In 2021, Corinna Smith was sentenced to life in prison after pouring boiling water on her sleeping husband, Michael Baines.
According to Fox 59, the British mother went into her garden, filled a bucket with boiling water, and mixed in three bags of sugar, hoping to make a thicker and stickier concoction to cause more harm. She then ran to her neighbors and said:
“I’ve hurt him, I’ve hurt him really bad… I think I’ve killed him.”
Following the attack, the 81-year-old Banes reportedly suffered burns on 36% of his body. He was immediately hospitalized and died a month later on August 18, 2020.
Prosecutors claim that the attack came after Smith’s daughter accused Baines of sexually abusing her and her brother from the time that they were children.
During her trial, Smith argued that she should be charged with manslaughter instead of murder because she lost control but did not intentionally kill her spouse. Regardless, she was found guilty of murder and will face up to 12 years in prison before being considered for parole.
Smith’s son reportedly died by suicide in 2007 and many online crime hobbyists are empathetic to her desire to avenge her daughter and late son. Several Reddit users have called for her to be freed from prison as they believe her violence was justified, with one saying “free my girl she didn’t do anything wrong“.
Despite her conviction and sentencing, the consensus online seems to be full support of Smith. Many true crime fans on Reddit agree that despite her charges, the British mother was justified in her action given what her husband was said to have done to her children. Some said they would be more than willing to put some money in her prison bank account, even speculating that she probably gets treated like royalty by other inmates.
One Reddit user did point out a less obvious issue with Smith’s actions and convictions. Because her brother died by suicide and her mother is in jail, user copperrequired is concerned that the daughter may not be isolated and alone without a support system while having to deal with such a traumatic past:
“Right? I do feel bad for the daughter as she no longer has her brother in her life and her Mum is in prison. But… I can also see why the Mum did it.”
Corinna Smith’s story is turning out to be one of very few that true crime fanatics find justification and solace in. Some even protest that her sentence is too long, considering what her husband was accused of. Despite her trial by the law and her admission of what she did, most true crime fans are shrugging, brushing it off, and saying her husband got what he deserved.