Family of slain Rockford man says justice was served with guilty verdict

A Chicago man faces at least 45 years in prison after he was found guilty Thursday of first-degree murder in connection to the 2021 shooting of Jaz Conley Smith.

Charles Beacham, 31, was found guilty of shooting Smith, 29, in the neck on the night of June 2 in the Blackhawk Court housing development.

After the verdict, First Assistant State's Attorney Ken LaRue spoke on behalf of the Smith family saying justice was served.

He also called Smith's death "senseless."

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"He was just having fun out there with his friends, minding his own business," he said. "It was senseless gun violence. Another young man struck down in his prime. He had five kids. Those kids will never know their father."

Smith was shot after attending a party in the housing development.

An overhead Rockford Housing Authority security camera captured the events leading up to the shooting.

LaRue and public defender Joseph Hoffmann played the same security camera footage to the jury but interpreted it differently.

LaRue said the video showed no evidence of a fight taking place between Smith and Beacham as alleged by the defense. Instead, he said the video showed Smith walking north on Meadow Court in between parked cars on his right and a stopped car occupied by Beacham and a woman on his left.

"The defense wants you to believe he was shot in self-defense," LaRue said. "The defendant had a gun. Jaz Smith had his fist. That is not self-defense."

After a few minutes of Smith talking to people on his right, a shot was fired from the vehicle on his left. The vehicle then sped off showing Smith lying on the ground.

Hoffmann said the video was anything but conclusive, stating, "It's grainy as all get out. It's not clear at all."

Beacham was identified early on in the investigation as the shooter.

"I want to thank Rockford police," Smith's father, James Conley said. "They arrested him (Beacham) within 24 hours of the shooting."

Smith died a week later at a hospital in Madison, Wisconsin.

Smith's mother, Anita Smith, said justice was served, but "it don't bring my son back."

A sentencing date has not been set.

Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Jury finds Chicago man guilty of 2021 fatal shooting in Rockford