Man to Get Life after Fatally Shooting N.M. Officer who Stopped to Help with Flat Tire

A South Carolina man pleaded guilty to federal charges in the death of New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare, who was fatally shot by the man after prosecutors said he offered to help him with a flat tire.

Jaremy Smith was on the run from South Carolina, where he’s accused of kidnapping and killing a woman, when Hare encountered him with a flat tire on Interstate 40 in Quay County, New Mexico on March 15, 2024, according to prosecutors.

That morning, Hare spoke with Smith about his tire and offered to give him a ride to town, according to court documents, McClatchy News previously reported.

Smith, who was standing at the passenger window of Hare’s police cruiser, then suddenly shot Hare in the head with a handgun he had stolen, according to his plea agreement.

Smith shot Hare two more times, got in the police cruiser and stole the vehicle with Hare inside, the plea agreement says.

About five minutes later, Smith pulled over, took Hare out of the cruiser and left him “lying face up on the roadway” before driving off, according to the plea agreement.

Hare died of his gunshot wounds at a hospital that morning, prosecutors said.

After authorities launched a manhunt for Smith, he was recognized at a gas station in Albuquerque and apprehended two days later on March 17, according to prosecutors.

In pleading guilty Jan. 17, Smith will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico said in a news release.

Smith, who’s from Marion, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in death, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, kidnapping resulting in death, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm, prosecutors said.

His court-appointed defense attorneys didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment Jan. 21.

“I’m glad that sorry excuse of a human being owned up to what he did. (It’s) been 10 long months to get this point,” Hare’s father, Jim Hare, said Jan. 17, KOB reported.

“We have a long way to go to get justice for our son, and we will continue to fight for him until our dying days.”

Hare was a 35-year-old father of two daughters when he was killed, New Mexico state Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández said in a statement honoring him after his death.

He “was known for his kindness and consideration for those who travel New Mexico’s long roads” and “lent a helping hand to whoever needed it,” she said.

The killing of another first responder

Before Smith fatally shot Hare, he abducted and killed a woman, who was identified as Phonesia Machado-Fore, a local first responder in Marion County, South Carolina, WBTW reported. Marion County is about a 115-mile drive east from Columbia.

He shot her to death with a handgun that he stole from her roommate, federal prosecutors said.

Afterward, he left South Carolina and drove through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas before arriving in New Mexico, according to prosecutors.

Machado-Fore’s body was found in Dillon County, South Carolina, about a 25-mile drive northwest from Marion County, according to WBTW.

“South Carolina charges are still pending in the death of our local paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore,” the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a Jan. 17 statement.

“However, today was an incredible step forward for the family (both blood and blue) of slain New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare,” the statement added.

Smith is expected to be sentenced to life in prison on April 21 in Albuquerque federal court in connection with Hare’s death, records show. Quay County, where Hare was killed, is about a 200-mile drive east from Albuquerque.

“The last words that Officer Hare uttered on this earth was an offer to help the man who was about to kill him,” New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler said in a recorded video message shared the day after Hare was killed.

“I am disgusted and I am sickened by the actions of this cold blooded murderer,” Weisler said.

Smith will remain in federal custody ahead of his sentencing hearing, according to prosecutors.

“A life sentence for a life taken does not make our community whole. But the best way to honor Justin Hare’s life is to take care of each other,” U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez said in a statement “Today, I commit myself to the people of New Mexico. In the memory of a brave State Police officer whose final act was to help another.”

“Officer Justin Hare and Ms. Machado-Fore were tragically killed by Jaremy Smith. While nothing can undo this heartbreaking loss, today offers a measure of justice for their friends and family,” Weisler said in a statement.

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