CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – A Marion County man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a retired Citrus County Sheriff’s deputy.
41-year-old Steven Alan Swearingen was found guilty in August of second-degree murder in the death of 52-year-old Steven Smolensky.
Smolensky, a retired deputy, was delivering propane for his employer when he was fatally shot by Swearingen in November 2021.
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Swearingen, a convicted felon, confronted Smolensky at gunpoint, preventing him from leaving or returning to his truck. He then shot Smolensky multiple times, killing him.
During interrogation, Swearingen claimed he believed Smolensky was attempting to “fill the home with propane” and that he felt threatened. However, the evidence presented at trial contradicted his claims.
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“In the wake of today’s sentencing, there are truly no words that can be said to ease the pain and suffering Steven Smolensky’s family has been through,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “A life sentence will not fully repair the broken pieces left behind, but I hope this measure of justice will provide a sense of peace knowing the person responsible was held accountable.”
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