Court records have detailed new information in the case of LaMarcus Smith, a former deputy with Harris County Constable Precinct 4 who was charged with his wife’s murder.
On May 27, 2024, Laura Smith, 37, was found dead lying on the bed inside the couple’s home in the 6500 block of Snowbell Court in Richmond, Texas.
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On May 28, Laura Smith’s death was ruled a homicide. The manner of death was described as stabbing with a sharp object.
Laura was an elementary school educator in Lamar Consolidated Independent School District.
LaMarcus Smith was charged with murder last month by Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 10, 2025. He was also charged with fraud by possession of an identification. He was given bail amounts of $500,000 for the murder charge and $7,500 for the fraud charge.
A search warrant filed on Dec. 2, 2025, provided new information on the case, including evidence of a reported mistress, whom LaMarcus described in a voluntary interview with investigators as a “female friend.”
Authorities recovered images of evidence from the affair, including matching tattoos, an engagement ring, numerous phone calls, and life insurance activity.
Court records also allege that LaMarcus posed as his mistress’ husband on a phone call with an insurance provider, as the duo attempted to alter records of the mistress’ husband’s life insurance policy.
The Day of the Murder
Investigators with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office were called to the Smith household on May 27. There, Laura Smith was found dead in her bed. Documents state she was covered in blood, and a dumbbell weight was found on top of her left arm.
Earlier that day, at 11:54 a.m., Laura’s sister requested a welfare check after Laura had not responded to phone calls for approximately 12 hours.
That afternoon, LaMarcus voluntarily went to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office to speak with investigators, who made it clear that he was not under arrest at that time.
LaMarcus’ Interview with Investigators
During the interview, Smith told investigators that on Saturday night, May 25, after leaving work at Precinct 4, he went to a woman’s residence whom he described as a “female friend” and stayed there until approximately 3:45 a.m.
Smith said that around 10 p.m. on Sunday, May 26, he left Precinct 4 and drove toward the site of his second job, which he planned to start at 4 a.m. the next morning. However, he said he was unable to sleep near his job because trains were passing nearby, so he decided to go back to his residence.
Smith said he arrived home around midnight but found his bedroom door locked. He said he called out for Laura but received no response and believed she may have locked the door because she was upset with him. He told investigators he sat on the living room couch and texted his wife but did not receive a response.
Smith said he then took a shower in their children’s bathroom, put on civilian clothes for his second job, and left the house at approximately 3:15 a.m., arriving at work before his shift started.
When he spoke to FBCSO, Smith also provided consent for investigators to search his phone.
The Investigation
Court records detail evidence investigators say connects LaMarcus Smith to a series of communications, insurance activity, and alleged solicitations involving a woman he described as a “female friend,” as well as events surrounding the death of his wife, Laura Smith.
Phone records included in the warrant show Smith contacted the “female friend” multiple times before and after Laura Smith was last heard from.
On May 26, 2024, at 10:22 p.m., Smith spoke with the “female friend” for approximately five and a half minutes. On May 27 at 9:28 a.m., he called her again and spoke for 42 minutes, just hours before his wife’s body would be discovered.
Months later, investigators received a call that flipped the case on its head.
On Feb. 19, 2025, authorities were contacted by a man who identified himself as the husband of LaMarcus’ “female friend.”
The man reported receiving a notice dated Feb. 5, 2024, indicating changes had been made to his life insurance policy, and at the time, he was unaware of these adjustments.
He said he learned his wife had called the insurance company and put a man on the phone who identified himself as her husband. The man used her husband’s Social Security number and date of birth for verification, court records said.
A subpoena was issued on Feb. 25, 2025, for the call recordings from the insurance company. Investigators said these recordings contained audio of two people making the call. Investigators said they matched the voices to the “female friend” and LaMarcus Smith, who was allegedly impersonating the woman’s husband.
During the recorded call, the phone number associated with the policy was changed to the woman’s phone number, and the policy amount was revealed to be $100,000.
The woman was also heard asking, “So God forbid, if something were to happen to my husband and he dies, I get paid one hundred thousand dollars?”
Additional allegations involving LaMarcus and this “female friend” surfaced later in 2025.
On June 26, LaMarcus Smith’s sister-in-law contacted authorities. She told them that her husband — LaMarcus’ brother — told her LaMarcus had approached him offering payment to “take out” the “female friend’s” husband. She also reported Smith had previously approached him about taking out another man for payment.
On Aug. 25, 2025, investigators found text messages sent from LaMarcus sent to another individual that included images of the “female friend” wearing an engagement ring while lying in bed. LaMarcus told the individual he had given her the ring and expressed his love for her.
On Aug. 26, 2025, investigators contacted a tattoo artist who said he performed matching tattoos on the backs of LaMarcus Smith and the “female friend.” The artist identified the woman from photographs, and images of the tattoos were found on Smith’s phone.
Further statements were provided on Sept. 2, 2025, when Smith’s sister told investigators that in June or July of 2025, her brother told her LaMarcus Smith had offered to pay him $40,000 or $50,000 to kill the “female friend’s” husband.
She said two days later, the same brother warned her to be careful about what she discussed because the “house might be bugged by the police.”