Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Jaremy Smith, a Marion, S.C. man accused of killing Phonesia Machado-Fore, a Pee Dee paramedic, during a violent crime spree in March 2024. Smith, who is already serving a life sentence for killing New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare, faces new charges related to Machado-Fore’s death. He was indicted by a grand jury last month on multiple charges, including murder, kidnapping, and unlawful firearm possession.
New Federal Charges and Superseding Indictment
The grand jury’s indictment was followed by a superseding indictment filed on Tuesday, adding federal charges for kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death, and other violent crimes. The indictment includes several charges related to firearms offenses, such as felon in possession of firearms and possession of stolen firearms. Smith is scheduled to be arraigned at a federal courthouse in Florence, S.C., at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Timeline of Machado-Fore’s Death and Smith’s Previous Crimes
Phonesia Machado-Fore was reported missing on March 14, 2024, after her husband said he hadn’t seen her for two days. Authorities found her body on March 15 near a Jones Drive home in Nichols, S.C. Investigators later discovered that her vehicle had been involved in a deadly roadside ambush orchestrated by Smith on Interstate 40 in New Mexico, which resulted in Officer Hare’s death. Smith pleaded guilty to charges in Officer Hare’s death in January 2025 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in April of that year.
