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Local man, woman charged with murder of federal witness

On May 8, 2016, 46-year-old Bobby Lee Smith and 31-year-old Cynthia Allen aided and abetted each other in killing JCPS employee Angelina Pressley in front of her son

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A local man and woman have been charged with the murder of a witness aiding a federal investigation.

According to the indictment, on May 8, 2016, 46-year-old Bobby Lee Smith and 31-year-old Cynthia Allen aided and abetted each other in killing JCPS employee Angelina Pressley in front of her 8-year-old son. 

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Authorities say they killed her with the intent to retaliate for the attendance and testimony given by Pressley to a Grand Jury proceeding on October 8, 2014, in the Western District of Kentucky.

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“Our system only works when the public shares information with law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman “And the rule of law requires that the United States protect witnesses to crimes.”

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According to U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman, Smith and Allen were both charged in a three-count indictment by a federal Grand Jury sitting in November 20. Smith and Allen are charged with tampering with a witness by killing her to prevent the communication to a law enforcement officer or judge of the United States relating to the commission of a federal offense.

If Smith and Allen are convicted they could face no less than life imprisonment or the death penalty.

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