Anita Smith, William Lewis murder trial to begin July 29 before Judge William 'Rusty' Knight

By the time Judge William “Rusty” Knight brings down his gavel for the first time, it will be within one week of having been three-and-one-half years since the bodies of Anita Smith and her nephew, William Lewis, were found in her Franklinton home.

Anita Smith

Now, Lady Justice has her turn, as the trial of 29-year-old Quentin Watson, charged with two counts of first-degree murder, is scheduled to get under way Friday (July 29)  in the courthouse at Franklinton.

Smith admitted his guilt to officers during the investigation, but officially plead "not guilty."                      He told the Bogalusa newspaper he knew the identity of the real killer, but that he never came forward because he feared for his life and the lives of his family.

Quentin Watson

Smith, 46, and her nephew Lewis, 32, were discovered shot to death at Smith’s home in East Acres Subdivision.

For 18 months, law enforcement officials followed every lead that came their way, but never could seem to gain traction in the case as, from the beginning, clues were minimal.

As detectives looked for the lead that would be the key to unlocking the case, the constant question in the community was, “Who could do this?” and “Who would kill Anita?”

Smith, well-known in the area as a gospel music singer, was a former advertising representative, working at newspapers in Bogalusa, Slidell and Covington along the way. To say she was well-liked would have been an understatement.

Her nephew had come from the Jackson, Miss. area to live with her and regain footing in his life after what had been described as a series of setbacks.

No one could understand why anyone would take their lives.

The break police needed came when Pardons and Parole collected Watson’s DNA in March 2009 following his conviction in November 2008 for prescription fraud. Watson would later say that had been the only time he was in trouble with the law prior to his arrest for murder.

That data was not input into the state system until July but, after it was processed, was discovered to be a match for what officials described as “contact DNA” found at the scene.

It was, it turned out, that key investigators had been seeking.

Police began tracking Watson’s movements before bringing him in for questioning when, Franklinton Police Chief Donald Folse said, “he took full responsibility” for the killings. down.