Video: White Center murder suspect pleads not guilty

| Crime | West Seattle news | White Center

We’re at the King County Courthouse, where Anthony Haroldlee Smith has just appeared for arraignment in the August 16th murder of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi, shot early that morning at 15th/Roxbury (original White Center Now coverage here). Our video above (shot through the glass that separates the gallery from the judge/lawyer areas of this particular courtroom) shows the brief hearing in its entirety, after Judge Ronald Kessler denied Smith’s lawyer’s request to keep the media from photographing his face, ending before witness names were mentioned in terms of a no-contact order. Smith only spoke to acknowledge his identity; his lawyer formally entered the plea of “not guilty.” Media reps (TV and radio were also here) were asked by an advocate not to photograph the two members of Sweetheart’s family who came to watch the hearing. Smith remains in jail in lieu of one million dollars bail.

bridge to somwhere September 1, 2011 (10:23 am)

not such a tough guy now, eh?

DBP September 1, 2011 (10:55 am)

I know this is gonna be difficult for folks, but please remember: Innocent until proven guilty.
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That said, I hope WHOEVER committed this vicious crime suffers for it, every day, for the rest of his miserable life. You didn’t just steal a young woman’s life away from her, you worthless punk. You robbed every one of us of something.
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And for what? A cigarette?! Is that all another person’s life means to you?
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I’d like to call you an animal, but you’re not even that. A dog on the street has more humanity than you.

lucky chick September 1, 2011 (11:06 am)

We don’t need scum like this. Hope we never see him free again. Tough guy, pointing a gun at a 23-year-old girl. Buh bye.

Anybody206 September 1, 2011 (12:57 pm)

Why is nobody mentioning the HEAVY police response (they had ak 47s out) by 16th and Roxbury last night????? Am I the only One who seen this???

WSB September 1, 2011 (1:07 pm)

Anybody, there was a report of a big street fight. Didn’t last long, as far as we could tell – it was a King County Sheriff’s Office case, with some mutual aid from SPD – TR

Anybody206 September 1, 2011 (1:14 pm)

Okay. Thanks! Nothing to do with sweetie then.

Ex-Westwood Resident September 1, 2011 (2:00 pm)

Anybody206,
Are you sure they were police?
Because the police; city, county, and state, DO NOT use AK-47s.
Only gang bangers, wannabes and terrorists use that weapon.

WSB September 1, 2011 (2:10 pm)

I just checked with KCSO and they responded to a fight at 15th and Roxbury in early early early am – the scanner traffic we heard overnight said 16th – but no injuries, no arrests – TR

KBear September 1, 2011 (3:38 pm)

Ex-Westwood, maybe they were Russian police.

jinsea September 1, 2011 (5:16 pm)

Anybody & WSB: I saw the police scene at 16th & Roxbury last night as I was driving home. There were countless police cars, some kc but lots of seattle police as well. i probably counted 10+ police vehicles. i don’t know what kind of gun i saw but i saw one being put back into a metal case in the trunk of a spd car – it was BIG & SCARY. i saw two men in handcuffs, one on the ground. i saw another being escorted by the scruff to a spd car. spd officers were directing traffic and 16th was closed off. Lots of spectators were standing around watching and one of the female spd officers was trying to make people leave. i waited in the walgreens parking lot for 20 minutes or so but never found out what happened. the scene was still in full swing by the time i left, around 12:20am. i figured i’d find out from white center or west seattle blog but there was nothing. I’ve been wondering what happened because it looked intense.

Anybody206 September 1, 2011 (5:43 pm)

Thanks guys. I saw with my own eyes an ak. I know what a k looks like. The police were not holding it in a manner that looked like it was their gun.

WSB September 1, 2011 (5:58 pm)

I’ve sent a note to SPD contacts to ask if they had an incident … because that certainly doesn’t sound anything like what KCSO told me when I checked with them. And just a friendly reminder that if you see news, eyewitness reports matter a lot – it’s how we get first word of a lot of things that aren’t on the 911 log (which only covers fire response to medics), AND things that are not always fully described over the scanner (police have a lot of ways of communicating besides the publicly monitorable radio) … text or call 206-293-6302, twenty-four hours a day. I would have gone out to this if I’d heard anything beyond word of an initial scanner mention, and then silence, which without any eyewitness texts/calls/e-mails usually means “fizzled out.” If I get anything from SPD, will add here and, depending on what they say, likely a separate story…TR
- WSB September 1, 2011 (7:26 pm)
  
  … and finally some information. This, from Capt. Joe Hodgson at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting. It was basically a “bar fight,” he said, but it “went out as a shooting” – which it turned out not to have been. He said the victim decided not to press charges, so no one was arrested. – TR

still here September 1, 2011 (6:36 pm)

@DBP Of course, this guy is screwed up, ruthless, and cruel. He is probably not too smart or sane. But it does not do the White Center community any good to blame this on the victim refusing him a cigarette or, as some have said, because he was beat up by a girl. It just creates fear and misperceptions. This was gang-related fighting that turned tragic, right? The murderer is, likely, a very unstable and loose wire with a gun. If you believe this was really only over a cigarette I know of a proverbial bridge for sale you can purchase.

mizz dubcee September 2, 2011 (9:49 am)

Has anyone mentioned that not only did this guy/animal shoot sweetie twice! One bullet entered the BACK of her head and exited through her forehead! He/it, is a coward!

Guest September 2, 2011 (11:40 am)

I understand the advocate asked for images of the family not to be shown. You do realize I can see them in the reflection in your video right?

WSB September 2, 2011 (12:50 pm)

I don’t know who the blurry reflections belong to. I’ve been in E-1201 a hundred times and it’s always a full house, with people there for myriad cases – it was not a single-courtroom, single-case hearing. She did not single out exactly who was a family member and was mostly requesting that they not be pursued for interviews, and while I saw at least one other media crew bolt out of the courtroom, possibly to do that anyway (I was the only person who nodded in agreement with the request), we did not leave till long after they were gone – TR

(required) September 3, 2011 (11:15 am)

Thank you very much, WSB, for filming the arraignment. It is good that the press is fighting to record an accused’s face in court. We all know that the accused is innocent unless and until proven guilty by the state beyond a reasonable doubt, and the state has the burden of not only proving guilt but also the burden of protecting the accused’s rights. Yet, for those of us in this community who never saw the person the police and the prosecutor have found and identified as the person they believe committed this horrendous crime, it is very important to show their face. Washington courts time and again rule how important it is to ensure that court proceedings are open to the public and are kept open. Thank you so much, West Seattle (and White Center) blog(s) in making sure we are able to see the events as they occur in court, and for your help in allowing us this opportunity.

WTF September 3, 2011 (3:59 pm)

1) Hope the “system” moves that P.O.S.’s court proceedings along quickly, so he can be a smart @$$, tough-guy in prison with 1,900+ of his closest friends. Let’s see how long it takes before his fellow roommates find out he shot a 23 year old woman in the back of the head on a public street, then impose their own punishment.

I’ve always found it amusing that these PsOS can act all tough and ghetto when they have an escape route, a weapon, or they are flanked my other PsOS. But, when it comes down to it, they run and hide like little girls. If you’re so tough, man-up and FACE US.

These vermin are getting so tired…

2) I’m glad to (hear) that the police & sheriff depts. are taking STRONG action. BTW, Our police do possess semi-automatic rifles (there are more than one “type”.)

Sorry, comment time is over.