15-year anniversary of homicide of Westmoreland County mother approaching, still no answers

Next month marks 15 years since the body of a mother was found floating in the Allegheny River near Lower Burrell, Westmoreland County.

The coroner ruled Kelly Nicole Smith’s death a homicide. But no one has ever been charged with the crime.

Target 11 Investigator Rick Earle has exclusively learned that detectives are taking a new look at this old case.

“She was likable, very likable. She was always smiling, always a good time, always — you know, it was easy to like her,” said Karen Godfrey, Smith’s mother.

Karen and John Godfrey of Natrona Heights described their daughter as someone whose smile could light up a room.

“So you guys sit here 15 years later with more questions than answers,” said Earle.

“Yes, and our friends in the neighborhood, they are constantly asking us, ‘Have you heard anything? Did anything come of this?’” said Karen Godfrey.

The 27-year-old mother, who had separated from her husband after a miscarriage, was living in this house in Brackenridge with her young son and her boyfriend, whom she knew from high school. They had recently reunited.

“I was really concerned about this, because they hadn’t been together long enough for something like for him to quit a job, move from the state of Indiana,” said Karen Godfrey.

Less than a year later, in the early morning hours of June 14, 2007, Karen Godfrey said her daughter got into an argument with the boyfriend.

Smith’s husband says he got a call around 2 a.m.

“She said, ‘What are you doing?’ and it sounded like the phone cut off. I said ‘I’m sleeping,’ and then it sounds like the phone cut off,” said Jason Smith, Kelly Smith’s husband.

“And that was it? She was gone?” asked Earle.

“That was it, that was the last time I spoke to her,” said Jason Smith.

The next morning, when Kelly Smith did not show up to drop off their son, Jason Smith began calling her cell phone. So did her mother.

Karen Godfrey finally got hold of Kelly Smith’s boyfriend.

“Yes, he did say they had an argument and she took off, but I was thinking to myself, she wouldn’t leave Mason. That’s the part that I couldn’t understand,” said Godfrey.

Karen Godfrey immediately began reaching out to Kelly Smith’s friends. No one had seen or heard from her. Several hours later, their worst fears were confirmed.

“Then the doorbell rang, and there was (Detective) Clark and the detectives, and the Allegheny County detectives. And then, then they started interviewing us, like one at a time, and so that was — that night, it was horrible, and you never expect that in your wildest, wildest dreams. You see it in movies. You know, you just don’t expect that it’s going to happen to you,” said Karen Godfrey, with tears in her eyes.

“This woman was a beautiful woman, was the perfect person, and, you know, basically trusted everybody, and I fear that might be her downfall,” said Jason Smith.

Kelly Smith lived in Brackenridge, just across the river from where she was found. Two men fishing in the Allegheny River found her body floating just below the Braeburn Lock and Dam.

Police eventually questioned the boyfriend, her husband, and others, including another male friend, who, according to Karen Godfrey, had taken a liking to Kelly Smith.

But to this day, 5 years later, no one has been charged with the crime.

“Then you go through the anger, and then you just — you know, the thing is, I’ve cried every day since 2007. Every day. You can’t even believe that a body can make that many tears. And the anger is the fact that it’s been 15 years. That’s the anger. I mean, I didn’t believe. I was told from the very beginning by detectives that this would be a difficult case to solve. And even then, I was questioning it, because I thought really, I mean, this isn’t like looking for a needle in a haystack. OK, it was like there were people that we knew that could be possible people that could have been involved in this, and but it just kept circling and circling and circling. And I don’t know much more now than I did in 2007,” said Karen Godfrey.

Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli, who just took office in January, told Target 11 that she is taking a new look at this old case.

“We are taking a fresh look at the facts and evidence we have at this time and have added detectives and prosecutors to the investigative team. There still remains a person or people of interest in the case, but we need additional information to move forward with charges,” said Ziccarelli, who also urged anyone with any information about the case to come forward.

“That’s great news. That’s great news. Glad to hear that, because I’ve been hearing there’s a suspect for 15 years, which is — that’s good and all, but let’s move on it,” said Jason Smith.

Meanwhile, the Godfreys, who have offered a reward over the years, have now increased it to $20,000, the highest it has ever been.

They are hoping the money will convince someone to come forward with information to finally solve the case of their daughter’s murder.

“I honestly don’t believe in closure, because nothing’s going to bring Kelly back. You know, but sometimes I think it would feel good to have justice for what happened that night,” said Karen Godfrey.

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