Jaremy Smith’s 2025 Trial Date Set for Fatal Ambush of New Mexico State Police Officer
A South Carolina man, Jaremy Smith, 33, will remain in jail for nearly another year before facing trial on capital carjacking and firearm charges. Smith’s trial, which has already been delayed several times, was initially set for June 10. A recent court filing in U.S. District Court’s Albuquerque district sets a new trial date for September 22, 2025, with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for August 12, 2025.
Smith is accused of ambushing Officer Justin Hare along Interstate 40 west of Tucumcari, New Mexico, on March 15, 2024. Officer Hare had pulled over to assist Smith, who was stranded on the highway, when Smith allegedly shot Hare. Smith then took Hare’s police vehicle, crashed it, and fled. He is charged with carjacking resulting in death and discharging a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
Smith’s defense team has said that the case involves over 20,000 pages of discovery, including law enforcement reports, photographs, phone records, GPS data, and more. If convicted, Smith will not face the death penalty.
In addition to the charges related to Officer Hare’s death, Smith faces 17 charges connected to the death of Phonesia Machado-Fore, a paramedic from Pee Dee, South Carolina. Her body was discovered on March 15 outside of Lake View in Dillon County, South Carolina. Authorities believe Smith was driving Machado-Fore’s BMW when Officer Hare stopped to assist him.
