Devastating turn of events on December 6, three Ohio teenagers initially suspected of assaulting a father of three outside a Kroger supermarket now face murder charges. The victim, 53-year-old Donald “Donnie” Smith, succumbed to head injuries just days before Christmas, as reported by Law and Crime on Thursday, December 21, 2023.
Jamarion Fredrae Evans-Bennett, 19, Dionta Davon Hughes, 18, and an unnamed 17-year-old male engaged in a confrontation with shoppers inside the Kroger on South High Street that fateful night. Despite store security intervening and instructing the teens to leave, they waited for Smith outside the store, launching a brutal assault that proved fatal.
Eyewitnesses recounted the alarming sight of the defendants “laughing and enjoying themselves” as they mercilessly stomped on, kicked, and punched Smith around 7 p.m. The brutal attack left Smith critically injured, leading to urgent brain surgery. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Smith tragically did not survive, leaving behind a grieving family just a week before Christmas.
On December 14, with Smith in critical condition, police initiated an investigation into the assault. In an effort to cover funeral expenses and support Smith’s two young children, his longtime partner, Nicole Evans, started a GoFundMe campaign. The heartbreaking fundraising post detailed the family’s struggle, revealing, “Despite doctors’ efforts to save his life, Donnie did not make it. He had no insurance, leaving the cost for funeral services to Nicole. He also left behind their two young children, just a week before Christmas.”
Court records indicate that Evans-Bennett and Hughes were arrested and faced arraignments on Thursday morning. Simultaneously, the third suspect, a minor, was taken into custody on the same day as his co-defendants. The question of whether the 17-year-old will be charged as an adult remains unanswered.
In an interview with local ABC affiliate WSYX, Nicole Evans expressed her devastation over Donnie’s death, labeling it a “sickening” and “random act of violence.” The community is grappling with the senseless loss of a father, and the escalation of charges against the teens underscores the gravity of the incident.
