Remaro Cordell Smith, Reportedly One Of The Last People To See Annshalike Hamilton Alive, Is Facing Felony Domestic Assault Charges And GUESS WHO IS THE PROSECUTOR?

Contributed image, blog post by John Hoff

The mother of 15-year-old murder victim Annshalike Hamilton has not held back with her strong opinion about Remaro Cordell Smith, click here for this blog's exclusive story from early February, 2010. And, of course, Remaro hasn't exactly kept himself out of trouble in the last few years. (Hotel room, cough cough, bail bondsman, cough cough, stand off, cough cough) 

Now comes word Smith is (God be praised) facing serious domestic violence charges that could get him off the streets for a long time. And, oh my word, there's a special surprise about who is handling the prosecution. That piece of info is nestled in the charging document like a delicious, chewy, carmel-flavored center.

First let me say the charging document (click here) is very interesting because....



...it appears the domestic violence case is going forward without a cooperative victim but is based on the statements of individuals who witnessed various aspects of the incident.

The victim of the purported incident, though not named in the document, certainly appears to be Anne Marie Leikas who is the sister of Annshalike Hamilton who resided on the 3000 block of Emerson Avenue North.

Love Stinks, Yeah Yeah 

Anne Marie has long been romantically associated with Remaro Cordell Smith in a relationship witnesses (like Anne Marie's mother, June Leikas) have described as incredibly abusive. However, like many (alleged) victims of domestic violence, Anne Marie denies the relationship is abusive. In fact, she has personally made such denials to this blogger, click here.

So there you have the situation. Annshalike is dead; her sister Anne Marie Leikas is in a (reportedly) abusive relationship with Remaro Cordell Smith; and even after the standoff with police at the hotel room Smith was out of jail running around and doing his thug thing. That is to say, up until he was charged with this domestic violence incident and has been sitting in jail since September 14. The alleged incident took place "on or about" June 21.

On that date, Minneapolis police were summoned to the 3000 block of Emerson (near So Low) on a report of domestic abuse, damage to a motor vehicle and (dear Lord) possible kidnapping. The person who had summoned the police was a male named MR, the brother of the victim. (Anne Marie's name is not anywhere in the document, nor are her initials, but where it says "victim" this blogger will substitute "Anne Marie.")

Why Can't You Be...Good To Me? 

According to the criminal complaint, MR (the brother) took officers to the backyard to show where the incident happened. Earlier in the day Anne Marie had contacted MR to obtain a ride from Minneapolis to the home on Emerson Avenue North. She had left the South St. Paul residence she shares with Remaro Smith, which is apparently 132 W. Warburton Street. (However, the jail roster lists Smith's address as 4701 Edgewood Ave. N. in Crystal)

Anne Marie told her brother she could no longer endure the abuse and "needed to leave him." MR started planning where Anne Marie could sleep that night.

But at about 6 o'clock, Remaro arrived at the house. MR spoke to Remaro at the door but wouldn't let Remaro into the house. (A wise policy; nothing good comes will come of Remaro Cordell Smith being in that house and you could ask Annshalike Hamilton HER opinion if she was still alive)

Since Remaro couldn't come into the house, Anne Marie went to speak with Remaro in the backyard. MR watched the conversation from a window and saw the pair was just talking so he thought, well, it's cool. They're just talking, not arguing. So he went to the fridge to get a beer. When he returned to the window, Remaro was forcing Anne Marie into the rear of a Silver Pontiac Grand Prix. Trying to keep herself from being put in the car, Anne Marie was pushing against the vehicle. Smith was using both his hands to push her into the car. All of this, allegedly.

OK, I wrote the word really small but I still wrote it.

MR ran outside but the car was already speeding away, almost striking a small child in the alley. MR heard Anne Marie yelling inside the car but couldn't understand what she was saying. Remaro apparently called MR a "bitch" as he was driving down the alley. MR says Anne Marie and Smith have been together for many years and Smith has "a long history" of abusing Anne Marie.

