The Woods Between Them | Nacole Smith + Betty Brown

In this episode of Murder in the Black, we explore the heartbreaking story of 14-year-old Nacole Smith, a young girl with dreams of becoming a pediatrician who never made it to school on the morning of June 7, 1995.

What began as a devastating crime in an Atlanta neighborhood would become a case that stretched across decades. Despite eyewitness descriptions, community efforts to identify a suspect, and early forensic evidence, investigators struggled to identify the man responsible.

The case took a critical turn nearly nine years later, when 13-year-old Betty Brown survived a violent assault in East Point, Georgia. Betty’s courage to report the attack and her detailed recollection of the man who assaulted her would ultimately connect the two cases through DNA evidence — revealing that the same offender had been living in the community for years.

Through advances in forensic science, including DNA profiling, CODIS, and later genetic genealogy, investigators were eventually able to identify the suspect responsible for both crimes. But the resolution came with its own tragedy when the suspect died before he could face justice.

In this episode we also introduce our True Crime in Current News segment, where we highlight cases currently unfolding that listeners have brought to our attention. In this episode we discuss several developing stories, including the disturbing discovery of two young girls found in suitcases in Cleveland, a Bronx double homicide connected to a domestic dispute, and a shocking case involving a former NFL player accused of killing his girlfriend and allegedly using ChatGPT in an attempt to research ways to cover up the crime.

• The life and dreams of Nacole Smith

• The events of June 7, 1995, and the discovery of her murder

• Early investigative leads and eyewitness descriptions

• Community involvement and the circulation of the composite sketch

• Suspicion surrounding Jamar Hendrix and why resemblance to a sketch alone is not evidence

• DNA evidence collected from the crime scene and its entry into CODIS

• Why CODIS searches sometimes return no match

• The 2002 jailhouse informant tip and why investigators ruled it out

• The attack on Betty Brown and how her survival connected two crimes

• The role of forensic science and genetic genealogy in solving cold cases

• The identification of Kelvin Arnold decades later

• The emotional impact of the suspect dying before he could face justice

• The perseverance of investigators and the importance of survivor testimony

• True Crime in Current News: listener-submitted cases and developing investigations

00:00 – Introduction to Nacole Smith’s case
02:25 – Nacole’s life, dreams, and family
04:07 – The morning of June 7, 1995
07:26 – Discovery of the crime scene and evidence recovered
09:55 – Witness descriptions and early suspect sketches
11:42 – Community efforts and the composite sketch
13:06 – Jamar Hendrix investigation and why he was ruled out
14:37 – DNA evidence, CODIS, and investigative challenges
17:31 – The 2002 jailhouse informant lead
19:15 – The attack on Betty Brown in 2004
21:10 – DNA connection between Betty Brown’s case and Nacole’s murder
25:20 – Advances in forensic science and genetic genealogy
26:32 – Identification of Kelvin Arnold
27:24 – Arnold’s death before arrest in 2021
28:15 – Reflection on justice, persistence, and investigative tenacity
35:02 – True Crime in Current News segment
36:08 – Final thoughts and episode close

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