Shivangi Sinha
On December 13, 2020, police in Elkview, West Virginia, responded to a home where a quadruple homicide had occurred. Inside, they discovered Daniel Dale Long, his wife Risa Mae Saunders, and their two sons—12-year-old Gage Ripley and 3-year-old Jameson Long—dead. Authorities determined that the murders had taken place approximately four days earlier, and the perpetrator had since fled. The episode titled ‘His Parents Didn’t Like Me’ from Investigation Discovery’s ‘Signs of a Psychopath’ explores how investigators concluded that the couple’s eldest son, Gavin Smith, was responsible for the killings.
Gavin Smith Planned His Family’s Murder With His Girlfriend
Gavin Blaine Smith appeared to lead a typical teenage life in Elkview, West Virginia. He lived with his mother, Risa Mae Saunders, and his stepfather, Daniel Dale Long, enjoying a comfortable home environment. His younger brother, Gage Xavier Ripley, admired him, and the two brothers shared a close bond. When Risa and Daniel welcomed their third son, Jameson Aries Long, in 2017, the family was thrilled to have their three boys together. However, like many others, their lives were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing them to remain confined at home for several months.
16-year-old Gavin grew increasingly frustrated with the restrictions of being confined at home. He felt trapped and began to resent his parents for enforcing rules he didn’t want to follow. Things worsened when he started dating a girl named Rebecca Walker, whom his parents disapproved of. Forced to keep the relationship secret, Gavin felt even more suffocated by the situation. His frustration and anger built up, and alongside Rebecca, he decided to take extreme action. Gavin acquired a gun and a knife, and in the early hours of December 9, 2020, he executed his plan, killing his family.
Gavin Smith Showed His Weapons During a Video Call
Gavin and Rebecca were on a video call when he carried out the murders, and he showed her the knife and guns. He first went to his parents’ room, where they were asleep, and shot them while they slept. Afterward, he entered his 12-year-old brother Gage’s room and shot him as well. Following the attack, Gavin briefly spoke with Rebecca again before hearing the cries of his toddler brother, Jameson. Rebecca later claimed that she urged him to finish quickly but did not realize he would kill the baby, too. Jameson’s body was found underneath his crib, behind a mattress, where he was probably hiding. Rebecca mentioned that the screen went blank for a few seconds, leaving her unaware of the exact details of how the events unfolded.
After the murders, Rebecca advised Gavin to hide at her grandmother’s house, as it was vacant at the time. Four days later, on December 13, 2020, a concerned relative of the family went to check on them, only to discover the tragic scene, with all the victims shot in the head. The police were called immediately and quickly noticed Gavin was missing. It didn’t take long for authorities to track him down, and he was arrested at Rebecca’s grandmother’s home and charged with the murder of his family members.
Gavin Smith is Serving His Sentence Today
Gavin Smith’s trial began in 2022, during which he had been held in county jail. His defense team admitted that he had committed the murders but argued that he had done so under extreme circumstances. They claimed that Gavin had been living in a highly regulated household, and the added strain of COVID-19 restrictions had made him unable to cope with his parents’ control. The defense further alleged that Gavin had been burdened with the responsibility of caring for his baby brother and that even the refrigerator had been padlocked, emphasizing the dysfunctional environment he lived in. They pleaded for leniency, asking for a lesser sentence, citing the oppressive conditions he endured.
However, the prosecutors built a strong case, proving that Gavin had been planning the murders for several days and had acted with malicious intent. They argued that he had attacked his family because he wanted to be with his girlfriend. He was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder for killing his parents and 3-year-old brother and one count of second-degree murder for the death of his 12-year-old brother, Gage. Additionally, he was convicted for the use of a firearm during the crime. Gavin received the maximum sentence, but since he was 16 at the time of the murders, he was deemed eligible for parole in 15 years. Now 20 years old, he is currently held at the Mt. Olive Correctional Complex in Fayette County, West Virginia. The date for his parole hearing has not yet been made publicly available.
