Charlotte man to serve 2 years in prison for killing girlfriend

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By Mark Becker

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man will spend two years in prison after he admitted to killing his girlfriend in her southwest Charlotte apartment.

LeRoy Cooper pleaded guilty Thursday morning to involuntary manslaughter in Jennifer Smith’s death. He could spend less than two years in jail.

Prosecutors said in April 2017, Cooper punched Smith during an argument in their home; she fell, hit her head, and died.

“You can harm an animal and get more time than what he did,” said Brenda Smith, Jennifer Smith’s mother.

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Smith’s father and sister, standing about 15 feet from Cooper in the courtroom, told the judge that Cooper should serve more time in prison.

Smith’s family told Cooper how much they are hurting.

Shannon Smith, Jennifer’s twin sister, did all she could do to keep from crying.

“You are such an evil person,” Shannon Smith said to Cooper.

Cooper did not show any emotion as he stood next to his attorney and prosecutor Clayton Jones who described how Cooper hit Jennifer Smith in the face during an argument, knocking her down as she hit her head, and died.

Her father, Jackie Smith, said his daughter’s death was a tragic case of domestic violence that they did not see coming.

“We didn’t go for stuff like this. If he had put his hands on her, I would have gotten her out of that relationship a long time ago,” Jackie Smith said.

Jennifer Smith's family said they plan to push for harsher sentences in similar cases.

“I spent two hours with (Jennifer) on the phone begging for my daughter's life and the more I begged her to get away from him, she was saying, ‘But I love him, Mama and I don't want to be without him,’” Brenda Smith said.

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