Gayno Smith: The Grisly Tale of a Family Massacre

Gayno Gilbert Smith (January 23, 1938 – May 16, 2005) was an American mass murderer and serial killer who shocked the nation when he brutally killed six of his family members in Iowa between 1961 and 1962. This devastating case reveals the dark depths of familial betrayal and the tragic aftermath of violence.

Quick Facts

• Born: January 23, 1938, Keokuk County, Iowa, U.S.
• Died: May 16, 2005, Iowa City, Iowa, U.S. (aged 67)
• Criminal status: Deceased
• Convictions: First-degree murder (5 counts), Second-degree murder
• Criminal penalty: Life imprisonment
• Details of Victims: 6
• Span of Crimes: October 1961 – May 27, 1962
• Country: United States
• State: Iowa
• Date Apprehended: June 1, 1962
• Imprisoned at: Iowa State Penitentiary

Background

Before the heinous murders, Smith had been living in Denver, Colorado. However, due to unspecified troubles, he relocated to Martinsburg, Iowa, to stay with his stepmother. When conflicts arose there as well, he sought refuge with his uncle, Andrew McBeth. This familial instability set the stage for the tragic events that would follow.

The Murders

On May 27, 1962, Gayno Smith committed a horrific act that would forever alter the lives of many. That night, he murdered Andrew McBeth, 51, and his wife, Dora McBeth, 41, along with their three children: Amos, 19, Anna, 19, and Donna Jean Kellogg, 17. Smith, who was just 24 years old at the time, confessed to the crime. The details of the evening are chilling.

The McBeth family resided in rural Iowa, about four miles north of Martinsburg, where Smith was living at the time. On the night of the murders, the McBeth children had traveled to Brighton, Iowa, for a dance, leaving Donna Jean's six-month-old baby, Perry, in the care of his grandparents. As the group returned home, a storm raged outside, complete with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain. They stopped at a truck stop for food, unaware of the horror waiting for them.

Upon arriving at the farmhouse, they found the lights dark. Armed with flashlights, Amos and Donna stumbled upon their parents' lifeless bodies in the garage, where they had been dragged. In a horrifying twist, they discovered that the phone lines had been cut. Just then, Smith emerged, brandishing a flashlight and a gun.

In the ensuing chaos, he shot Amos in the face and then turned the gun on Donna. Patsy Lou, another daughter, was wounded in the shoulder but managed to escape, fleeing into the night. She played a harrowing game of cat and mouse through the ditches, dodging Smith’s flashlight, until she reached a nearby farmhouse where she called for help.

Smith fled the scene but was apprehended four days later in a barn near Lake Wapello. When caught, he confessed not just to the McBeth murders but also to the murder of his stepmother, Juanita Smith, who had been missing since the previous October. The authorities were keen to prosecute Smith to the fullest extent of the law as Iowa still had capital punishment at the time, and prosecutors sought the death penalty.

The Trial and Sentencing

Facing an almost certain death sentence, Smith opted to plead guilty to one count of second-degree murder and five counts of first-degree murder, leaving his fate in the hands of the judge. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Smith had "attempted to exterminate an entire family." A psychiatric evaluation found him sane, and his defense team chose not to contest this, instead pleading for mercy from Judge C. R. Carson.

Ultimately, Judge Carson spared Smith's life, finding him guilty of five counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. He sentenced Smith to six consecutive life terms at hard labor, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

Aftermath and Legacy

The sole survivor of the massacre, infant Perry, was adopted by his uncle Firman, Andrew McBeth's brother, and raised alongside Firman’s nine biological children. Growing up, Perry faced significant emotional challenges stemming from the trauma of his early childhood. In later interviews, he expressed deep-seated anger and regret, admitting, "All the way through school I was a bully because I wanted people to hurt as bad as I did."

In 1971, Gayno Smith filed an unsuccessful motion for a new trial and was interviewed in prison in 1974 by The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. He had come to terms with his life sentence and was pursuing an education, achieving impressive grades in commercial cooking and academics. Smith expressed a desire to advocate for prison reform and rehabilitation, recognizing the systemic issues within the correctional system.

Smith passed away from heart problems on May 16, 2005, shortly after being transferred to a hospital. His body was cremated and laid to rest in Mount Zion Cemetery next to his mother’s grave. In a haunting reflection of the past, Perry remarked, "I'm glad he's dead. It was the best day of my life. I hope he burns in hell forever."

See Also

• List of serial killers in the United States

Sources

• Klein, Mike. "A bloody night: More than 40 years later, memories won't fade", Des Moines Register, June 12, 2005.
• "A list of Iowa's worst mass killings", Des Moines Register.
• "Re: McBeth family." Retrieved February 5, 2016.
• "Serial Killer True Crime Library." Retrieved February 5, 2016.
• "Article clipped from Carroll Daily Times Herald", Carroll Daily Times Herald, September 12, 1962.
• "Gayno Smith Sentenced To Six Consecutive Life Terms" (PDF), The Daily Iowan, September 14, 1962.
• "Gayno Sentenced", The Courier, September 13, 1962.
• "Gayno Smith 1974", The Courier, August 21, 1974.
• "Gayno Smith", The Des Moines Register, June 12, 2005.