Man accused of Kelsey Smith's murder makes first court appearance
6:03 p.m. Thursday, June 7, 2007
Appearing in court by camera, 26-year-old Edwin Hall heard the charges against him Thursday.
First degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the disappearance and death of 18-year-old Kelsey Smith. It was a neighbor who turned Hall into police after recognizing him and his pickup on surveillance video.
"I called the TIPS hotline, gave them the information, and a couple of hours later police were out front watching the house," neighbor Cameron Migues said.
The teenager's body was found in these Missouri woods Wednesday, three days after she disappeared from the parking lot of a Target store across the border in Kansas.
Blurry surveillance video showed someone forcing her into her car.
"We are very pleased that the arrest has been made in this case, thank you very much," said Kelsey's father, Gary Smith.
She had just graduated from high school two weeks ago. She'd gone to the store that night to buy a present for her boyfriend.
"She went to buy a little scrapbook so I wouldn't lose the stuff she gave me," boyfriend John Biersmith said.
Kelsey's body was found just six miles from where another teen disappeared just last month. Police say, they're in contact with investigators in that case and they're not ruling out a connection.
Right now, Hall is being held on five million dollars bond, in Kelsey Smith's murder.
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