Man gets life plus for woman's murder

Kenneth Todd Brunetti, 41, had been sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison for murdering Lois Jean Vance Smyth, stealing her car and bank card and leaving her for dead in a park. 

 

On May 29, 2011, Smyth left her home in Anne Arundel County to go to Baltimore to meet Brunetti, reportedly to attend a cookout together. 

 

In January of the same year, the two found each other on Facebook and rekindled a friendship that had begun in high school. 

 

Less than four hours after Smyth left, her body was discovered in Leakin Park by a woman jogging along the trail. She had been shot once in the head. 

 

Two days later, the police arrested Brunetti at a motel in the 5800 block of Reisterstown Road, where he was seen getting into the victim's car. He was in possession of Smyth's stolen bank card. 

 

In December 2012, a jury convicted Brunetti of first degree murder, two handgun violations, auto theft and theft less than $1,000. The new sentence is to run consecutively to the nine year sentence Brunetti is currently serving for armed carjacking.