Crime & Public Safety
Crime & Public Safety

Man accused of drowning stepson denied bond

Michael David Smith (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)
Michael David Smith (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)
By Raisa Habersham
June 29, 2016

A man accused of killing his disabled stepson in Morrow was denied bond Wednesday morning, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Michael David Smith, 32, is charged with cruelty to children and murder in the second degree after police said he drowned his 11-year-old stepson. The son has autism and is wheelchair bound.

Smith, a teacher with Clayton County Public Schools, placed the boy inside a bathtub. He stepped away to check on the other children in the house but came back to find the boy dead.

Smith’s family and friends gathered outside the courthouse Wednesday, saying he was good to his stepson, Channel 2 reported.

“I’ve never seen him snap on him,” friend Jo Barnes said. “I’ve never seen him pulling, yell … I’ve never seen him push him hard. I’ve never seen him frustrated with the child or any other of his children.”

Smith’s next court date is July 2.

About the Author

Raisa Habersham is the Intown Atlanta hyperlocal reporter for The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

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