North Carolina man found guilty of killing woman and staging murder to look like an act of self defense

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 - A North Carolina man has been found guilty of staging a woman’s murd£r and making it look like he committed the crime as an act of self-defense. 

Solicitor David Stumbo said in a press release that Wilson Justice Xavier Smith was found guilty on Thursday, January 22, of murd£r and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. 

Smith, 27, has been sentenced to serve 40 years in prison on the murd£r charge, as well as five years in prison on the weapon charge. 

He was found guilty three years after he was linked to a shooting in December 2022. At the time, officials were called to the Burfield Apartment complex in Greenwood, South Carolina, after a 911 call was made to report that a man shot a woman who tried to shoot him first. The man who made the call was later identified as Smith. 

When officers arrived at the home, they found that 22-year-old Ahkeyra Raysor had d!ed after she was shot in the head. She was found on a bed, while a shotgun was placed “conspicuously” on top of her body. 

Smith initially told officers that Raysor fired the shotgun at him first and he only shot her in self defense, according to Stumbo. 

“Officers immediately suspected Smith’s story was fabricated based on evidence at the scene,” Stumbo said. “Smith said Raysor fired the shotgun, but analysis of that weapon turned up DNA for Smith and three other unknown individuals, but Raysor’s DNA was not on the weapon.” 

Following the 911 call, authorities spoke to witnesses that shared versions of the events that did not match Smith’s story. 

Investigators continued to look into the shooting, concluding that Smith staged the crime scene and made up his claims that he shot Raysor in self defense. 

Additionally, Smith removed the murd£r weapon from the crime scene. 

“All of this further pointed to Smith’s staging of the crime scene and fabricating a self-defense claim,” Stumbo said. 

“This was a calculated and violent act, followed by a deliberate attempt to deceive law enforcement and escape responsibility,” Stumbo said. “Because of a total team effort—from investigators and prosecutors to victim advocates and administrative staff—the truth prevailed, and a violent killer has been held accountable. We will continue to be unwavering in our commitment to justice for crime victims and to keep the Greenwood community safe.” 

The trial lasted for two weeks and the jury deliberated for more than 10 hours before Smith was found guilty of the charges, according to the press release Circuit Judge Donald B. Hocker issued Smith’s sentence following the ruling. South Carolina law mandates that those sentenced on murd£r charges must serve their time day-for-day, which means that Smith will not be eligible for parole. 

Following the verdict, Stumbo praised the work of his staff, lead investigator Major Blake Shockley and members of the Greenwood Police Department for their hard work amid the case. He said that everything leading to the ruling was the result of a “total team effort.”