FORT WORTH, TX – A Tarrant County jury on Thursday, July 24, found Kurtis King, 35, guilty of Murder, sentencing him to 35 years in prison for the death of 35-year-old Ellis Latavion Laron Smith.
On July 5, 2024, King purposefully ran over Smith, a father of nine, following a disagreement over the purchase of a bicycle. After striking Smith with his vehicle, King reportedly picked up the bicycle, placed it on top of his car, and drove away.
Fort Worth Police officers responded to the 2400 block of Meacham Boulevard in North Fort Worth the night of July 5 to find Smith critically injured. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. According to authorities, Smith and King had an argument over a previous business transaction, during which both pulled out knives to threaten each other. King then entered his car, drove toward Smith, and intentionally struck him. Smith had recently moved to Texas from Georgia…