Last Updated on January 16, 2020
An Alabama woman who shot and killed her alleged rapist dead as he was trying to kill her brother is facing prison.
In January last year, Brittany Smith, 32, was brutally and raped by Todd Smith, 38, at her home in Stevenson, Alabama.
Following the assault, Todd threatened to kill her if she spoke to anybody about the abuse.
Brittany later managed to notify her brother, Chris McCallie, of the abuse.
McCallie turned up to her home to confront Todd.
Soon after McCallie appeared, a violent altercation erupted between Todd and McCallie which was only ended when Brittany took matters into her own hands and fatally shot Todd.
Although a rape kit proved that Brittany had been brutally raped, she was charged with Todd’s murder two days after the incident.
Todd was picked up by McCallie and Brittany after claiming to be stranded in heavy snow with nowhere to stay for the night after a violent altercation with his father, which led to his arrest and eviction from his father’s home.
Brittany had met Todd the day before in Jasper, Tennessee, where she had bought a Pitbull puppy off him.
Todd had already made romantic advances towards Brittany, which she rejected.
However, Brittany agreed to let Todd stay on her couch for the night.
When the pair had arrived at Brittany’s home, they bathed the puppy.
During a conversation concerning drug rehabilitation, Todd took offense and accused Brittany of thinking she was better than him.
Todd headbutted Brittany and choked her until she lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she found herself to be sinking in a puddle of her own urine while Todd continued to wrap his hands around her throat and brutally rape her.
She recalls that he was manhandling her to the point where she thought he would break her neck.
Brittany even dug into Todd’s skin so hard, she ripped a few nails off.
After a struggle during the rape, Brittany lost consciousness again.
When she came to, for a second time, she just let him finish.
At the end of the assault, Todd threatened to kill everybody she loved if she told anybody.
Todd wanted to buy cigarettes after the assault, but, as Brittany didn’t own a car, she managed to call her mother who sent her brother to pick them up as she heard her crying.
Brittany managed to alert a gas station cashier that she had been raped.
She advised her not to call the police, as Todd would find out.
The cashier told her brother about what had happened.
Once they had arrived at Brittany’s home, McCallie brought a .22 revolver he kept in the car.
He instructed Todd to leave Brittany’s home.
Todd, who was high on a cocktail of xanax, amphetamines, alcohol, and meth, refused and managed to get McCallie in a headlock, choking him.
Brittany dashed and grabbed McCallie’s gun which had been left on a table.
She fired one shot at Todd, which was ineffective.
She then followed with two other shots which proved fatal.
Now Brittany faces severe charges after being charged with Todd’s murder.
Her attorney originally advised her to plead guilty to manslaughter, carrying a 2 to 20 year sentence.
Later, her attorney tried to have her plead insanity before sticking with the Stand Your Ground defense.
According to the Daily Mail:
There is no national data on how many women imprisoned for violent crimes claim they acted in self-defense, but the New Yorker cited a 2004 study by the Department of Justice which found that nearly half of female inmates at a maximum security prison in the Southeast said the had acted in self-defense or retaliation after being abused.
Another review published by researchers at the University of South Carolina and Yale University in 2008 found that women who used violence against male partners general did so after violence was inflicted on them.
That review – which was based on several earlier studies – emphasized that women’s use of violence is more likely to be motivated by self-defense or fear, while men are more likely to be motivated by control.
Evidence of abuse is often left out or overlooked in court proceedings.
Prosecutors can also argue that a self-defense claim is invalid because the female defendant didn’t end a relationship with an abuser or report abuse to authorities.
She is set to appear at a court hearing later this month where she will argue a Stand Your Ground defense, despite ample proof of being brutally assaulted.
