Kimberly Smart
A woman charged in a fatal stabbing in Ooltewah has been sentenced to serve three years in state prison.
Kimberly Smart, who was 32 at the time of the July 17, 2021, incident, was sentenced by Judge Boyd Patterson after a sentencing hearing on Thursday afternoon.
Ms. Smart was charged in the death of 34-year-old Kristal Michelle Reno. She had been charged with criminal homicide. She was tried on a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. After a trial, a jury found her guilty of the reduced charge of reckless aggravated assault.
Felony aggravated assault in Tennessee carries 3-15 years.
At the sentencing hearing, the prosecution introduced evidence of Ms. Smart being arrested for burglary while she was awaiting trial in the case in which she was charged with criminal homicide.
A resident of Bill Reed Road said he caught Ms. Smart, her mother, and two other women taking items from a trailer. He said the occupant of the trailer had died, then another woman who lived there had gone into a nursing home.
The burglary case is still pending.
An attorney told the jury that the fatal stabbing of Ms. Reno occurred when Ms. Smart became upset that Ms. Reno had taken some roach motels (traps) out of her car.
Alex Shoaf of the public defender's office said Ms. Reno "liked to fight." He said the two women argued over the roach motel issue, then Ms. Smart stabbed her with a kitchen knife that Ms. Reno threw at her.
He said when Ms. Reno began bleeding profusely, Ms. Smart "tried her very best to save her."
Prosecutor Kevin Loper said the knife wound severed two major arteries in the victim's neck. He said the victim "had no chance."
He said Ms. Smart then "fled out the back door."
The jury saw body cam footage of paramedics trying to clean large amounts of blood off Ms. Reno.
Another body cam video showed Ms. Smart being located by a deputy near the house at 9311 Bill Reed Road in Ooltewah where the incident happened.
She said, "I didn't mean to do it. It was an accident. She threw the knife and all I did was defend myself. I did everything I could to help her."
A man at the house said Ms. Smart appeared to have tripped over a trash can while holding the knife.
The victim was transported by Hamilton County EMS to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
There were eight people living in the "modest" house, it was stated.