JNS Blog Attempts To Contact Remaro Smith, A Wanted Man (One Ringy Dingy...Two Ringy Dingy...)

Yesterday, I attempted to call Remaro Smith, at a number used by Smith the previous day when he called around to a few people, reportedly upset about things written about him on this blog. Smith is wanted on three warrants (according to a high-ranking police official) and has been fingered by June Leikas, the mother of Annshalike Hamilton, as the person June suspects murdered her daughter. None of the three warrants are for murder, however...

The guy who picked up the phone identified himself as Jonathon, Remaro's brother. I identified myself to Jonathon and said I was a journalist.

"A journalist?" Jonathon said, and then added. "Why would a JOURNALIST want to talk to Remaro?"

It was a good question. I told Jonathon that June Leikas was saying Remaro murdered her daughter, Annshalike Hamilton, and another friend of the family thought the same thing. Both of these people had been talking to me, telling me all about Remaro and why they think he did it.

Jonathon said his brother would never do something like that. He would never murder somebody.

"They tell me he beats Anne Marie Leikas," I added. "Beats her bloody. Word is she's had two black eyes for, like, going on two years, now? And she's missing parts of her eyebrows?"

Silence in response to this.

"But these are just things I'm being told," I added. "I believe it's only fair to talk to Remaro about it."

Jonathon wanted to know why I would say something like that? Why I would PRINT something like that?

"It's a murder case," I explained. "And what the mother of the murder victim tells me is very relevant. And he is wanted on warrants, after all."

Who told me Remaro had warrants, Jonathon wanted to know.

"A high-ranking police official," I answered.

But, Jonathon asked, none of those warrants are for murder, right?

Right, I agreed. Those three warrants were not for murder. If there was a new warrant in the last few days, well, I wouldn't know about that. I'm just calling to get Remaro's side, I said. And I emphasized that if somebody told me something about Remaro, then it's only fair to get Remaro's side, right? And Jonathon agreed that was fair but, still, even then it wasn't a good idea to PRINT it.

"It's already printed," I answered. "Get on the internet, do a search for Annshalike Hamilton or Remaro Smith. See what turns up. It's all over the internet already. But I'm very willing to put Remaro's side out there, too. He just needs to tell me his side."

Jonathon said Remaro wouldn't know anything about what was being said because he's in Chicago.

"I assure you, they have internet in Chicago," I answered.

"There's no proof of anything," Jonathon said. "This is all hearsay."

I told Jonathon it didn't matter because I'm not a court, and I'm not the police. The fact the mother of the murder victim thinks Remaro Smith killed her daughter is very relevant. Relevant enough to publish. But, again, basic fairness would mean contacting Remaro, right?

Jonathon insisted Remaro doesn't know anything about what was being said. I answered this was not true because, in fact, only the day before Remaro called June Leikas and said how upset he was about stuff being printed on the internet. So clearly Remaro DOES know what is being said.

Jonathon said he didn't have a phone number for Remaro, but could call somebody and get it and pass on the message to have Remaro call. At that point, it seemed like Jonathon was wrapping up the conversation so I needed to find a way to keep him interested and on the line.

"Your name came up, too," I said. "The way I hear it, Remaro is too scrawny to move a body by himself. Folks are saying if Remaro needed help, he'd probably call his brother Jonathon."

No, Jonathon said. No.

"Where were you the night Annshalike Hamilton disappeared?" I asked.

"I was with my family," Jonathon answered.

"But where, exactly?" I asked.

"WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME LIKE YOU'RE A COP?" Jonathon said, and the line went dead.

JNS Blog will be trying to call Remaro again today.

One ringy dingy...

Two ringy dingy...