Jury seated in St. Lawrence County double murder trial; opening statements may start Tuesday
Oct. 19—CANTON — After four days of selection proceedings, a full jury of 12 plus two alternates has been seated for the trial of Adam W. Smith, who is accused of murdering two St. Lawrence County men in February and March 2023.
There will be more screening for at least two more alternate jurors on Monday. Opening statements may start as early as Tuesday afternoon.
Smith, 48, is charged in a 14-count indictment with murdering 72-year-old Ronald E. "Huck" Durham on Feb. 11, 2023, in Gouverneur, and 67-year-old William M. Freeman on March 1, 2023, in Rossie.
Smith has lived in both the Gouverneur and Lake Placid areas. At the time of his arrest, he was living in Antwerp. He is currently incarcerated at the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility in Canton. His attorney is Brian P. Barrett of Lake Placid.
Stemming from the murder of Durham, Smith is indicted on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, first-degree robbery and first-degree assault.
In the murder of Freeman, Smith is indicted on first-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, first-degree burglary, first-degree assault, third-degree grand larceny and four counts of fourth-degree grand larceny. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the counts.
Smith faces up to life in state prison if convicted of murder.
In the Durham case, Smith is accused of fatally stabbing Durham in the neck while robbing him in East Riverside Cemetery in Gouverneur.
He also allegedly stole Durham's wallet containing roughly $2,000 cash, two of Durham's checkbooks and his cell phone.
In the Freeman case, Smith is accused of intentionally killing Freeman while committing a home invasion burglary.
During a May 11, 2023, court proceeding, Pasqua said the burglary happened in the middle of the afternoon. Police have said Freeman was stabbed multiple times at his home on County Route 10 in Rossie.
Freeman's brother, Michael J. Freeman, and friend Julie A. Holt, spoke with the Times later in 2023 and remembered him as friendly and empathetic. Go to wdt.me/axktBL to read more about Freeman.
The third-degree grand larceny charge stemming from Freeman's death is for theft of property valued at more than $3,000.
he grand larceny counts are for stealing firearms, a credit card and debit card, the indictment says. Smith also allegedly stole Freeman's truck, which he was driving at the time of his arrest the following day.
Announcing Smith's arrest on March 7, 2023, then-Sheriff Brooks J. Bigwarfe told reporters that there is "some association" between Durham, Freeman and Smith. He declined to comment further.
Smith has been incarcerated at the county jail since March 2, 2023. Earlier that day, he was arrested driving Freeman's stolen 2018 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.
He was apprehended near the Bradley Street exit on Interstate 81 heading north near Watertown. Police charged him with felony fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and booked him into jail.
At the time Smith was accused of killing Durham and Freeman, he was on probationary supervision following a conviction for attempted burglary.
Prior to Smith's arrest, state police in Gouverneur wrongfully charged Gouverneur resident Frederick A. Wing Jr., 24, with Durham's murder just hours after he was killed.
Wing was arraigned that day and remanded to the county jail without bail. While he was incarcerated, Freeman was murdered, and
Wing was released from jail the following day. Wing's wrongful murder charge was dropped in May 2023
