Bothell murder trial heard by judge without jury

The murder trial of Alan Smith began Thursday and will be decided by a Snohomish County Superior Court judge because Smith waived his right to a jury trial.

He is accused of killing his estranged wife, Susann Smith, in February 2013 at the home the once shared in Bothell. They were getting a divorce and fighting for custody of their two young children.

During opening statements prosecutors told the judge that Smith was upset and in debt because of the divorce.  They also said he confessed to a friend from his church.

Smith’s defense team said that the case was built on circumstantial evidence, and said another person’s DNA was found on Susann.

The first few witnesses were police officers.  They stepped the judge through the gruesome crime scene.  Susann was beaten and stabbed, before she was dragged into a bathroom tub.

In court, Smith showed no emotion when he saw photos of his wife.

Police also said Smith asked very few questions about his wife’s murder when they first interviewed him about it.  They said he also had a freshly injured hand.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.

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