Man pleads guilty to 2021 murder of Baltimore church volunteer Evelyn Player
BALTIMORE -- Manzie Smith Jr. pleaded guilty to the murder of a Baltimore church volunteer who was stabbed to death in 2021.
Smith, now 63 years old, received a life sentence, suspending all but 50 years, with five years of probation, for the murder of 69-year-old Evelyn Player.
The Baltimore City State's Attorney Office said the sentence was determined by a plea deal.
"This case was deeply traumatic for everyone in the community and especially for the family of Evelyn Player, a matriarch of the neighborhood, who can never be replaced," Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates said. "This plea allows the family to receive closure and process their grief, resulting in a lengthy sentence that will ensure this dangerous individual never returns to the streets of our city again."
RELATED: Who Is Manzie Smith Jr.?
Player was found stabbed to death in a bathroom at Southern Baptist Church about 7:30 a.m. Nov. 16, an hour after she had let contractors into the building for church renovations.
The autopsy revealed that the Player died from multiple sharp force injuries.
According to the autopsy report, there were 38 stab wounds, primarily to her face, neck, and chest, and 54 cutting wounds, primarily to her face, neck, and hands.
There was evidence of defensive wounds on her extremities. Clippings from her fingernails were submitted with other evidence for possible DNA.
Her murder shook the community, leading Gov. Larry Hogan to offer a $100,000 reward for tips leading to an arrest.
"That's a void that we'll definitely feel for the days and months and years to come," Southern Baptist Church pastor Donte Hickman told WJZ.
Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said in 2021 that it's unclear whether Player, a beloved church volunteer, was targeted or if her killing was random. He said there's no evidence suggesting that she and Smith knew one another.
"Miss Player was what we call in Baltimore a foot solider," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "She loved her community, she loved her church and she served her community with passion. And, as some church folks would say, she loved like Mary and served like Martha. Yet, because of a heinous act of violence, East Baltimore lost this kind soul."
The crime scene was processed by several crime lab technicians, who collected several suspected blood swabs from the bathroom, the door knobs, the light switch panel, other entries, and a piece of cardboard that had suspected blood on it found outside of the bathroom, according to the State's Attorney's Office.
The DNA evidence was submitted for testing, and three items contained a mixture of the victim's DNA and that of Smith.
Additionally, security footage revealed several images of an individual approaching the church, entering at 6:11 a.m. and leaving at 6:29 a.m.
Smith pawned two jewelry items on November 18, 2021, using his own I.D. Those items, which included two gold rings, were identified as belonging to Ms. Player. Smith was questioned on December 2, 2021, by Baltimore Police detectives who noted visible injuries to Smith's right hand, right arm, and chest.
Smith was arrested in early December 2021 on Crenshaw Avenue.
Detectives got a warrant for Smith's arrest after zeroing in on him based on DNA evidence found at the scene.
He was convicted of first-degree murder and other offenses.
Smith has a criminal history.
He was charged with rape twice – in 1979 and 1992 – and sentenced collectively to 45 years.
In 2014, he assaulted and robbed an elderly woman before being sentenced to 18 years but his mandatory supervision ended in October 2021, just weeks before Player was killed.
Our media partners with The Baltimore Banner reported that Smith said to the judge that he was truly sorry for his actions and asked Player's family to forgive him.
