A 30-year-old Ohio man who admitted to killing his girlfriend inside their Columbus apartment will serve less than five years in prison after a judge handed down a six-year sentence this week.
Gage Smith originally faced murder charges for the 2025 death of 32-year-old Autumn Ward, but a plea deal reduced the lead charge to reckless homicide.
The incident occurred on the morning of Jan. 7, 2025, on Chittenden Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene around 7:20 a.m., they found Smith in what they described as “emotional distress.”
It was Smith himself who called 911 to report the shooting, later telling officers at the scene that he was responsible for Ward’s death. Medics found Ward inside the home with a gunshot wound to the head; she was pronounced dead minutes later.
At the sentencing hearing, Assistant Prosecutor Daniel Lenert explained that while the loss of life was devastating, the evidence did not prove Smith intended to kill Ward.
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According to prosecutors, Smith had used ketamine the night before the shooting and kept a loaded gun under a pillow. “Mr. Smith’s reckless handling of a firearm” was cited as the cause of the fatal shot.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Carl Aveni sentenced Smith to six years, a year less than the maximum allowed under the plea agreement. Because Smith received credit for time already served while awaiting trial, his remaining time behind bars will be less than five years.
The victim’s mother, Karen Ward, spoke out against the light sentence, telling WSYX that the justice system had failed her daughter. She disputed the idea that the shooting was a simple accident, claiming Smith waited hours to call for help.
“He killed Autumn, let her lie there dead for hours, and didn’t call for help. He just wanted to get high,” she said. “I do not believe in the court system.”
Defense attorney Paul Olah acknowledged Smith’s flaws but maintained the shooting wasn’t a pre-planned execution. “I don’t think he would stand here and tell everyone in this room that he was a perfect boyfriend,” Olah said. “But I think he also would say he’s not a murderer.”
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Before being led away, Smith addressed Ward’s family directly to apologize for his actions.
“I love and care for this remarkable woman, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss her,” Smith told the court. “I never meant for any of this to happen and wish with all my heart that it hadn’t.”
He stated he would remain accountable for his “recklessness, stupidity, and complacency.”
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