Summary:

Smith, 61, was convicted of the July 4, 1982 murder of 21-year-old Cindy Baillee in Gans. Baillee was the former girlfriend of Smith's son, Greg.

Smith, along with her son and another woman, picked up Baillee from a Tahlequah motel early on the morning of the murder.

As they drove away from the motel, Smith confronted Baillee about rumors that Baillee had arranged for Greg Smith's murder - charges which Baillee denied. Smith choked Baillee and stabbed her in the throat as they drove to the home of Smith's ex-husband in Gans.

At the house, Smith forced Baillee to sit in a recliner and taunted her with a pistol, finally firing several shots. Baillee fell to the floor, and while her son reloaded the pistol, Smith laughed and jumped on Baillee's neck.

News Release - W.A. Drew Edmondson, Attorney General

10/01/01

The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected the final appeals of two Oklahoma death row inmates, prompting Attorney General Drew Edmondson to request execution dates.

Lois Nadean Smith, the lone female remaining on Oklahoma's death row, and Sahib Al-Masawi, a double murderer, were denied further appeals by the nation's highest court on its first day back from summer recess.

Edmondson requested the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to set execution dates 60 days from Monday, or at the earliest dates deemed appropriate by the court.

Smith, 61, was convicted of the July 4, 1982 murder of 21-year-old Cindy Baillee in Gans. Baillee was the former girlfriend of Smith's son, Greg.

Smith, along with her son and another woman, picked up Baillee from a Tahlequah motel early on the morning of the murder. As they drove away from the motel, Smith confronted Baillee about rumors that Baillee had arranged for Greg Smith's murder – charges which Baillee denied.

Smith choked Baillee and stabbed her in the throat as they drove to the home of Smith's ex-husband in Gans. At the house, Smith forced Baillee to sit in a recliner and taunted her with a pistol, finally firing several shots.

Lois Nadean Smith was convicted of killing her son's ex-girlfriend in Sequoyah County.

Smith was convicted of first-degree murder for the July 4, 1982, killing of Cindy Baillee, 21, ex-girlfriend of Smith's son, James "Greg" Smith.

Smith and her son, Greg, and another woman picked up Cindy Baillee in Tahlequah on the morning of the slaying.

As they drove from a motel, Nadean Smith confronted Cindy about rumors that she had threatened to tell law enforcement officials about her son's involvement with illegal drugs.

Cindy denied those rumors but Lois stabbed her in the throat, twisting the knife, then took her to a house where she was repeatedly told she was going to be killed.

Cindy was shot five times in the chest, twice in the head and once in the back. At one point, Smith jumped repeatedly on Cindy's throat, according to a witness's testimony.

Lois Smith testified that she stabbed Cindy and fired shots at her but did not mean to kill her. Greg Smith is serving a life sentence for his role in the slaying. He reloaded Smith's gun during the shooting.

Oklahoma Puts Third Woman to Death

Passes Texas for Number of Executions This Year

CourtTV.com

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) — A woman convicted of killing her son's ex-girlfriend in 1982 was executed Tuesday night by lethal injection, making her the third woman and 17th inmate put to death this year in Oklahoma.

With the execution of Lois Nadean Smith, 61, Oklahoma now leads the nation in the number of executions this year. Texas has had 16 executions, with one more scheduled before year's end. Oklahoma also has one more execution set for this year. Sahib Al-Mosawi was scheduled to die Thursday for killing his wife and her uncle.

Smith is the last woman on Oklahoma's death row. No state has executed as many women in one year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington.

Before the drugs were administered, she thanked her attorneys and asked for forgiveness. "To the families, I want to say I'm sorry for the pain and loss I've caused you," Smith said. "I ask that you forgive me. You must forgive to be forgiven."

Smith was convicted of killing 21-year-old Cindy Baillie in July 1982. Baillie was shot nine times and stabbed in the throat. "I'm glad it's over. It's been a long time," said Baillie's daughter, Brandy Fields.

Authorities said Smith and her son, Greg, picked up Baillie the morning of the killing. Smith then confronted her about rumors that she had threatened to have her son killed.

Prosecutors said Lois Smith began to choke Baillie and stabbed her in the throat with a knife; Baillie was then driven to a home where Lois Smith shot her. Greg Smith was convicted of murder and given a life sentence.

