|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
by JENN WOOD
***
A Marion County man already serving life in prison for murdering a New Mexico police officer has pleaded guilty to the kidnapping, carjacking and execution-style murder of a South Carolina emergency medical worker.
Jaremy Alexander Smith, 35, entered the plea on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, according to the office of U.S. attorney Bryan Stirling.
Smith admitted to kidnapping 52-year-old Phonesia Machado-Fore from her Marion home on March 13, 2024, before taking her to a remote location near Nichols, S.C. There, prosecutors said Smith executed Machado-Fore behind an abandoned house while she was bound and blindfolded.
Smith then drove Machado-Fore’s vehicle back to her residence, stole several firearms from the home and later sold them, according to evidence obtained during the investigation.
He subsequently fled South Carolina in Machado-Fore’s stolen white 2011 BMW 335i — beginning a cross-country journey that culminated with the murder of Justin Hare of the New Mexico State Police (NMSP).
***
Hare was shot and killed while attempting to assist Smith on the side of Interstate 40 approximately nine miles southwest of Tucumcari, New Mexico. Smith pleaded guilty to Hare’s murder last January and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole last April.
“The senseless murders of Ms. Machado-Fore and NMSP Officer Hare were shocking and heartbreaking,” Stirling said. “Now, thanks to a multi-state law enforcement investigation, Smith faces accountability for these two heinous acts.”
“We offer our continued condolences to both families as they heal and remember their loved ones,” he added.
FBI Columbia special agent in charge Anish Shukla said Smith’s attacks on two first responders “sent shockwaves throughout South Carolina and New Mexico.”
“While his acceptance of responsibility cannot bring back Ms. Machado-Fore or Officer Hare, we truly hope their families and friends can start healing knowing that the defendant is being held fully accountable for his despicable actions,” Shukla said.
***
RELATED | Feds to Seek Death Penalty in 2024 Murder
***
Machado-Fore was a sergeant with the Florence County emergency medical services division, where she had served since 2017. Her colleagues remembered her as someone with “a servant’s heart” who genuinely loved helping others.
“Her infectious laughter, quick wit, and devious smile were part of who she was as a person, coworker, and friend,” the division said following her death. “While she may not always agree with you, you knew that she would be there for you if you needed anything.”
Smith’s guilty plea resolves a federal case in which prosecutors had previously received authorization from U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi to seek the death penalty.
Smith now faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison, along with a fine of up to $250,000, restitution and a period of supervised release. Given his mandatory life sentence — and the life sentence he is already serving for Hare’s murder — the supervision provision is effectively moot unless either conviction is later overturned or modified.
U.S. district judge Joseph Dawson III accepted Smith’s plea and will impose the sentence after reviewing a report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
***
***
As FITSNews previously reported, Smith had a lengthy South Carolina criminal record dating back to 2007 — including a 2014 escape from the Marion County detention center while awaiting trial on charges connected to an armed robbery.
Smith was released from the custody of the S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC) on December 1, 2023 — just over three months before Machado-Fore and Hare were murdered.
At the time of the killings, Smith was under “active supervision” in Marlboro County. That supervision was scheduled to continue through July 28, 2024.
In other words, Smith’s violent history was well established long before the two first responders crossed his path — raising yet another round of questions about why a dangerous repeat offender was free to unleash such devastation.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Columbia field office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. attorneys Everett McMillian and Christopher Lietzow prosecuted the case with assistance from Department of Justice Capital Case Section trial attorneys Barry Disney, Julie Adams and Aria Merle.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
***
SOUND OFF…
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
