A Columbus man will spend at least 25 years in prison for fatally shooting a 56-year-old man at a West Side bus stop last year, after his wife watched the attack and helped identify the shooter to detectives. Joshua Bays, 46, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence, both carrying firearm specifications, in the killing of Thomas Smith near West Broad Street and Wisconsin Avenue.
According to WSYX, Smith suffered a gunshot wound to the head on August 14, 2025, and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died three days later. Smith's wife witnessed the shooting and gave detectives Bays's name and description, helping investigators identify him through photo arrays as the man who pulled the trigger. Police say Bays fled the scene on a bicycle and later admitted to shooting Smith and disposing of the firearm.
The shooting occurred at 1:42 p.m. in the 1200 block of West Broad Street. SWAT officers arrested Bays on August 28, 2025, two weeks after the shooting, once a murder warrant had been issued following Smith's death. He was taken into custody without incident.
A Father, Grandfather and Army Veteran Remembered
Smith's family sought justice following his death. After his death, medical staff told his family that his organ donor status meant his organs could save up to five lives.
Bays pleaded guilty not only to involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in Smith's death, but also to escape stemming from a separate, unrelated case. He received an additional 12 months for the escape charge, to be served consecutively to his sentence in the Smith case.
Bays Pleaded Guilty to Manslaughter and Evidence Tampering
Bays pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in Smith's death.
The 25-to-30.5-year range reflects Ohio's Reagan Tokes Law, enacted in 2019, which requires indefinite prison terms for non-life first- and second-degree felonies committed on or after March 22, 2019, according to the Supreme Court of Ohio. For a single qualifying offense, the maximum term is 50 percent longer than the minimum term chosen by the judge; calculations for multiple qualifying offenses and consecutive terms follow different rules and can include definite terms and specifications. Under Ohio Revised Code 2967.271, inmates serving these indefinite sentences are presumed eligible for release after completing their minimum term, though that presumption can be rebutted.
Columbus Homicides in 2025
Smith's killing occurred in a year when Columbus had recorded 81 homicides as of December 17, 2025, according to WOSU Public Media.
