William Trickett Smith II
William Trickett Smith II | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Trickett Smith Jr. 18 January 1981 Pennsylvania, United States |
| Other names | "The Suitcase Murderer" |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
| Spouse | Jana Claudia Gómez Menéndez (March 2007 – died July 2007) |
| Children | 1 son (born c. 1999) |
| Parent | William Trickett Smith Sr. |
| Convictions | Drug trafficking (2000) Escape, eluding arrest (2004) Murder (2011) |
| Criminal charge | Murder (2007) |
| Penalty | Sentenced to 35 years in prison |
William Trickett Smith II (or Jr.) (born January 18, 1981) is a U.S. citizen from Paxtang, Pennsylvania who pleaded guilty to killing his Peruvian wife, Jana Claudia Gómez Menéndez de Smith of Trujillo, Peru. Gómez Menéndez was reported missing and was found in a suitcase that washed up on a beach near the capital city of Lima the day after the 2007 Peru earthquake. Her body was identified by a tattoo of a butterfly on her neck. The homicide investigation became known in Peru as "The Mystery of the Butterfly".
On May 23, 2011, Smith was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of his wife.