Timothy Ray Smithers
Case Number:
Not publicly available
Case Status:
Unsolved — LE confirmation pending
Date of Birth:
11/06/1957 (16 yo)
Date of Death:
05/10/1974
Date Discovered:
05/10/1974
Cause of Death:
Hemorrhagic pulmonary edema consistent with changes due to suffocation
Location:
Westbound I-20, approx 6-7 miles east of Marshall, TX
Agency:
Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office – 318.681.0611
Tip Line:
Caddo-Shreve Crime Stoppers - 318.673.7373
Background
Timothy Ray Smithers was born on 11/06/1957 in Shreveport, Louisiana, to Raymond Lee and Mary Ann Brown Smithers. He had a sister, Janette, and a younger brother, Joe. He lived with his mother at 2730 Judson Street in Shreveport and had recently left school during the 10th grade.
Timothy is interred at Forest Park Cemetery in Shreveport.
Case Summary
Timothy was last seen by his mother at their Shreveport home between 8:00 and 9:00 am on 05/09/1974.
At approximately 5:00 am on 05/10/1974, Bobby Ray Youngblood spotted his body along the shoulder of westbound Interstate 20, approximately six to seven miles east of Marshall, Texas, in Harrison County. Youngblood continued into Marshall and reported the discovery to the sheriff’s department.
Timothy’s hands were bound with electrical cord that had been looped into a noose around his neck. He had been severely beaten about the head and gagged with a cloth tied behind his head. No gunshot or knife wounds were found.
An autopsy performed that morning at Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview, Gregg County, Texas, determined that his death was a homicide. The cause of death was recorded as “hemorrhagic pulmonary edema consistent with changes due to suffocation.” His death was estimated to have occurred at approximately 2:30 am.
His mother identified his body later that evening.
Investigators believed Timothy had been killed elsewhere and thrown from a moving vehicle approximately three hours before his body was discovered.
The investigation began immediately and involved the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Rangers, and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office. The FBI later joined the investigation. Several potential suspects were questioned in Shreveport, but no arrests were made.
Possible Relevant Circumstances
On 05/02/1974, Timothy and Michael P. Flores allegedly took a 16-year-old girl to an isolated area near Kelly’s Truck Stop, west of Shreveport. The incident occurred approximately one week before Timothy’s death.
Flores disclosed the incident while being questioned in connection with Timothy’s homicide. He was later prosecuted for attempted aggravated rape.
Available documentation does not establish what role, if any, Timothy played in the alleged assault or whether the incident was connected to his homicide.
Suspects/Persons of Interest
No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.
Timeline
| 05/02/1974 | Alleged incident near Kelly’s Truck Stop. |
| 05/09/1974, 8:00-9:00 am | Last seen by his mother at their home in Shreveport. |
| 05/10/1974, 2:30 am | Estimated time of death. |
| 05/10/1974, 5:00 am | Body discovered along Interstate 20 east of Marshall, Texas |
| 05/10/1974 | Autopsy performed. |
| 05/10/1974 | Identified by his mother that evening. |
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Research Notes
This profile will be updated as requested public records are received.
Sources
- Certificate of Death.
- Marshall News Messenger, “Body Found Here Identified,” May 12, 1974.
- Shreveport Journal, “FBI Joins Hunt for Shreveport Boy’s Killers,” May 13, 1974.
- The Times (Shreveport), “Trial Starts in Rape Attempt,” December 3, 1974.
- Shreveport Journal, “Trails of Death: Harrison, Panola Roads Dumping Grounds for Four Murders,” December 22, 1976.
rev 08/19/26