Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
PORTALES — Portales resident David Smith, 42, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday in district court for second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping.
Smith will serve 12 and a half years in prison, with the remainder of the sentence served on supervised probation/parole.
Smith was accused of holding William Vaughn, 45, hostage in Smith's home in November 2015 as he beat him after a fight ensued between the two men. Vaughn suffered a traumatic brain injury, multiple burns and severe bruising, later dying of blunt force trauma in a Lubbock hospital.
According to eyewitnesses, Vaughn was visiting Smith’s home on November 20, 2015, when a fight ensued between the two men. Vaughn was alleged to be severely beaten and then held in a locked room at the home for over 24 hours before being taken to the hospital for medical attention.
