5 chilling details about Eileen Leone's brutal killing of her boyfriend

In June 2006, a shocking crime unfolded in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, when Eileen Leone, then 35, murdered her boyfriend, Darius Smith, in their shared home. The couple, who lived together with their young child, had been arguing throughout the day, culminating in Leone’s fatal attack with a fireplace poker, as per a report by Galloway Township News.

The brutality of the crime, coupled with an eight-year-long investigation, gripped the community and led to Leone’s conviction in 2017. Her conflicting accounts to police and the calculated nature of the act added layers of intrigue to the case.

For a deeper look, the case was featured in Snapped season 23 episode 16 in 2018. The episode was re-aired on Oxygen on August 7, 2025.

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Five chilling details of Eileen Leone’s brutal killing

1) The fatal attack with a fireplace poker

Snapped Oxygen episode Eileen Leone (Image via Unsplash/ @ Stéphane Juban)

On June 29, 2006, Eileen Leone killed Darius Smith by striking him multiple times with a fireplace poker in their Egg Harbor Township home. As reported by the Galloway Township News, the attack occurred while Smith was seated on a couch, unaware of the impending assault. An autopsy revealed that Smith died from blunt-force trauma to the head, with injuries severe enough to cause death hours later at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.

Investigators noted the fireplace poker, part of a set of four, was suspiciously clean compared to the dusty others, indicating its use as the murder weapon. The ferocity of the blows underscored the intensity of the attack, which followed a day-long argument between the couple. This brutal act became a focal point of the prosecution’s case during Leone’s trial.

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2) Leone’s false 911 call and conflicting stories

Snapped Oxygen episode Eileen Leone (Image via Unsplash/ @ Anthony Maw)

After attacking Smith, Leone called 911 around 9:27 p.m., reporting an unknown intruder or group who had entered the house and assaulted her boyfriend. This was a false account since she gave conflicting reports during police interrogations. At first, she stuck to the intruder account, but her statements were inconsistent, and this made them suspect, as per the Galloway Township News report.

There was no sign of a break-in, and her contradictory explanations compelled detectives to target her as the prime suspect. The attempt to mislead the authorities extended the investigation, which lasted for eight years before she was indicted in 2014.

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3) The prolonged investigation and arrest

Snapped Oxygen episode Eileen Leone (Image via Unsplash/ @ Tom Kotov)

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit's probe into Darius Smith's death took eight years. Although initial suspicions were raised, evidence was carefully collected, culminating in Leone being indicted for first-degree murder on September 9, 2014. Leone, who was residing at the time in Margate, was arrested that night in Egg Harbor Township.

The delay was due to the complications in disproving Leone's intruder allegations and obtaining physical evidence, including the fireplace poker. Her arrest, with a $750,000 cash bail, was a turning point in the case that had plagued the community, according to Galloway Township News.

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4) The mistrial and eventual conviction

Snapped Oxygen episode Eileen Leone (Image via Unsplash/ @ Michael Förtsch)

Leone’s first trial in August 2016 ended in a mistrial due to concerns about juror impartiality after someone was seen photographing license plates in the courthouse parking lot. A second trial began on January 4, 2017, before Judge Michael Blee in Atlantic County Superior Court.

According to the same outlet, after seven days of testimony and four hours of jury deliberation, Leone was convicted of murder on January 19, 2017. The prosecution, led by Assistant Prosecutor David Ruffenach, presented compelling evidence of Leone’s guilt, including her inconsistent statements and the physical evidence.

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5) A harsh sentence and lasting impact

Snapped Oxygen episode Eileen Leone (Image via Unsplash/ @ Hansjörg Keller)

On March 3, 2017, Eileen Leone was sentenced to 30 years in state prison without parole eligibility, reflecting the severity of her crime. The sentencing, held in Atlantic County Superior Court, brought closure to a decade-long saga. Leone’s addiction issues were noted as a contributing factor, though not an excuse, for her actions, as per Press Of Atlantic City.

The case left a lasting impact on the Egg Harbor Township community, particularly for the couple’s young child, who was four at the time of the murder.

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