Nephew says Smith tried to get him to kill Riggleman

Jurors are expected to decide Friday whether a Williamsburg man is guilty of killing his wife’s ex-husband nearly two and a half year ago, and whether the death penalty is an appropriate punishment if the man is convicted.
Opening statements started Tuesday morning in the trial of Paul Smith, who is charged with capitol murder and first-degree robbery in connection with Glenn David Riggleman’s April 29, 2003, death.
Smith’s wife, Karen Denise Smith, 31, of Williamsburg, is charged with complicity to commit murder in the death of Riggleman for allegedly helping to plan the killing.
If convicted, Paul Smith is facing a possible death sentence, but not his wife.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Allen Trimble told jurors Tuesday that Paul Smith’s motive for the killing involved visitation of Karen Denise Smith and Riggleman’s two children, and a dislike Paul Smith had of Riggleman, who was shot twice in the yard of his Lola Powell Road home as he was leaving for work.
Attorneys for the Smith’s claim their clients had nothing to do with the killing, and that Paul Smith’s nephew, who has already pleaded guilty to murder and robbery, is the real culprit.
Smith’s nephew, Woodson Travis Wagers, 23, pleaded guilty Jan. 19 to murder and first-degree robbery for his role in the killing, in exchange for prosecutors recommending a 25 year prison sentence.
He claims Paul Smith was the triggerman, and that he merely drove Smith to the scene, and waited for Smith in the parking lot of a local church afterwards. Wagers claims Smith drove Riggleman’s truck to that location, where he and Wagers switched vehicles.
Wagers then threw the shotgun used to kill Riggleman into the Clearfork River, before hiding the vehicle behind some trees in the Kensee Hollow area and stashing shot gun shells, and latex gloves under a rock.
Paul Smith’s attorney, Patrick Nash, told jurors that his client was not guilty, and that Wagers was the real killer.
Nash said that Smith will adamantly deny being at the scene of the crime, or that he killed Riggleman.
He said Wagers gave several inconsistent statements to police, and that all the physical evidence points to Wagers as the killer.
Two months after the killing, when police told Wagers that Paul Smith wasn’t giving him an alibi, Wagers went to police with a story that he merely drove the vehicle expecting that would clear him, but it only lead to his arrest, Nash told jurors.
Six hours after he was arrested, Wagers told police that Karen Denise Smith was also involved in the killing, Nash noted.
Karen Denise Smith’s lawyer, Brad Freeman, told jurors that Wagers statement is the only thing implicating his client, who has lost her farm, her business, and custody of her two children since being charged.
He added that there was no physical evidence connecting her to the crime, and that when Wagers initially confessed to police, he denied that Karen Denise Smith was involved seven times.
“You won’t hear any convincing proof that she had any involvement whatsoever,” Freeman added.
While in jail, Wagers attempted to escape along with two other inmates, and assaulted a guard in the process.
Through a plea agreement, Wagers accepted a total sentence of 25 years in both cases.
“In order to get that deal, Travis had to do one thing, and that is testify at this trial,” Nash added.
Trimble’s first witness during the trial was Jason Wagers, Travis’ brother and another nephew of Paul Smith.
Jason Wagers testified that Paul Smith was like a father to him, and that Paul Smith had asked him for help in killing Riggleman, but that he thought his uncle was merely blowing off steam because he didn’t like Riggleman.
“I did not believe it was going to happen,” he said.
Under cross examination, Jason Wagers testified that Paul Smith would have had no reason to expect that he would help him kill Riggleman.
The trial is expected to last four days.