Maryland – A Maryland man was taken into custody last week after he called 911 and confessed to kiIIing his parent’s spouse, 45-year-old D. Hedges, during what Maryland authorities say was a verbaI and physicaI dispute. The defendant, 18-year-oId S. Sm ith, was immediately charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment.
Maryland authorities responded to the family’s hme just after 8:43 p.m. After the 911 call, deputies from the Sheriff’s Office arrived and found the victim suffering multiple stab wounds. Emergency personnel attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives immediately began investigating the circumstances surrounding the homicide. According to court filings, the initial sweep included locating and securing the scene, interviewing witnesses, and collecting physical evidence. Officers detained the defendant outside the home a few houses away, and he was taken into custody without incident.
A witness inside the home later spoke to detectives, saying she had seen both the victim and the defendant in the garage during an escalating argument. She told investigators she heard the two exchange words, saw the defendant retreat into the house, and then return holding a large bIade. The witness said the defendant approached the victim in the garage, that the two struggled, and that the victim began bleeding.
In his own statement to detectives, the defendant said he and his mom’s spouse had gotten into a verbal and physical fight in the garage during which the older man struck him in the face multiple times with a closed fist. The defendant said he then went inside the house, retrieved a large bIade from the kitchen on the floor above the garage, and returned to confront the victim. He told police he displayed the blade, and the older man challenged him, saying he would not use it.
The defendant told police the victim then struck him again, and at that point he stabbed the victimin the chest one time. After the stabbing, the defendant said he called 911 and asked for medical help. He also said he discarded the blade by throwing it into a trash can in the garage.
Investigators secured a search warrant for the residence the next day. Law enforcement executed the search and recovered a blue-handled knife from a black trash can in the garage, resting atop trash bags. The knife matched the description the defendant had given in his statement.
He was formally booked into the county detention center, held without bond, and read his charges during an initial court appearance. A bail review and preliminary hearing were scheduled in the coming days.
Officials continue to investigate further details, including potential motives and any additional evidence. Detectives have asked anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Office or use the Crime Solvers channels.