The trials of Brittany Smith: Woman serving 20 years for killing her rapist fights to clear name
STEVENSON, ALABAMA: A new Netflix documentary will reveal the horrible story of a woman who went to prison for killing a man she said violently attacked and raped her in her own house. After fatally shooting Todd Smith, who was 38 on January 16, 2018, Brittany Smith, 34, of Stevenson, Alabama, entered a plea of guilty to murder and received a 20-year sentence but she eventually served only 18 months.
Brittany has persisted in saying that she only killed Todd in a last-ditch effort to protect herself and her brother after he severely choked her until she passed out, abused her sexually, threatened to kill her, and attempted to strangle her brother, reported Daily Mail. 'State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith', a new Netflix documentary, is ready to shed light on the contentious case that attracted worldwide attention and ignited a heated discussion about whether or not Brittany's actions were justified.
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In the trailer of the upcoming Netflix docu, Brittany can be heard saying, "I was arrested for murder, the man was in my home. I did what I thought I had to do because if I wouldn't have, my brother and I would both be dead." 'State of Alabama vs Brittany Smith' will be released on the streaming site on November 10. "I want to get my children back. I want them to know that mommy's not a murderer and that mommy defended herself - and that you should always defend yourself."
'I taught her to fight'
Brittany's mother Ramona McCallie can be seen talking to the camera saying, "She was raped and beaten by him and almost killed, and now, she's been raped and beaten by the system. She never should have been took to jail. I taught her to fight, fight back, with everything you've got. And she did."
'Reconnected with him just before the incident'
During her trial, Brittany, who had lost touch with Todd after meeting him when she was a teenager, revealed to the jury that she had reconnected with him just before the incident. She claimed she met Todd, who was at the time a Pitbull breeder and lived in Jasper, Tennessee because she wanted to buy one of his puppies. However, she consented to let him stay with her after learning that he was currently homeless. Then, according to Brittany, Todd allegedly became aggressive when they arrived at her home, choking her until she blacked out, raping her, and threatening to kill her if she told anybody. After the alleged assault, Brittany called her brother, Chris McCallie, and asked him to drive them to a local convenience store.
Fearing for her life, Brittany left a letter with the cashier stating that she was in trouble and that Todd was planning to kill her. When they returned home from their outing, Brittany instructed her brother to return to the store and speak with the clerk, as per the Daily Mail report.
'She shot Chris' gun three times at Todd'
Chris arrived at Brittany's house armed with a gun, but when he confronted Todd, he began strangling her brother. Brittany claimed she shot Chris' gun three times at Todd after he had Chris in a headlock, and that she did whatever it took to save her brother's life after noticing he was becoming blue. A sexual assault nurse documented more than 30 injuries on Brittany's body following the encounter, including bruising, bite marks, and signs of strangling. However, due to a lack of physical evidence, the nurse told the court that she couldn't say with certainty if Brittany had been raped.
Brittany claimed a Stand Your Ground defense during the trial, which states that individuals have the right to use lethal action to protect themselves against an invader in their house. The judge, however, ruled that Brittany did not need to use lethal force to end the fight and that her brother was also an aggressor because he brought a firearm to the house and instigated the fight. He also determined that the evidence supported physical assault but not sexual assault.
'This is gonna be in my past soon'
Brittany later stated in a video filmed from her cell for Alabama.com that she had pleaded guilty because it was the "lesser of two evils". "I'm really disappointed with having to take a plea deal. I'm not a murderer but when it's the lesser of two evils what can you do?" Brittany told, "This is gonna be in my past soon. It will be behind me, I said. It's a pleasant feeling. Smooth sailing after the choppy waters." She added, "I’m relieved that my kids and my family can just kind of move forward, and I’m relieved that I can move forward. But it’s still really hard."
Brittany pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years in jail, with 18 months in the Jackson County Jail and 18 months on house arrest. She was released after receiving credit for the time she spent in jail awaiting trial, as per the AL.com report