The man charged in the deaths of three senior adults killed during a dinner event at a Birmingham church has pleaded guilty to their murders and will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Robert Findlay Smith entered a plea of guilty to capital murder in the deaths of Jane Pounds, 84, Walter Rainey, 84, and Sarah Yeager, 75, according to a statement issued on May 2 by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. The victims were shot and killed by Smith during a potluck gathering at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills on June 16, 2022.
The DA’s office said the families’ wishes were honored by the outcome.
“After much discussion, thought and prayer, the families were unanimous that they would prefer a plea of guilty to capital murder and a life without parole sentence,” the statement said. “The loss of Jane Pounds, Walter Rainey and Sarah Yeager is incalculable to their families, friends, community and, of course, their church family. … Pursuant to this plea, there will be no appeal, and the defendant will die in prison.”
In a May 2 letter to the church family, pastors John B. Burruss, Katherine Harper and Becky Bridges said the verdict means the community can “invest energy on how to model God’s unconditional love and be a place of healing and resurrection.”
“As this chapter closes, we offer prayers for the families of Sharon, Bart, and Jane. We offer prayers for all the lives who have been — and continue to be — altered by this tragedy, especially those who were in the Parish Hall on June 16. As difficult as it is, we pray that God’s redeeming love may reach Mr. Smith as he lives with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life.”
Click here for reflections from a survivor of the tragic event at St. Stephens in June 2022.
Share with others: