BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week
CANTON – A Lake Placid man has been indicted on murder charges for the killings of Ronald Durham, 72, Gouverneur, and William Freeman, 67, Rossie.
On Thursday, April 6, St. Lawrence County District Attorney Gary Pasqua said Adam Smith, 46, was indicted on charges of first and second degree murder, manslaughter, first degree robbery, and first degree assault for the Feb. 11 killing of Durham.
The indictment also charges Smith with the crimes of first and second degree murder, manslaughter, first degree robbery, and first degree assault, third and multiple accounts of fourth degree grand larceny for the March 1 killing of Freeman.
Freeman murder
Smith was officially charged with second-degree murder in the death of Freeman on March 7. At that time, St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe reported that it’s alleged Smith stabbed Freeman to death on March 1 in Freeman’s trailer on County Route 10 in the town of Rossie.
Smith then stole Freeman’s 2018 Chevy Silverado and fled to Jefferson County where he was later apprehended by Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies.
It is unclear at this time what motivation Smith had for committing either crime. It was also confirmed by Bigwarfe that Smith did have a residence in town of Gouverneur.
Evidence gathered at the Freeman murder quickly led law enforcement to Smith, Bigwarfe said. It was also noted that Smith had a criminal history and was on probation at the time of his arrest.
“I just want to say this, that this individual that has been arrested for this crime, pretty heinous crime, appears to be a very dangerous individual,” Bigwarfe said.
Durham murder
On Feb. 11 State Police responded to East Side Cemetery on Van Buren Road around 8:20 a.m. following a report of a deceased male.
When troopers arrived on the scene, they reportedly located Durham deceased under suspicious circumstances.
An autopsy has determined Durham died from sharp force injury to the neck.
In…
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