Lois Nadean Smith

Scheduled Execution Date and Time: 12/4/01 7:00PM EDT

Lois Nadean Smith is scheduled to die on Dec. 4 by lethal injection for the murder of Cindy Baillee. This would be Oklahoma’s 17th execution in 2001, the highest rate in the nation, with another scheduled to occur two days after Ms. Smith’s.

Smith contends in her federal appeals that a conflict of interest existed with her lawyer, who also represented her son Greg Smith, a co-defendant in the murder.

While Ms. Smith encouraged her lawyer to pursue a strategy that emphasized her son’s role as the manipulator and instigator of the crime, she claimed that her legal counsel actually excluded evidence that pointed to Greg’s culpability and consistently mishandled other significant evidence.

Greg Smith was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the murder. Other mitigating evidence not admitted during trial attested to Ms. Smith’s judgement being possibly impaired from alcohol abuse and several nights worth of sleeplessness. Furthermore, her status as a first-time offender was not discussed.

By the time of her scheduled execution, Ms. Smith will be 61 years of age. Her life previous to her conviction was that of a model citizen and her incarceration since has also been free of incident.

Solely responsible for raising her children, Ms. Smith also suffered extreme physical abuse at the hands of her alcoholic husband. While her crime cannot be defended in this way, these mitigating circumstances can only raise the question of why the state is rushing to execute a person who poses little threat to society.

04.12.2001 - Oklahoma: Lois Nadean Smith Executed

A woman who shot her son's ex-girlfriend nine times and stabbed her in the throat was executed Tuesday night, the 3rd woman put to death in Oklahoma this year.

Lois Nadean Smith, 61, who as a high school student earned the nickname "Mean Nadean," was pronounced dead at 9:13 p.m., shortly after a lethal mix of chemicals was administered.

Smith was convicted of killing Cindy Baillie, 21, in Sequoyah County on July 4, 1982, because she thought Baillie was trying to have Smith's son killed. Smith was the last woman on Oklahoma's death row.

No state has executed as many women in 1 year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington.

8 women were arrested Tuesday night while protesting Smith's execution. They were held on misdemeanor trespassing complaints after crossing a police line at the Mabel Basset Correctional Center in Oklahoma City.

The 8 women arrested were part of a group of about 25 people involved in civil disobedience in Oklahoma City, said protester Kevin Acers. Some in the group planned to fast through Thursday to protest the last 2 executions in Oklahoma this year. Amnesty International asked Gov. Frank Keating this week to call off the executions. Dan Mahoney, Keating's spokesman, said the executions would go forward.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied clemency for Smith in early November. Her attorneys said she suffered from a head injury, was trying to protect her son and was under the influence of alcohol and drugs during the crime.

But Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Miller told the board Smith was able to hold down a job and during her trial denied using drugs or alcohol.

Smith becomes the 17th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Oklahoma and the 47th overall since the state resumed capital punishment in 1990. Smith becomes the 63rd condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 746th overall since America resumed executions on January 17, 1977.

Woman Executed for 1982 Murder

The Oklahoman

December 4, 2001

A woman who shot her son's ex-girlfriend nine times and stabbed her in the throat was executed Tuesday night, the 3rd woman put to death in Oklahoma this year.

Lois Nadean Smith, 61, who as a high school student earned the nickname "Mean Nadean," was pronounced dead at 9:13 p.m., shortly after a lethal mix of chemicals was administered.

Smith was convicted of killing Cindy Baillie, 21, in Sequoyah County on July 4, 1982, because she thought Baillie was trying to have Smith's son killed.

"You do something of this magnitude, torturing somebody, you're going to have to pay the price for it," said Baillie's daughter, Brandy Fields, 24. "She chose her path in life."

Fields witnessed the execution with her husband, a sister and a family friend. Smith's witnesses were 4 attorneys and a spiritual adviser. Smith was the last woman on Oklahoma's death row. No state has executed as many women in 1 year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington.

On Thursday, an Iraqi national is scheduled to become the 18th. No state has executed more - Texas has had 16 executions, with 1 more scheduled before year's end. 8 women were arrested Tuesday night while protesting Smith's execution.

