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Marion S.C. (BFMG) — A South Carolina man accused of forcing a paramedic to wear a dog shock collar before executing her in the woods is now behind bars after a violent cross-country crime spree that ended with the killing of a New Mexico police officer.
Jaremy Smith, 33, has pleaded guilty to the fatal shooting of New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare and faces life in prison. Newly filed court documents outline the allegations against Smith in the murder of paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore, of Marion County, South Carolina, in March 2023.
Authorities allege Smith kidnapped Machado-Fore after stealing firearms from her home. According to court filings, Smith held her hostage in her BMW, drove her to a wooded area about half a mile away, and shot her once in the back of the head according to Law&Crime.
“Agents believe Smith abducted and restrained (Machado-Fore) near her residence … transported her alive in the BMW to the body location, had her walk into the woods, then shot her once in the back of the head execution-style,” a federal search warrant states. The document, filed Jan. 29 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, was obtained by CBS affiliate WBTW.
When authorities discovered Machado-Fore’s body on March 15, she was wearing pajamas and house slippers, the warrant states. She had injuries to her face, a dog shock collar around her neck, and bloody bandannas covering her face. Cut plastic zip ties and plastic tape were also found at the scene.
“There is no place in our society for cold-blooded killers, which is exactly what he is,” New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler told WBTW. “A ruthless murderer who took the lives of two of this country’s finest servants.”
Following Machado-Fore’s death, Smith allegedly met up with an acquaintance, and the pair drove from South Carolina to Texas. According to the search warrant, the acquaintance later told investigators that along the way, Smith displayed a handgun, acted aggressively, and threatened to kill him. The acquaintance also alleged that the two committed an armed robbery while traveling through Atlanta before reaching Texas. The acquaintance stayed behind in Texas while Smith continued to New Mexico.
Smith later encountered Officer Hare after his vehicle got a flat tire. In his plea agreement, filed Jan. 17 and obtained by Law&Crime, Smith described how he shot Hare while standing at the passenger window of the officer’s patrol car.
“I explained to Officer (Hare) that I had a flat tire, and Officer (Hare) offered to drive me into the nearest town,” Smith said in his plea agreement. “At that point, and while still standing at the passenger window of the police cruiser, I shot Officer (Hare) once in the head with the Taurus 9mm firearm. I then walked from the passenger side window of Officer (Hare’s) police cruiser, around the front of the car, to the driver’s side window and shot Officer (Hare) two additional times. I fired all three shots with the intent to cause death and serious bodily injury.”
Smith admitted to taking Hare’s patrol car and driving away with the officer still inside, emergency lights flashing.
“Officer (Hare) was still in the vehicle when I drove off, and my purpose for driving the police cruiser from the scene was to facilitate my escape,” Smith stated. “With Officer (Hare) still inside the police cruiser, I drove for approximately four minutes and 24 seconds on U.S. Interstate 40 before exiting on a frontage road. I drove for less than one minute on the frontage road before stopping the police cruiser at a remote location. After stopping the vehicle, I removed Officer (Hare) from the police cruiser and left him lying face up on the roadway. I then re-entered the police cruiser and drove from the scene.”
In connection with Hare’s death, Smith pleaded guilty to five charges, including carjacking resulting in death, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and kidnapping resulting in death. He is currently incarcerated at the Penitentiary of New Mexico in Santa Fe County while awaiting sentencing.
Smith is expected to stand trial in South Carolina in the coming months, where he faces 17 additional charges, including murder, kidnapping, carjacking, criminal conspiracy, two counts of grand larceny of a motor vehicle, two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and seven counts of being a felon in possession of a handgun.
