Man with Prior Attempted Murder Conviction Arrested After Not Taking Joke Well

On New Year's Day, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deputies arrested convicted attempted murderer Jeffrey Ray Smith, 63, and charged him with one count of misdemeanor battery. 

According to the arrest report, the victim, who is a year younger than Smith, made a “light-hearted joke” about Smith being on his phone. In response, Smith reportedly slapped the victim in his face. Two witnesses told police they saw Smith hit the victim.

Smith initially told police he didn’t know what happened but after being put in handcuffs said he hit the victim but only in retaliation to being struck first, the arrest report states. 

According to court records, in 1994, Smith was convicted of violating a domestic violence injunction, and he received another conviction for the same charge the following year. In 1996, he was convicted of misdemeanor battery. 

In 2002, Smith was found guilty of attempted 2nd-degree murder and sentenced to four years in prison followed by four years of probation. 

In 2018, Smith was arrested on a warrant for aggravated assault, felony battery, intimidation and petty theft. The sworn complaint states: 

"The victim awoke startled and found the defendant staring at her. The victim asked the defendant why he was there and told him to leave. The defendant then walked around the bed and found a small baseball bat that the victim was şleeping with. The defendant then grabbed the bat and began ‘Whacking’ the bed asking the victim why she had the bat in the bed with her. The defendant then threw the bat or the ground behind him. The victim stated that the defendant told her..‘If I wanted to hurt you, it would not be with a bat!’ The victim stated that she took her cell phone off the nightstand where she was charging it [and] held it in her hand. The victim stated that she was going to use the phone to call ‘911’ but the defendant intentionally and unlawfully grabbed her wrist with one hand and with the other, he grabbed the victim's phone depriving her the ability to use the phone. The defendant then threw the victim's phone and walked to the kitchen. The victim stated she could hear the defendant in the knife drawer, but did not see him arm himself with a knife. The victim has knowledge that the defendant has a history of violence involving knives and believed he was arming himself with a knife. The victim stated that she was so afraid by the defendant's actions she could hardly open the door of the house, her car, or operate the ignition in her car. The victim stated that she then drove to [ACSO] in only her T-Shirt and underwear to report the incident. The victim frantically banged on the Combined Communications outer door to get help. The victim stated that she was so afraid that she did not realize that she was only in her T-shirt and underwear when she drove to [ACSO].”

The Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office (SAO8) declined to prosecute the case in October 2018; however, Smith would be convicted of violating a domestic violence injunction because he stood within 500 feet of the victim’s house while out on bond when the charges were still pending, court records show.

According to a letter Smith sent the Court in his 2018 injunction case, after he was released from prison, he was allowed to minister to inmates. Smith said the inmates were "receptive" to the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" because they "identified with someone" like him. Smith said he went on to minister for eight years with the Jacksonville based "Off the Chain" Ministry, a group offering "second chances" and "spiritual guidance" to incarcerated and formally incarcerated men, their website states. Smith added that he obtained an associate degree in mental health from Gainesville City College (closed as of 2024).

In the letter, Smith proclaimed his innocence in the domestic violence case, saying he "never raised a hand" against the victim and was holding a pen, not a knife. He said he violated the 500 feet condition because his neighbor was stealing his property.

In 2020, Smith was charged with phone harassment after allegedly repeatedly contacting a former roommate about a dispute, but SAO8 declined to prosecute the case, and an arrest was never made. 

In 2021, Smith was arrested on a count of misdemeanor battery, but SAO8 declined to prosecute the case. The arrest report states Smith slapped the victim and told him, “I got something for your ass.” A short time later, while the victim was standing at a bond-fire, Smith was alleged to have hit him again. 

Now, the Alachua County Jail is holding Smith on a $5,000 bond. If released, he’ll be under orders to not contact the victim and to refrain from possessing guns, drugs and alcohol.