Music
Accused killer says Slayer was involved in his father's murder
by Mark Teo
January 7, 2015
Music, and especially heavy metal, is often unjustly implicated in tragedies. This summer, after the tragic Moncton shootings, gunman Justin Bourque was identified as a metalhead after posting Megadeth lyrics on Facebook. Dave Mustaine’s band similarly got namedropped by Matt de Grood, the man behind April’s Calgary stabbing. And, as MacLean’s points out, Kimveer Gill quoted Megadeth lyrics before going on a 20-person shooting at Montreal’s Dawson College. Of course, the magazine is quick to point out, it’s erroneous to link heavy metal to criminal acts.
Still, callously linking music to crime is typically the media’s fault. But in the very strange case of accused killer Leroy Smith III, the media didn’t link metal to murder—he did. Smith is accused of stabbing his father to death at their shared apartment; after dismembering the body, he littered limbs all throughout Richmond, Maine.
Smith was arraigned that very month, but when he assessed, it was found that he wasn’t psychologically fit to stand trial. The reason? He wouldn’t be able to build a proper defense, because he was too delusional. Central Maine notes that he wouldn’t cooperate with the lawyers assigned to his case.
“He had delusions that he thought he was God, grandiose delusions he was the best guitarist in the world,” Ann LeBlanc, director of the state forensic service, said.
He also, apparently, had delusions that Slayer were involved in his case. As he stood in court, he said that Slayer—the entire band—held a gun to his head in 2011. “I have something I want to say,” he told the courtroom, after being warned by the judge to stop. “With my case, they’re telling me that my story is delusional grandiose of proceedings that happened. They’re not investigating it, that it happened.
“I had a gun held against my head and was sworn to keep secret about what I am. They refused investigating any persons responsible. The whole entire group Slayer was there. I was told then that what they did was too overboard. I sent them a message on Facebook and Jeff Hanneman guitarist took his own life. He took his own life May 5.”
Hanneman, in fact, did not take his own life—the legendary thrash guitarist died of liver cirrhosis on May 2, 2013. Smith, however, seems to believe that he and Slayer held a secret together, one which resulted in Hanneman committing suicide. Strange? You bet. But this also comes from a man who has also suggested that he’s both God and a political prisoner.
Delusional? We think so, too.
