Shady Side Man Sentenced In Couple's Murders

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A Shady Side man was sentenced to prison in the 2017 slayings of two people following a midnight traffic accident, authorities. A jury in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court convicted Kirk Matthews, 58, in October 2018 on two counts of second degree murder and other charges.

Matthews was sentenced by Judge Ripken to 80 years in prison for the second-degree murders of Linda McKenzie and Leslie Smith.

"Mr. Matthews executed these victims in an exceedingly horrific manner," said Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess in a news release. "The prosecutors did great work bringing justice to the families of the victims. I hope they and the community of Shady Side will find solace in the knowledge that Mr. Matthews will likely spend the remainder of his life in prison."

The accident occurred shortly after midnight on June 1, 2017, near the intersection of Scott Town Road and Nick Road in Shady Side. At 12:36 a.m., Anne Arundel County police officers responded to the report of an armed individual in the area, "walking with what appeared to be a shotgun," Adams said in the statement.

Upon arrival, the officers found the bodies of McKenzie and Smith on the side of Scott Town Road. Both had suffered apparent gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the statement.

Before the shootings, "the victims were driving recklessly on Scott Town Road when they drove their vehicle into a ditch and began arguing loudly," authorities said in a news release.

Matthews confronted the two victims and threatened them before demanding that they leave the area. Several witnesses spotted Matthews walking towards the victims while carrying a shotgun, the statement added.

Other witnesses identified Matthews in a surveillance video recorded moments after gunshots were heard in the area by a 911 caller. The video was recorded one-tenth of a mile from the location where the victims' bodies were found, according to the statement.

Jurors on Oct. 26, 2018, found Matthews guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of use of a firearm in commission of a crime of violence, possession of a shotgun after a disqualifying conviction, and illegal possession of ammunition, the statement said.

Matthews was sentenced to 110 years in prison suspend all but 80 years of active incarceration, and five years of supervised probation upon release. The first 10 years of his sentence are to be served without the possibility of parole.

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