An Akron jury on Wednesday convicted 44-year-old Rasheed Lagway of murdering his wife, 39-year-old Kristina Smith, following an October 2025 assault that left her with fatal internal injuries. Jurors found Lagway guilty of murder, felonious assault and domestic violence, and he now faces a sentencing hearing on May 14.
How Prosecutors Say The Attack Unfolded
In a press release from the Summit County Prosecutor's Office, prosecutors said Lagway became upset after seeing an interaction between Smith and another patron at the bar where she worked. They said he then returned to the couple's shared home and assaulted her.
According to the release, Smith fled the home after the assault, stopped at a nearby McDonald’s, then went to the Dollar General where she worked before spending the night at a friend's house. She was found dead the next morning, and Lagway is scheduled to be sentenced May 14.
Autopsy Details And Prosecutor's Statement
“Rasheed Lagway’s actions were not an accident; they were a deliberate act of violence that cost Kristina Smith her life,” Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich said in the release. The prosecutor's office said the autopsy found four broken rib tips that lacerated Smith's spleen, causing internal bleeding that proved fatal.
Arrest And Earlier Reporting
Local coverage traced the case back to last September, when police were called to the 600 block of Talbot Avenue and transported a 39-year-old woman to Summa Health Akron, where she later died, according to News 5 Cleveland.
WOIO reported that warrants were issued and Lagway was arrested days later by U.S. Marshals after a grand jury indictment. He was charged with murder, felonious assault and domestic violence.
Court Timetable And Legal Penalties
Lagway is scheduled to be sentenced May 14 at 1:30 p.m. Under Ohio law, murder is an unclassified felony and felonious assault is typically a second-degree felony; a conviction for domestic violence can carry misdemeanor penalties. For statutory language on the offenses, see the Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Revised Code, and consult sentencing provisions at FindLaw.
What This Means Locally
The conviction brings a legal close to a case that drew months of local attention and, as Cleveland.com notes, is likely to be followed closely by Akron residents and advocates for survivors of domestic violence. Prosecutors say the sentence should reflect the deliberate nature of the attack, and the May hearing will determine the length of Lagway's prison term.
