Alexander Smith, 21, has been sentenced to two consecutive natural life sentences plus another 21 years for murdering a Peoria couple during a home invasion, according to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.

In November 2023, Smith forced his way into the Peoria home of Walter Mitchell and Susie Ephrem and shot both victims. Susie managed to call 9-1-1 but later died at the hospital. Walter died at the scene. Their 8-year-old grandson was in the house at the time but was not harmed.

The next day, Smith showed up at the house and told detectives he was there to pick up a Ford Shelby GT500. He claimed he worked for a car collector who purchased the car from Walter.

Peoria Police found messages between defendant Smith and victim Walter about the sale of the Ford Shelby GT500. Those messages show that the day before the homicide, the victim called off the deal because the wire transfer didn’t go through. That same night, Walter traded the mustang at a car dealership. He and Susie were killed the next morning.

More than two weeks later, Smith went to the Peoria Police station and asked to speak with detectives about getting the car. His story did not match what he told detectives at the crime scene the day after the shooting.

Smith’s phone records show that at the same time he was trying to buy the Ford Shelby GT500 from Walter, he was also posing as the car’s owner so he could trade it with someone else. Even after the deal had been called off, he told the third party he would trade the car the next day, which was the day of the murder.

GPS data put Smith near the victims’ home around the time of the shooting, and his fingerprints were found on the home’s door handle.

Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of First-Degree Murder, a Class One Dangerous Felony; and one count of Burglary in the First Degree, a Class Two Dangerous Felony.

“This was an act driven by greed; even after taking two lives this defendant continued to lie to police to try to get the car,” Mitchell said. “Thanks to Peoria Police and MCAO prosecutors, his story unraveled, and he will spend the rest of his life facing the consequences of his choices.”