photo by: Carri Graham

Larry J. Smith, right, looks down as his attorney, Benjamin Whitacre, reads a statement on his behalf during Monday’s sentencing hearing on a charge of voluntary manslaughter.

Larry J. Smith was sentenced to the maximum of 11 to 16.5 years in prison Monday after accepting a plea deal on a charge of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Lorie Storie.

Smith, 65, of Hopewell, Ohio, recently changed his plea of innocent to guilty in the death of 37-year-old Storie, whose body was discovered in February 2020 in Tappan Lake. The plea reduced his original charges of murder, tampering with evidence and abuse of a court to voluntary manslaughter and abuse of a corpse.

During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Prosecutor Lauren Knight recommended the maximum sentence. Victim impact statements were given by family and friends of Storie, all read by the county victim’s rights advocate.

Brenda Frazier, Storie’s mother, stood beside the podium as her statement was read, expressing her hurt and anger over her daughter’s death.

“Mr. Smith, you believe you shouldn’t do any time for your crime. You show no remorse or sorrow, making you a cold-blooded murderer,” Frazier wrote.

Smith mostly stared downward as the statements were read, only looking up occasionally.

Knight then briefly spoke of the facts of the case. She said Storie’s body was discovered at the spillway at Tappan Lake. Her cause of death was determined to be from blunt force trauma from being struck with some kind of tool.

Prior to the sentencing, Smith apologized to Storie’s family.

“I am very sorry for what I did, and I just wanted them to know that I am very sorry and I’m sorry for your loss,” he said.

Harrison County Common Pleas Judge T. Shawn Hervey sentenced Smith to the maximum of 11-16.5 years in the Ohio Department of Corrections for voluntary manslaughter. He said the charge of abuse of a corpse would be merged with the sentence as it is a misdemeanor offense.

Hervey then spoke directly to Smith.

“Every life has meaning and value. Lorie Storie’s life had meaning and value.Taking a life, no matter what the circumstances are, is not tolerated and will not be tolerated in Harrison County. No one’s quite certain where you killed Ms. Storie – well you are, but no one else is. We know where you left her. You left her in a ditch, half buried in water in the elements for animals and decay to take. No one should be left in that condition. That is why you are receiving the maximum penalty described by law for the charges presented by this court,” he said.

Hervey gave his sympathies to Storie’s family before addressing them. He said the sentence will not bring Storie back; however, he hopes that they find peace now that the case has come to a close.