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| Contributed Photo This 2005 photo shows Darrel Smith and his wife Barbara vacationing in New England. Feb. 6 marked the fifth anniversary of Darrel’s murder, which remains unsolved. |
By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
WOODLAND — When February rolls around, the cold and snow have usually taken their toll on most northern Maine residents and making plans for Super Bowl parties and Valentine’s Day are welcome distractions from the winter doldrums. But for one Woodland woman, the arrival of February leaves her with nothing but burdened thoughts about the still unsolved murder of her husband.
Feb. 6 marked the fifth anniversary of the tragic death of sawmill owner Darrel Smith. Darrel, just four days shy of his 57th birthday at the time, was shot during an apparent robbery in his Thomas Rd. workshop. His wife, Barbara, arrived home from work to discover his body, the crime having taken place several hours before. Any possible markings left behind by the perpetrator had been destroyed by the harsh wind and heavy snowfall of that day.
Five years have slowly passed and Smith’s family is no closer to answers than they were on the day it happened. The safe that was stolen from the shop and the gun used in the murder have been recovered, but in the best interest of the case, officials will not disclose where or under what circumstances the items were found.
The police detectives involved in the investigation check in with Barbara periodically to keep her apprised of their continued work on the case, but nothing has developed to get them any closer to finding her husband’s murderer. Still, Barbara has not given up hope that the case will one day be solved.
“I attended a remembrance ceremony for murder victims in Augusta,” Barbara said, “and was assured by Assistant Attorney General William Stokes that DNA testing is advancing all the time. They encourage me not to give up.”
Barbara does not want the community to forget about her husband’s death and pleads with anyone who may have useful information to contact the Caribou or state police, or even Barbara herself.
“I understand people may be afraid to contact the police,” Barbara admitted. “I don’t care if they just want to call me. I can relay any information to the police to find out if it’s already been investigated.”
Barbara also reminds the public that a $55,000 reward for an arrest is still available, a combination of moneys provided by the Smith family and a public fund.
“Both my $40,000 and the public reward are for the arrest and conviction for the person(s) responsible for this murder,” Barbara advised.
Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the Caribou Police at 493-3301, the state police at 800-924-2261, or Crime Stoppers at 800-638-TIPS. Contributions to the public fund may be sent to Aroostook County Federal Savings and Loan Association at PO Box 808, Caribou, ME 04736.
