Lakeland Man Indicted In April Killing: Police

LAKELAND, FL — A Lakeland man accused of killing a 42-year-old victim in April as he worked on his car at his home in the West Crawford Street area was indicted by the Polk County Grand Jury Friday, law enforcement officials said.

The suspect, John Ward Smith, 37, was charged with first degree murder after authorities with the Lakeland Police Department accused him of killing the victim who had been working on his car April 10. Authorities were called out to the victim's house that evening after his roommate had not heard from since 7 a.m. that morning. The woman couldn't find him when she returned home, investigators said. Police found blood under the car he had been working in the driveway of the home in the 500 block of West Crawford Street, Lakeland. Shortly afterward, his body was found inside another vehicle at the property.

The medical examiner's office ruled his death as a homicide.

Smith was already in jail on unrelated charges April 14 when authorities connected him to the investigation, investigators said.

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