Man arrested in abduction, death of teenager Kelsey Smith

Edwin R. Hall has been arrested and soon will be charged with the abduction and death of the teenager, Kelsey Smith. A tip led to his arrest after the police matched him and his vehicle to the video surveillance pictures.

An Olathe man has been arrested in the abduction and death of 18-year-old Kelsey Smith, whose body was found Wednesday in a Missouri park.

Overland Park Police Chief John Douglass identified the suspect as Edwin R. Hall, 26. He is expected to be charged Thursday morning with premeditated first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. Police acted on a tip and matched Edwin R. Hall and a vehicle to surveillance video from a Target store parking lot in suburban Kansas City, where Kelsey Smith was kidnapped. Douglass said the arrest took thousands of hours of investigation by 50 police officers, detectives and an FBI team over the last four days. Hall is currently in custody at the Johnson County Jail awaiting formal charges, which will be filed Thursday morning. Earlier Gohomelaker reported on DJ about Smith's body being found at about 1:30 p.m. across the state line near Grandview, Mo, near Kansas City. Douglass said Hall appeared to be the same person shown in the video walking into the Target soon after Smith entered the store.

I want to again express my condolences to the Smith family. I realize that this is not the preferred conclusion. While we cannot give them their daughter back, we can at least give them justice.

Phill Kline said Hall can expect 25 years to life in prison when sentenced. They will be charging Hall with premeditated first degree murder and aggravated kidnapping charges. He will request the bond to be set at $5 Million dollars. Kline said:

This community has lost a vibrant and promising life and a family has suffered unimaginable tragedy.

Douglass said police had received more than 500 tips in the case and had questioned numerous people Wednesday, including Hall, who was arrested at the end of his interview. With cellphone call tracing, police officers were able to locate Kelly Smith’s body. Douglass didn’t elaborate to reporters about where exactly they found Smith's body, and what condition it was in. Smith, who graduated from high school only two weeks ago, was doing routine shopping at a Target store around 7:10 p.m. Saturday, and was kidnapped in the parking lot. Before a memorial service Wednesday evening, Smith's father, Greg, thanked the volunteers who also helped in the search for his daughter.

She could walk into a room full of strangers and walk out with a room full of friends. Her excitement and passion for life was unmatched. She lived more in 18 years than many people do with a great deal more time.

To me, this looks like a random killing with no connection or motive. This is occurring repeatedly all across the country. I can’t understand why they have to ruin a promising life needlessly?