JURY CONVICTS LACARIO SMITH OF MALICE MURDER,
JUDGE SENTENCES TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2022

On February 3, 2022, Lacario Darnell Smith, of Senoia, Georgia, was found guilty of Malice Murder, Possession of
a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony by a Coweta
County jury. After considering the evidence presented at sentencing, including Smith’s two prior felony
convictions for Burglary and Aggravated Assault, Coweta Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Travis Sakrison
sentenced Smith to Life Imprisonment without the possibility of parole followed by 5 years imprisonment.

Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney Robert Mooradian prosecuted the case. Investigator Bobby Crowdis of
the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office was the lead investigator.

On the evening of May 11-12, 2019, Lacario Smith showed up to a community building in Senoia in the Blackjack
community. That evening a family had rented the building to celebrate a young woman’s 21st birthday. Smith
was not part of this family or invited to the birthday party. However, the victim in this case, Olando Maynard, was
part of the family and was present at the birthday party for his cousin. Smith, a convicted felon, unlawfully
brought a firearm to this event, where he later admitted he was “drunk as hell.” For reasons unknown to Mr.
Maynard’s family in attendance, while Mr. Maynard was speaking to one of his cousins, Smith came from behind
Mr. Maynard, and without any warning, suddenly placed a pistol up to Mr. Maynard’s head and pulled the trigger.
Lacario Smith then walked around Mr. Maynard, who was on floor unarmed, incapacitated, and dying, and Smith
fired his gun twice more at Mr. Maynard, striking him in the groin area and shoulder. Smith attempted to flee the
scene, but was subdued by family members outside, where he was arrested by responding officers.

I commend the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office for their great work on this case. We appreciate the service of the
Coweta County jurors that acted as fact finders in this trial. In being held accountable for this senseless murder,
the DA’s office believes justice has been served and that our community is a safer place as a result.

JOHN HERBERT CRANFORD, JR.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
COWETA JUDICIAL CIRCUIT