TYLER, Texas — Prosecutors have decided to not seek the death penalty for a Tyler man accused of killing two dentists last March when he became angry over his dentures.
Steven Alexander Smith, 41, of Tyler, is indicted on a capital murder of multiple persons charge in connection with the March 16, 2022 shooting deaths of Dr. Blake G. Sinclair, 59, and Dr. Jack E. Burroughs, 75, both of Tyler, at Affordable Dentures & Implants in Tyler.
On Monday, the Smith County District Attorney's Office filed a motion notifying the 241st District Court that the office does not intend to seek the death penalty in Smith's case.
Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman said he could not comment on pending cases when asked about this motion.
With the death penalty off the table, Smith faces the possibility of life in prison without parole. His next pre-trial hearing is set for Dec. 21 with a jury trial currently scheduled for Jan. 22, 2024, according to court records.
According to an arrest affidavit, the nurse, who was in the patient room with Smith working on his dentures, said Smith was not happy with how the staff was doing the procedure and he was telling her and other nurses what to do. The nurse said this made them uncomfortable and noted Smith had been a difficult patient in the past as well.
The nurse asked Burroughs to speak to Smith, and Burroughs told Smith he would no longer be a patient because of the problems he was causing. Smith became upset, tried to take his dentures and pushed Burroughs to the ground, the affidavit stated.
Smith left the building and returned walking quickly toward the door. Burroughs tried to lock the front door, but Smith forced the door open, which knocked Burroughs to the ground, according to the affidavit.
Sinclair grabbed Smith from behind like a bear hug, and Smith and Sinclair started to fight. The nurse then saw Smith pull a handgun out and shoot about five times at Burroughs and Sinclair, the document read.
After the doctors were shot, the nurse told police Smith pointed his gun at her. He told her to unlock the door but she refused. Smith then left the business in his vehicle, the affidavit stated.
Sinclair and Burroughs were later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The sheriff's office said after the shooting, Smith fled the area heading west on Highway 31 toward the city limits of Tyler. Using a description of the vehicle and plate number, a deputy found Smith pulling into the driveway of his home in the south part of Tyler.
He retreated into the home, and deputies and Tyler police officers established a perimeter around the house. After several minutes, Smith's parents came out of the home and he then came out of the residence, the sheriff's office said.
Through a search of the home, Sheriff Larry Smith said deputies found two pistols, which are both the same caliber as the one used in the shooting.