Husband of murdered Bothell woman arrested

A Bothell man caught having sex in his front yard at the same home where his late wife was murdered has now been arrested, and police are releasing some interesting new details about the investigation.

Susann Smith was stabbed and bludgeoned to death in February at a time when she was going through a bitter divorce and custody battle with her estranged husband, Alan.

Bothell Police say Alan Smith has long been a suspect in Susann’s death, but they haven’t had enough physical evidence to press their case.

Now, Smith has moved back into the home he shared with his late wife. Neighbors say they’ve heard some strange things going on, like the woman screaming this week.

It turned out that woman was Smith’s new girlfriend, Love Thai. The couple were caught having sex behind a 5-foot high hedge in their front yard.

“Alan and I found each other. We absolutely fell in love. We were both going through intense trauma in our life,” Thai tells KING 5.

Thai says she has known about Smith’s late wife from the beginning of their relationship and the pain he feels after his two children were taken into state custody.

“The truth is he loved his wife. He’s grieving over both his wife and his children,” says Thai.

Alan never been arrested for Susann’s murder, but Bothell police are now releasing the evidence they have against him.

The Herald reports detectives discovered blood on his backpack and in parts of his car just after the murder. Then, last month, they found an abandoned bicycle they believe he may have used as a getaway vehicle after the killing. Detectives think Smith may have abandoned the bike with the hopes that it might be stolen.

Investigators also found searches on Smith’s computer for flights out of the country for himself and his two kids. His girlfriend says, that doesn’t mean anything.

“Who doesn’t want to go to South America?” asks Thai.

On Thursday, officers went to retrieve Smith’s passport. They arrested him after they say he refused to hand it over.

So, did Smith kill his wife? He answered that question in an interview with KOMO News just hours before his arrest.

“I didn’t,” says Smith. “She was the love of my life, for a while, and the mother of my children. My heart breaks.”

As for his children, Smith says he doesn’t know where they are now.

“It may be that this kind of a challenge when approached properly and with the proper guidance can very much strengthen my children’s character. But, that remains to be seen,” says Smith.

As of Friday morning, Smith was still being held on $250,000 bail according to the Snohomish County jail register. He is expected to make his first appearance on Friday.