Jeanne Smith murder: 5 key details about the case

Jeanne Smith
ID's Your Worst Nightmare is scheduled to revisit Jeanne Smith's murder (Image via Amazon)

Jeanne Smith's 2013 murder shocked the Roanoke, Virginia community, especially since she was stabbed to death by Michael Iseman, her husband of just a month. Iseman also went on to blame his habit of substance abuse and mental health for the murder.

Smith's daughter was also brutally attacked by her step-father, but survived and managed to send an alert for help.

Now, ID's Your Worst Nightmare delves into the years-old case in its episode titled Do You Love Me?, the synopsis of which reads:

"Jeanne Smith and her two daughters, Marie and Anna, make for a tight-knit family trio; when Jeanne and Anna go looking for love in all the wrong places, it ends in heartbreak, lies and murder."

The case was somewhat direct given that Iseman was arrested within days, even though his conviction took about two years to come. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder of Smith and the attempted murder of her daughter Elisabeth Marie Woods. He received a life sentence along with an additional 20 years.


Five essential facts about Jeanne Smith's 2013 murder case

1) Jeanne Smith was murdered a little over a month into her new marriage

Jeanne Smith, a mother-of-two, married Michael Iseman on October 3, 2013 and a month and three days later, she was brutally killed by her new husband. Iseman also attacked Smith's daughter, who stayed with her at her Roanoke, Virginia, home.

Sources stated that the reason Michael killed his wife was because she was planning to leave him after she found out about his questionable past and drug use.


2) Smith died of stab wounds, blood loss, and strangulation

Jeanne Smith was strangled and stabbed to death by a screwdriver on the bedroom floor of her house on November 6, 2013. Her autopsy showed that she had puncture wounds all over her body and that her cause of death was stab wounds, blood loss and strangulation.

Authorities found that Jeanne was choked to death with bare hands.


3) Her husband, Michael Iseman, had a history of mental illness and drug abuse

Jeanne Smith's husband of barely a month, Michael Iseman, had been undergoing mental health issues since he was a teenager. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia at a very young age. This led to him abusing drugs when he was hospitalized.

Sources have claimed that his first two marriages were wrecked due to his heavy cocaine, psychedelic mushroom and marijuana misuse.


4) Iseman stole Smith's credit car which helped cops track him down

After murdering Smith and attacking her daughter, Iseman stole the former's credit card and fled in his car. Authorities soon tracked him down following his mobile phone records and his wife's credit card, which he reportedly used to buy groceries. He was arrested at a traffic stop.


5) The killer was court-ordered to stay away from Smith's family at the time of the murder

According to reports, Michael Iseman was ordered by the court to stay away from her family and infant grandson, who was under their care at the time of the murder. The order came after Iseman's previous assault convictions surfaced.

Sources stated that on the day of the murder, the victim allegedly expressed her desire to leave him, which fueled the incident.

ID's Your Worst Nightmare on ID will take a deeper look at the brutal murder on October 17, 2022, at 8 pm ET.

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Edited by Madhur Dave