Just to put the cherry on the abusive cake, the police officers could see the tires of MR's car were leaking air and had been punctured.

Forget What I Said Before, THIS Is The Truth 

A female police officer who was "familiar with defendant Smith from an unrelated investigation" spoke to June Leikas, who is the mother of Anne Marie. (And also Annshalike) June was afraid because Anne Marie had left her purse and wallet at the home and Smith wanted to come get the items. A citywide message was put out describing Remaro's vehicle and police were sent to the St. Paul address to check upon Anne Marie's welfare. Anne Marie couldn't be located at first, but later she and Smith were located.

Oh, said the couple, we're fine. And no, we haven't been to North Minneapolis today. No, we've been here all day in St. Paul. An assault? No, of course not, WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

But June Leikas told police Anne Marie had indeed been at the house. She told police she, personally, woke up Anne Marie to go outside and talk to Smith. In fact, she was also watching out the window and also saw Remaro grab Anne Marie and stuff Anne Marie, struggling, into the car. In fact, she also saw Remaro punch Anne Marie on the back of the head four times until Anne Marie lost her grip on the car and ended up in the back seat. Remaro drove the car down the alley, smashing into the neighbor's garbage cans and almost hitting a small female child riding a bike.

A neighbor who was familiar with Smith also witnessed some of the incident. He heard the argument and saw the car speeding away. The victim was in the back seat. Remaro was swinging his fist into the back seat, trying to strike the victim. (So the neighbor alleged but, I ask you, what would be his motivation to lie? Maybe a good defense attorney could show June and MR don't like Remaro and haven't for a while, but how do you impeach the testimony of that NEIGHBOR? I'm just saying)

Oh, the neighbor also saw the car hit the garbage cans.

And then there was ANOTHER witness. The former girlfriend of MR called and informed police she was the one who brought Anne Marie to Minneapolis that day to get away from Remaro. So if Anne Marie said she wasn't in Minneapolis that day, well, that was a lie.

Police interviewed Anne Marie again, who now 'fessed up to being in Minneapolis that day and not in St. Paul all day as she'd previously claimed. And she admitted Smith had been at her mother's house. But, oh no, she said she LEFT WITH SMITH WILLINGLY. (Why? Oh, because she didn't want Smith and her brother, MR, to get into a fight)

Your Tax Dollars At Work 

The criminal complaint ends by listing Remaro's FIVE PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS for crimes that could be classified as domestic violence. Four of the convictions are felonies. This is important in how the charges proceed, because another conviction within 10 years of "two or more" domestic assault convictions can mean a more severe punishment.

Remember when I said there was a sweet surprise about who is prosecuting this case?

Brad Johnson. Many regular readers of The Adventures of Johnny Northside will recall Johnson as the prosecutor who put Larry Maxwell in prison over the mortgage fraud at 1564 Hillside Ave. N.

Pardon my darkly humorous tone (I will say this whole situation is just awful) but seeing Johnson matched against Smith is so exciting for this blogger. I've done coverage about both these individuals but the stories have always existed in separate spheres. Seeing them face off against each other, well, it's like the old days of professional wrestling when you had the WWF and also the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic wrestling territories. But sometimes characters like the Iron Sheik would journey to Minneapolis from Atlanta (or wherever they came from) to take on wrestlers like Hulk Hogan. Oh, my word, us scruffy little elementary school bohunks on Bus 33 would be acting out the wrestling matches for WEEKS.

I'm Hulk Hogan! (Rarrrrrrrr!) You're Sodbuster Kenny Jay. (HA!!!!) 

Let me just make this much clear...

Brad Johnson equals HULK HOGAN, a good guy.

Remaro Cordell Smith equals IRON SHIEK, a bad guy.

Or maybe Brad Johnson equals Perry Mason? Because it would be just FASCINATING to see Remaro take the stand and walk right into a series of questions about whether he is violent toward women and, oh, let's see here...

Are you familiar with a young woman, now dead, named Annshalike Hamilton?

A blogger can dream, baby, a blogger can dream.