GILBERT, Ariz. — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
A woman arrested in Gilbert for allegedly fatally shooting her husband in 2016 has been acquitted in court of his murder.
Jennifer Smith, 33, was found not guilty of second-degree murder last month in Maricopa County Superior Court after her case was brought before a jury.
Court records show the jury additionally determined there was not enough evidence to convict Smith of manslaughter.
Gilbert police accused Smith of shooting her husband, Paul, twice near Settlers Point Drive and Lindsay Road on April 23, 2016.
Smith initially told officers she thought Paul may have retrieved a handgun from the trunk of the car, but admitted she didn't see her husband holding a gun at the time of the shooting.
The couple was going through a divorce and Jennifer had sought an order of protection against Paul, court records show. The Smiths had a history of legal issues going back a couple of years before Paul's death and relatives described them as having a "toxic" relationship, according to the Arizona Republic.
After years of the criminal case languishing in court, the defendant pleaded guilty in March 2022 to a charge of manslaughter. A couple of months later, Smith withdrew her plea agreement and chose to take the case to trial, court records show.
The judge then reversed a previous ruling by allowing multiple witnesses to testify during the trial regarding incidents of domestic violence they personally observed.
The jury acquitted Smith on Sept. 8 after an 11-day trial.
“This has been a long journey for Ms. Smith and her family," John K. Dosdall, one of Smith's attorneys, said in a statement. "We are pleased that the justice system prevailed and we were able to secure this acquittal for our client.”
According to Paul's obituary, he was the father of three children and worked as an HVAC technician.
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