Oxygen is re-airing the Snapped investigation into the murder of Darius Smith, who was beaten to death by his partner, Eileen Leone, at their home in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.
The police believe that on June 29, 2006, Leone and Smith had been arguing in the home they shared with their 4-year-old child when Leone decided to resort to violence.
Darius was sitting on a sofa when Leone sneaked up behind the 32-year-old, holding a fireplace poker, and bashed him repeatedly on the head. Leone contacted the police, claiming a person or a group had broken into the home and attacked Darius.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital suffering from a fractured skull and passed away a few hours later. An autopsy ruled blunt force trauma as the cause of death.
The cops grew suspicious of Leone after she made “wildly conflicting versions of the events” during subsequent interviews.
Despite the evidence against Leone, it took eight years for her to be charged with the murder. The first trial ended in a mistrial after a judge ruled that the jury may have been unfairly influenced.
Eileen Leone was eventually convicted of killing Darius Smith
However, a second trial in January 2017 lasted seven days, and after the jury deliberated for four hours, Leone was finally convicted of murder.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe 46-year-old was sentenced to 30 years with no parole.
Prosecutor David Ruffenach said in a statement, “It took ten years to bring this matter to its proper conclusion, and although we know that nothing can make up for the loss of a family’s loved one, we are happy that we could provide some justice and provide some peace for the family of Darius Smith.”
Leone had suffered from a long-term addiction problem, which was thought to have influenced her crime.
More from Snapped on Oxygen
Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on Snapped.
Angelina Omara murdered her ex-husband, James Omara, and then approximately 24 hours later, she turned the gun on her boyfriend, Michael Pies. Omara’s violent rampage spanned Minnesota and Wisconsin.
In a horrific case from Stuart, Florida, Christopher Tomlinson stabbed his girlfriend’s stepfather, Gerald Lee Jensen, multiple times with a sword. Tomlinson and girlfriend, Nicole Thornhill, had previously tried to poison Jensen and Thornhill’s mother.
This episode of Snapped re-airs Monday at 7/6c on Snapped.