Alabama Woman Who Killed Her Rapist Says Pleading Guilty Was Choosing The Lesser Evil

The woman from Alabama who pleaded guilty to killing her rapist said she had chosen the lesser evil when she admitted to her crime, saying pleading guilty was better than taking a chance at trial.

Brittany Smith murdered Todd Smith in January 2018 after the latter had allegedly strangled and raped her at her home in Stevenson. In October of that year, Brittany pleaded guilty to slaying her accused rapist. Todd was reportedly a teenage friend of Brittany whom she had reconnected with days before she killed him.

Brittany said, however, that killing Todd Smith was an act of self-defense. In her statement, she claimed that Todd held her brother in a chokehold and threatened to kill them both after assaulting her so she was forced to shoot him.

According to reports, Brittany Smith chose to take a plea deal ahead of the trial even though she thought a jury would acquit her. She also decided to take the plea after her attorneys had told her that they could not guarantee her victory at the trial.

“I’m really disappointed with having to take a plea deal,” she said. “I’m not a murderer, but when it’s the lesser of two evils, what can you do?” she added.

Brittany received a 20-year sentence under the plea deal. She was also ordered to serve 18 months in a county lockup before serving another 18 months on house arrest. She would then serve on probation for the remaining 17 years after her house arrest.

While Brittany’s attorney said she would only spend about seven months in jail due to credit for time served while awaiting trial, Brittany said significant personal challenges still lie ahead. “It’s going to be really hard for me to get a job and get my kids back,” she said. “I know that my family will let me visit my kids but as far as them coming home to Mommy, it’s not going to happen anytime soon,” she said.

Brittany Smith had asked a judge to grant her immunity under the state’s Stand Your Ground self-defense law. However, the court said Brittany did not prove that the killing was legally justified so they set the case for trial.