A Chester County man was charged Wednesday for allegedly shooting and killing his girlfriend in an incident earlier this month that was recorded on the victim's cell phone.
Prosecutors allege that Keith Smith, 43, fatally shot his girlfriend, Wesley Webb, following a May 2 domestic dispute at their residence in Schuylkill Township. Investigators say Smith pulled a 12-gauge shotgun, allegedly fired a single round at Webb's chest, and then attempted, unsuccessfully, to commit suicide.
The criminal complaint states that Webb activated an audio recording program on her cell phone immediately before she was shot. In the recording, the complaint alleges that Smith can be heard saying, "You want to record it now, b----?" before a gunshot is heard. After that, Smith allegedly said, "F--- you! How's that? That's where we just went."
"This was a savage, selfish, and cowardly murder," said Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan. "The defendant did not hesitate to kill his girlfriend. But he flinched when it came to killing himself. Now, the victim is dead, the defendant is alive, and three kids have been badly traumatized."
At the time of the incident, prosecutors say three juveniles, all under the age of 14, were living at Webb's home at 322 Buckwalter Road. In the midst of a verbal argument, Webb allegedly told Smith she was going to leave the home and take two of the children with her. The argument escalated in the living room of the home until Smith allegedly shot and killed Webb. He then shot himself in the face, but survived.
The three children, who were upstairs at the time of the shooting, came downstairs and called 911 at about 11:30 p.m. Police arrived minutes later and Smith allegedly stated that he shot his girlfriend before he was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Smith is charged with first degree murder, third degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime, and endangering the welfare of children. He is currently in stable condition at a hospital and is ineligible for bail. Once he is medically cleared, he will be transferred to Chester County Prison, authorities said.
"Schuylkill Township has not had a homicide in decades," said Police Chief James Fetterman. "We are a safe community, making this crime jarring for our township. However, our police, Chester County Detectives, and neighboring jurisdictions did an outstanding job of responding rapidly to a chaotic scene and conducting a thorough investigation."
Hogan added that the victim's recording of her own murder would have been inadmissible under the Pennsylvania Wiretap Act prior to 2012, but the law has since been updated.
"This case is a tragic example of technology and the law catching up to criminals. But that is slight solace for the children and family of the victim in this case," he said.