They were held on misdemeanor trespassing complaints after crossing a police line at the Mabel Basset Correctional Center in Oklahoma City. Smith was housed at the prison before being transferred to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary for the execution.

The 8 women arrested were part of a group of about 25 people involved in civil disobedience in Oklahoma City, said protester Kevin Acers. Some in the group planned to fast through Thursday to protest the last 2 executions in Oklahoma this year. Amnesty International asked Gov. Frank Keating this week to call off the executions. Dan Mahoney, Keating's spokesman, said the executions would go forward.

Smith and her son, Greg, and another woman picked up Baillie in Tahlequah the morning of the killing, said Attorney General Drew Edmondson. Smith confronted her about rumors that she had threatened to have Greg Smith killed.

Prosecutors said Nadean Smith then began to choke Baillie and stabbed her in the throat with a knife. Baillie was driven to a home in Gans, where Nadean Smith shot her in the chest, head and back and jumped on her neck. Greg Smith was convicted of murder and given a life sentence. He reloaded Smith's gun during the shooting.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied clemency for Smith in early November. Her attorneys said she suffered from a head injury, was trying to protect her son and was under the influence of alcohol and drugs during the crime.

But Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Miller told the board Smith was able to hold down a job and during her trial denied using drugs or alcohol.

Smith becomes the 17th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Oklahoma and the 47th overall since the state resumed capital punishment in 1990. Smith becomes the 63rd condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 746th overall since America resumed executions on January 17, 1977.

A woman convicted of killing her son's ex-girlfriend in 1982 was executed Tuesday night by lethal injection, making her the third woman and 17th inmate put to death this year in Oklahoma.

With the execution of Lois Nadean Smith, 61, Oklahoma now leads the nation in the number of executions this year. Texas has had 16 executions, with one more scheduled before year's end.

Oklahoma also has one more execution set for this year. Sahib Al-Mosawi was scheduled to die Thursday for killing his wife and her uncle.

Smith is the last woman on Oklahoma's death row. No state has executed as many women in one year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington.

Before the drugs were administered, she thanked her attorneys and asked for forgiveness. "To the families, I want to say I'm sorry for the pain and loss I've caused you," Smith said. "I ask that you forgive me. You must forgive to be forgiven."

Smith was convicted of killing 21-year-old Cindy Baillie in July 1982. Baillie was shot nine times and stabbed in the throat. "I'm glad it's over. It's been a long time," said Baillie's daughter, Brandy Fields.

Authorities said Smith and her son, Greg, picked up Baillie the morning of the killing. Smith then confronted her about rumors that she had threatened to have her son killed.

Prosecutors said Lois Smith began to choke Baillie and stabbed her in the throat with a knife; Baillie was then driven to a home where Lois Smith shot her. Greg Smith was convicted of murder and given a life sentence.

Oklahoma passes Texas for number of executions this year

MSNBC.com

December 5, 2001

McALESTER, Okla. - A woman convicted of killing her son's ex-girlfriend in 1982 was executed Tuesday night by lethal injection, making her the third woman and 17th inmate put to death this year in Oklahoma. With the execution of Lois Nadean Smith, 61, Oklahoma now leads the nation in the number of executions this year.

Texas has had 16 executions, with one more scheduled before year's end. Oklahoma also has one more execution set for this year. Sahib Al-Mosawi was scheduled to die Thursday for killing his wife and her uncle. Smith is the last woman on Oklahoma's death row.

No state has executed as many women in one year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington. Before the drugs were administered, she thanked her attorneys and asked for forgiveness.

"To the families, I want to say I'm sorry for the pain and loss I've caused you," Smith said. "I ask that you forgive me. You must forgive to be forgiven." Smith was convicted of killing 21-year-old Cindy Baillie in July 1982. Baillie was shot nine times and stabbed in the throat. "I'm glad it's over. It's been a long time," said Baillie's daughter, Brandy Fields.

Authorities said Smith and her son, Greg, picked up Baillie the morning of the killing. Smith then confronted her about rumors that she had threatened to have her son killed.

Prosecutors said Lois Smith began to choke Baillie and stabbed her in the throat with a knife; Baillie was then driven to a home where Lois Smith shot her. Greg Smith was convicted of murder and given a life sentence.