Charles Alexander, 15, Charged In Murder Of Miami Senior High Football Coach Corey Smith
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Fifteen-year-old Charles Alexander has been arrested in the murder of Miami Senior High School head football coach Corey Smith.
Alexander has been charged with second degree murder and armed grand theft.
Miami-Dade police were called to Smith's home in the 2100 block of NW 97th Street on Monday, where they found Smith's body in the den. He had been shot multiple times.
Police said Alexander was the only person in the home at the time of the shooting.
Alexander reportedly told investigators he was in the bathroom and heard three gunshots. It was then that he found Smith's body.
According to the arrest report, Alexander called his mother who went to the home to check on Smith. She then called 911.
Investigators reviewed surveillance video from a neighbor's home which showed no one entered the driveway which leads to the front door of Smith's house.
During questioning, Alexander denied any involvement. Police said his statements were inconsistent with evidence discovered at the house which included "Six FC 9MM Luger spent shell casings and additional firearms evidence. Also, a large amount of U.S. currency was discovered, bundled with rubber bands and concealed amongst the defendant's personal property."
Smith's wife told police her husband owned a 9MM Beretta which was stored unloaded in a bedside nightstand. A search of the nightstand uncovered four FC 9MM Luger cartridges which "had the same appearance and manufacturer markings as the spent shell casings that were found near the victim's body," according to the arrest report.
Smith's wife also told police her husband kept a large amount of cash, bundled in rubber bands, in the master bedroom.
Police said Alexander had previously lived in the house and was "familiar with its layout."
A further search of the premises uncovered an FC 9MM cartridge in the toilet of the bathroom.
According to a source, the Beretta was found inside a garbage can on the side of the house. Ballistics confirmed the spent shell casings were fired from the Berreta.
Alexander's mother called the police on Wednesday and asked to meet with them.
During the interview, she said Alexander had confessed to her that he had killed Smith, according to the arrest form.
According to police, based on the evidence and witness testimony they believe that some time between 7:52 a.m. and 9: 12 a.m. Alexander got Smith's gun and then shot him multiple times in the den. They say he then found Smith's cash, totaling $7,450, and stuck it in a pocket of his jeans which were later found in a plastic garbage bag in the home.
Alexander was arrested Thursday.
During a hearing Friday morning, an attorney for Alexander told the judge his client was found incompetent four different times in the past two years. The attorney asked that he be given a psychological evaluation.
The judge will also decide if the state will file charges in adult court or if it will remain in juvenile court.
The judge set a direct file hearing for October 15th.
A source told CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald that the teen is the son of Lamar Alexander, 41, the ex-con who was one of four people killed in a shootout with police in Miramar on December 5, 2019, after the robbery of a jewelry store and a UPS truck was hijacked.
Police said Lamar Alexander and his accomplice Ronnie Hill robbed the store. The shootout also took the lives of UPS driver Frank Ordonez and a civilian.
The Herald states Corey Smith and Lamar Alexander were actually cousins, but were raised as brothers and Smith considered the teen his nephew.
