Man charged with murder, arson in pregnant woman’s death

By Tim Forsberg and Daniel Kittredge
Posted 11/19/15

A Providence man described as an “intimate partner” of a pregnant woman whose body was discovered at a Cranston fire scene last week has been charged …

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Man charged with murder, arson in pregnant woman’s death

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A Providence man described as an “intimate partner” of a pregnant woman whose body was discovered at a Cranston fire scene last week has been charged with murder and arson.

Cranston and Providence police arrested Born Smith, 29, of 106 Knight St., without incident at approximately 11 p.m. Tuesday on Penn Street in Providence, Cranston Chief of Police Col. Michael Winquist said during a Wednesday press conference.

“We’re confident that we have a very strong case against Mr. Smith,” the chief said, calling the crime “particularly heinous.”

Smith was ordered held without bail Wednesday afternoon at his arraignment in Third District Court in Warwick. He is charged with domestic first-degree murder, domestic first-degree arson, and willful killing of an unborn child.

Winquist said Smith has no prior criminal record.

Firefighters responding to a blaze at 35/37 Marcy St. in Cranston on the evening of Nov. 13 had discovered the body of 32-year-old Aliss Collins, who was eight months pregnant. She was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where she and her unborn child were pronounced deceased.

The fire was contained to the third-floor apartment in which Collins lived with a roommate, who was not home at the time. Police said no one else was injured. Smith did not reside at the apartment, police said.

On Wednesday, authorities said the State Medical Examiner’s Office has determined Collins died as a result of blunt force trauma and smoke inhalation.

During the press conference, Winquist pointed to physical and circumstantial evidence in the case, but offered little detail.

“We did seize quite a bit of evidence from his apartment, but I don’t want to speculate as we’re still in the analysis stage,” he said.

Winquist said a murder weapon was recovered at the scene, but declined to discuss it in further detail. He did say a forensic analysis links Born to the weapon.

The chief also said the fire was clearly set intentionally, although how precisely it began remains under investigation. He praised firefighters for their response.

“They did a great job immediately extinguishing the fire but also preserving, as best they could, a crime scene,” he said.

Winquist said authorities do not have “any particular motive at this time,” but that Collins and Smith had been in an “intimate relationship” for approximately 10 months. The victim’s family, he said, was “very, very helpful” with the investigation, and the department has been working to support them as well.

“They were aware of the relationship between Mr. Smith and their relative. According to some of the people that were interviewed, they felt the relationship was strained and tense at times. One way to describe it is as volatile,” the chief said.

Winquist said it is unclear whether Smith was the father of the unborn child, and DNA analysis is being utilized to determine whether that is the case.

Witness reports also played a role in Smith’s apprehension, police said. A man was seen running from the apartment building after the fire began.

“The description [of the suspect] played a role,” Winquist said. There’s circumstantial evidence, in descriptions of clothing and things of that nature that helped us ultimately build a case on Mr. Smith.”

The chief also said police have interviewed Smith “on at least three occasions.”

“He did cooperate with law enforcement, and at this time he’s obviously under arrest,” he said.

Winquist said Cranston detectives conducted a “round-the-clock, intensive investigation” leading up to the arrest, and continue to work the case. He praised other agencies for their assistance, including the Fire Marshal’s office, Rhode Island State Police, the Attorney General’s office, the Cranston Fire Department, and Providence police.

“I specifically want to publicly recognize Cranston Police Detectives John Cardone and Michael Iacone who were the lead detectives on the investigation, as well as Sgt. Michael Patnaud of the Cranston Police Department Bureau of Criminal Identification and Lt. John Grassel of the Rhode Island State Police Forensic Services Unit,” the chief said.

At Wednesday’s press conference, Mayor Allan Fung said the “city’s thoughts and prayers go out” to the family of Collins. The mayor said he, Winquist, and detectives had spoken with family members earlier in the day, and he asked the media to respect their privacy.

Fung also expressed his gratitude to “all of the responding agencies who have helped us from Day One.”

“To the lead detectives, Sgt. Patnaud, and all the men and women in the department that have worked so hard on this, great job,” he said. “We stand by you. And we also know that we will continue to work hard until that final conviction in court is metered out in memory of Ms. Collins and her unborn child.”

Winquist also urged members of the community affected by domestic violence to take action.

“If relatives feel that they know of someone that’s in a relationship that’s not healthy, to try to get out of the relationship, seek resources, and if it becomes physical, contact the local or state police at that time,” he said.

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