A 76-year-old Rancho Mirage man was stabbed to death inside a home on Palm View Road last Thursday night, and within hours deputies had arrested his own stepson on suspicion of murder. Carl Harry Smith was found suffering from stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to investigators. The man now jailed in connection with his death is identified in reporting under two different spellings of his surname.
Deputies Called to a Late-Night Scene on Palm View Road
Riverside County deputies were called to a home in the 36000 block of Palm View Road in Rancho Mirage just after 8:30 p.m. last Thursday, according to KTLA. When they arrived, they found Smith with multiple stab wounds; he died at the scene, the station reported. The Riverside Sheriff's Central Homicide Unit was requested and took over the investigation, according to KESQ.
Authorities identified the suspect as 36-year-old Joshua Jordan Kohain-King of Joshua Tree, per the same KTLA report, which described him as the victim's stepson. A separate local report from NBC Palm Springs spells the suspect's name as Joshua Jordan Cohane King and likewise describes him as a 36-year-old Joshua Tree man facing a murder charge in Smith's death. Hoodline could not independently confirm which spelling matches official court records.
Suspect Booked, Court Appearance Scheduled
Kohain-King was located and arrested for murder, the KTLA report states, and was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center. He was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to the KESQ report. No charging document confirming the exact count filed against him was made available in the reporting reviewed by Hoodline.
Investigators have not released a possible motive for the killing, and no additional details about the circumstances of the attack have been made public. The investigation remains ongoing, and neither outlet has reported the outcome of the scheduled court appearance.
