Brazoria Co. woman added to most wanted fugitives list

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Margaret Lorrain Smith to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list. Smith, 62, has been wanted since 2009 for fleeing during her capital murder case. Texas Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $7,500 for information leading to her arrest and capture. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.

Smith is charged with hiring a man to kill her husband, George Smith, on Aug. 6, 2007. An investigation determined Smith lured him to Surfside Beach, Texas, late at night and left him sitting in the sand as the man she hired beat George to death with a metal object. Smith and the man she hired were indicted for capital murder in September 2007.

While her co-defendant was convicted, Smith has been on the run since Aug. 11, 2009, when she fled the Brazoria County area while on bond prior to the start of her trial. Smith was last seen on video at a Walmart in the San Antonio area getting into a maroon four-door sedan, possibly a Lincoln Continental. In addition to the Texas Crime Stoppers reward of up to $7,500, a reward of $5,000 is also being offered through Brazoria County Crime Stoppers for information leading to Smith’s arrest.

Smith is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 185 pounds. She has a mole on the bottom of her right eyelid. She often dyes her naturally dark, curly hair or wears wigs. She went by Margaret or Lorrain. For more information or updates in the event of her arrest, view her wanted bulletin.

Texas Crime Stoppers, which is funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives or Sex Offenders. So far this year, DPS and other agencies have arrested five Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders, including two gang members and two sex offenders. In addition, a $7,500 reward has been paid for a tip that yielded an arrest.

To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:

Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252 TIPS (8477).

• Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about and the clicking on the link under their picture.

• Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).

• All tips are anonymous – regardless of how they are submitted – and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.

DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive and Sex Offender lists. You can find the current lists – with photos – on the DPS website.

Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.