Columbus, Ohio. Emeri Alexandra Connery was a 26-year-old fitness model from Columbus. Sure, she was gorgeous, but she had smarts too.
She held a master’s degree in health administration, and she was very enthusiastic about fitness and health, even from a young age.
While she was in high school, she ran track, played basketball, and did cross country.
She also started weight training, and that’s something she quickly took to.
Instagram; Emeri is pictured above wearing an “Always Hungry” t-shirt
Her obituary reads, “Emeri’s love, happiness and passion for life was easy to see from day one.”
“These qualities carried over to every aspect of her life and resonated with anyone who knew her or of her.”
“Emeri not only had the looks but the personality, work ethic, and guts to make it to the next level.
She treated everyone the same, as she would want to be treated.”
“She was beautiful inside and out and earned everything she had throughout her life.”
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Instagram; Emeri is pictured above
On March 10th, 2019, Emeri was in Virginia so she could attend a family wedding. It was in Big Stone Gap, which was also where her 21-year-old cousin Bailey Smith worked as a police officer.
He was also at the wedding, and the two of them took photos together while they were there. They even ended up leaving with one another a little before 8 p.m.
By 8 p.m., Emeri and Bailey were in Johnson City, Tennessee to meet up with a few of Bailey’s friends at a local bar. As they were hanging out, Bailey’s truck got towed, but he was able to get it back.
They both were drinking and seemed to have a fun night out together, according to Bailey’s friends.
Instagram; Emeri is pictured above in her car
They all went to two different bars. There were no issues. It was just a regular night out.
At 1:15 a.m., Emeri and Bailey started driving back to Virginia. It was just them, alone in the truck and Bailey was the one behind the wheel in those early morning hours.
Half an hour into their drive, Emeri used her phone to google a nearby McDonald’s. After that, she stopped using her phone.
At 1:54 a.m., Bailey and Emeri are seen on video footage at the McDonald’s Emeri was looking for in Gray, Tennessee.
Bailey decided to FaceTime a friend of his while they’re approaching the drive-through entrance. This friend is on the phone with them as they order their food and pick it up from the window.
Video footage confirms that Bailey and Emeri are the only two people sitting there in Bailey’s truck, and nothing appears to be wrong at all.
Bailey’s friend would later say that Bailey did appear to be drunk as they talked on the phone.
Instagram; Emeri is pictured above wearing a black baseball hat and tie-dye shirt
After Emeri and Bailey left McDonald’s, Bailey sent some typo-riddled text messages to other friends of his.
He was texting and driving, and he mentioned where he was.
In one of the texts that Emeri was sleeping in the passenger seat next to him.
One person tried to call Bailey, but he sent it to voicemail and never picked up the phone. Then, Bailey crashed his truck.
But not before he murdered Emeri.
Instagram; Emeri is pictured above
Just before 4 a.m. hit, Bailey crashed on the highway. The trooper that came to investigate the crash noticed that both Bailey and Emeri had gunshot wounds.
Three different bullets were recovered inside of Bailey’s truck, and his gun was the one that fired them from the cabin.
There was nothing to indicate that the cousins had an argument or an issue, but Emeri had been shot through her right cheek on the upper side, killing her.
Bailey had been shot at close range through the right side of his temple. He had killed Emeri before he turned the gun on himself and took his own life.
He also had double what the legal limit for amount is in his system, while Emeri was under that mark.
Instagram; Emeri is pictured above as a brunette
The Lee County Commonwealth Attorney put out a statement after investigating what happened over the course of 6 months.
In the conclusion of their statement, it said, “The autopsies, ballistics report, event data recorder from the vehicle, blood spatter analysis, and physical evidence from the scene collectively and definitively prove that all activity was confined to the vehicle; that Smith and Connery were the only occupants of the vehicle; that Smith was highly intoxicated and operating the motor vehicle; that Smith’s firearm discharged and killed Connery; and that Smith died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound from his firearm before the vehicle crashed.”
“Forensic evidence can tell us how something happened. It cannot tell us why.”
Instagram; Emeri smiles in the photo above
“We do not know, and likely will never know, exactly why this incident occurred. This is true of many crimes.”
“Accordingly, we cannot reach a definitive conclusion as to whether the homicide was a result of an intentional or reckless act by Smith.”
“We do not believe the event was purely accidental because of Smith’s level of intoxication. The act of handling a loaded firearm while operating a motor vehicle at nearly double the legal limit of intoxication is, at the very least, a reckless act sufficient to support a charge of involuntary manslaughter.”
“Such an act could also rise to the level of gross, wanton, culpable, and showing such a reckless disregard for human life, to support the elevated charge of felony-murder.”
“Our conclusions are based on our application of the law to the evidence. Ultimately, a jury of twelve Lee County citizens would have made the final determination of guilt.”
“But because he did not survive the incident to be charged—and finding that no surviving individual committed any criminal act—we are closing the case.”
Even though it’s now been more than a year since this happened, people still wonder why Bailey killed his cousin Emeri before taking his own life.
What would have made him do that?
Instagram; Emeri smiles, above
