As the years continue to tick by, Ann Fox Smith's older sister, Helen Morgan, wonders if investigators will ever be able to untangle the mystery behind the brutal murder of the middle school teacher.
Wednesday marks the 10-year anniversary of possibly the most well-known unsolved murder case in Aiken County.
"I miss her," Morgan said. "I really would like to see some justice, but I think after 10 years – there's a good chance this may never be solved."
Smith was found stabbed to death inside her Whitney Drive home on April 25, 2008 by her co-workers when she did not show up for work, and the main question continues to be, "Who killed her and why?"
She was a special education and hearing impaired teacher at Kennedy Middle School, and she was a loving mother to three children – two sons and a daughter.
"She was a very dedicated teacher," Morgan said. "She loved her kids and would do anything for them. I remember when she died I had parents come up to me saying they didn't know what they were going to do without her, because she connected with their children in a way no one else could."
Investigators with the Aiken Department of Public Safety searched the Smith house and, in 2008, claimed they couldn't find a weapon or signs of a forced entry.
Ten years later, no arrest has been made, and investigators maintain the agency has not named a person of interest in the case.
However, a story published in the April 30, 2011, edition of the Aiken Standard cites court documents saying state investigators had considered Smith’s estranged husband, Wilson Smith Jr., as a suspect in her murder. The document, filed with a probate judge by the lead investigator on the case two months after Smith’s murder, states: “Wilson Smith Jr. who is the husband of the deceased has NOT been cleared and is still a suspect as of this date.”
As of Tuesday, the Aiken Department of Public Safety maintains the department has not publicly identified a suspect.
"At some point, you have to kind of create your own closure in a case like this," Morgan said.
Helen Morgan is hoping the person responsible for her sister, Ann Fox Smith's , murder will be brought to justice.
Remembering Ann
Morgan likes to remember her baby sister fondly and think of the good times.
"She was lots of fun and loved to joke," she laughed. "She also loved Aiken. I remember she told me one time if they didn't have something she needed in Aiken – then she didn't need it."
Smith also rescued baby squirrels in her spare time, Morgan said.
"I remember she would get those little squirrels after they fell out of their nest and she would feed them with an eyedropper," she said. "After she died, I was cleaning out her house and I saw five squirrels outside. I think they were giving her a goodbye salute."
Another way Smith's family and friends can remember her is through a bench placed outside Kennedy Middle School in her honor.
Morgan said she goes every year on the anniversary of her death to lay flowers on the bench.
Open case
Smith's murder case is quickly turning into a cold case now that a decade has passed. However, Morgan said she has some new hope as the detective on the case retired and a new detective is now picking it up.
"I am encouraged now that a new detective is looking into it," Morgan said.
David Turno, Aiken Department of Public Safety Support Services supervisor and pictured in 2017, says the case of Ann Fox Smith is still open.
Capt. David Turno, with Aiken Public Safety, said Smith's case is still open and he implores anyone who may have information about the case to call.
"We've had a number of leads over the years that we always followed up on, but they just haven't led us anywhere," Turno said. "Nothing has led to enough evidence to get a warrant against any specific suspect."
When asked why this case was so hard for police to crack, Turno said he didn't know.
"Sometimes cases go that way," he said. “We still feel that someone out there may have information that, over time, maybe they’re going to feel more comfortable calling us or reaching out to us.”
The case remains open and active. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Aiken Public Safety at 803-642-7620 or CrimeStoppers of the Midlands at 1-888-CRIME-SC.
