DES MOINES, Iowa – A man from Des Moines, Iowa, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the shooting death of Kaydee Bobbitt, who was killed while driving through the city’s Drake neighborhood three years ago. Derrick Glenn Smith Jr., 33, entered an Alford plea on Monday, admitting that there is enough evidence to convict him of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon as a felon. Smith maintains his innocence, despite the plea.

Under the terms of the sentence, Smith will serve a minimum of five years in prison before he becomes eligible for parole and will also be required to pay $150,000 in restitution. Additionally, he has lost his right to own a firearm. Bobbitt was driving with her teenage daughter on Kingman Boulevard on April 3, 2020, when gunfire erupted. She was shot and died at a hospital about two hours later.

Investigators obtained surveillance videos from neighbors, who reported hearing multiple gunshots. Police believe Smith is the individual responsible for firing the shots that took Bobbitt’s life. Smith had already been charged with first-degree murder and intimidation with a deadly weapon in connection with the incident. He was subsequently arrested after being injured in a separate shooting in downtown Des Moines in 2022.

Another individual, Antonio Markez Hodges, 31, has also been charged with first-degree murder and intimidation with a deadly weapon in relation to Bobbitt’s death. Hodges took an Alford plea to intimidation with a dangerous weapon and will serve a minimum of five years and a maximum of ten years in prison. Police believe Hodges was driving the vehicle used in the shooting.

Friends of Bobbitt described her as a giving and hardworking mother to four children. Her death has left a lasting impact on the community, with many attending a balloon vigil held in her memory. The case serves as a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence.