feet as the employees gathered outside.
As the car sped away, the workers picked up the documents and said they were flyers with a derogatory statement about Katrina and Guy Gabriel’s relationship.
However, no one knew who the driver of the VW Jetta was.
When police questioned Katrina’s hairstylist, she revealed that Katrina had confided in her about feeling unsafe and expressing a desire to purchase a gun to protect herself.
Katrina had expressed concerns that someone was following her and even went to a store to have her phone checked for a tracking device.
At the police garage, crime scene investigators examined Katrina’s car for evidence.
One of the tools investigators employed was luminol, a chemical compound that reacts with blood to produce a bright glow.
The luminol revealed the presence of a significant amount of blood in the trunk of Katrina’s car.
Later, a fisherman walking along Rock River noticed something floating in the water.
When he took a better look, he realized the object was a body.
The fire department was called in to recover the body, and upon pulling it from the water, they discovered it was a female body.
However, it was initially difficult to determine the identity of the body as it had severely decomposed.
They had no idea if it was Katrina Smith or not.
The body was then transported to the medical examiner’s office, where staff performed an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
In order to identify the remains, dental records were provided to a county dental expert.
After examination, the expert matched the teeth from the body to those in Katrina Smith’s records and concluded that the body pulled from the river was indeed that of Katrina Smith.
Katrina’s cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head.
When Katrina’s family learned her body had been found and she had been murdered by blunt force trauma to the head, they all broke down and cried.
This news was devastating, and their emotions overwhelmed them as they processed the magnitude of what had happened.
Katrina’s mother Vicki was in disbelief when she heard the news.
The knowledge that her daughter had been violently beaten in the head was unbearable for Vicki.
Officers tracked down the teenage boy who had allegedly been stalking Katrina and cleared him as a suspect after they confirmed his alibi that he had been on campus at his college during the time of Katrina’s disappearance and murder.
This confirmation eliminated him as a viable suspect, and police turned their attention to Katrina’s boyfriend outside of her marriage, Guy Gabriel.
Guy Gabriel told police he had an alibi for the night Katrina disappeared.
He stated that he had been at work during that time.
To support his claim, Guy’s managers provided his time card, which confirmed that Guy had been at work that night.
Additionally, several coworkers corroborated Guy’s alibi, stating that they had seen him at their workplace.
With Guy Gabriel’s alibi confirmed, police were no longer suspicious of his involvement in Katrina’s disappearance and murder.
Although Guy Gabriel was no longer a suspect, police sought his perspective on who may have hurt Katrina.
Guy divulged that Katrina’s husband Todd exhibited controlling behavior, which led him to encourage Katrina to leave her marriage.
He believed that Todd’s controlling nature could have escalated and led to physical harm.
As police delved deeper into Katrina’s marriage with Todd Smith, several concerning details emerged.
Firstly, it was discovered that Katrina had expressed a desire to divorce Todd to several people.
Furthermore, police confirmed that Katrina had met with a divorce attorney the day prior to her disappearance.
Despite Katrina’s claim that she was house-sitting at a friend’s condo, officers discovered she had moved in because she and Todd had separated.
After gathering information and conducting interviews, police suspected Todd of being behind the mysterious flyer incident at Katrina’s workplace.
This suspicion grew stronger when officers discovered that Todd had test-driven a black Volkswagen Jetta, the same model and color as the car involved in the flyer incident.
The timing of these events also raised suspicion, as Todd allegedly took the test drive around the same time the incident occurred.
When police informed Katrina’s family that not only was Todd the prime suspect in her murder, but also that he was already in custody, they were completely shocked and in disbelief.
They had loved and respected Todd, considering him more than just an in-law.
The news left everyone feeling devastated.
Katrina’s mother Vicki was particularly affected.
The realization that her daughter’s husband could be responsible for her murder left her physically ill.
It was unimaginable to her that Todd could have done something so atrocious.
Vicki had always trusted and respected Todd, and the idea that he could be capable of such a heinous crime never crossed her mind.
Police received information regarding Todd’s financial situation, as it was revealed that his financial investment company was facing legal troubles.
With Todd out of work, Katrina was the breadwinner for the family.
Based on this information, officers formulated a theory that if Katrina were to leave Todd and his daughters, the money would go with her.
This realization may have led Todd to consider murdering his wife as a means to gain access to those funds.
In order to gather evidence, police obtained a search warrant for Todd and Katrina’s home.
During the search, investigators stumbled upon a baseball bat in a corner of the garage.
Upon closer examination, they noticed traces of blood on the bat.
This discovery led them to believe that it could very well be the weapon that was used to kill Katrina.
The injuries she had sustained were blunt force trauma, which was consistent with a bat being used.
Investigators conducted a DNA test on the bat to confirm their suspicions.
This analysis confirmed that Katrina’s blood was on the bat, solidifying the link between the murder weapon and the victim.
Additionally, investigators stumbled upon a large area underneath the car that had been meticulously cleaned.
Upon further examination, they discovered that the blood stains found under the vehicle matched Katrina’s DNA profile.
Thirty days after Katrina Smith was murdered, her husband Todd Smith was arrested and charged with her murder.
His arrest came as a relief to her family.
On January 11th, 2017, Todd’s trial began.
The state presented its case to the jury, painting a vivid picture of the night Katrina was murdered.
It was revealed that Katrina had recently met with a divorce attorney to discuss her marital problems.
This meeting served as a starting point for the prosecution, as they argued that Katrina’s decision to seek legal assistance indicated a troubled relationship.
According to the state, Katrina had gone to Todd’s house to do laundry in preparation for a job interview she had scheduled for the following morning.
During her visit, the prosecution alleged that Katrina had made it clear to Todd that their marriage was truly over.
This declaration, they argued, led to Todd reacting violently.
The state alleged that while Katrina was in the garage, Todd, in a fit of rage, grabbed a baseball bat and mercilessly beat her to death.
After ensuring Katrina’s body was lifeless, Todd allegedly proceeded to move her into the trunk of her car.
He then drove to a remote location near Rock River.
There, he disposed of her body by throwing it off a nearby bridge.
Following the disposal of Katrina’s body, Todd abandoned her car on the side of the road.
As he walked back home to wash away any evidence, he disposed of her cell phone and the bloody towels he had used to clean the garage.
Jurors found Todd guilty and sentenced him to 55 years in prison.
