Stone Mountain man sentenced to life in prison for 2019 murder of his cousin

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston has confirmed the conviction of Steven O’Neal Smith, a 42-year-old man from Stone Mountain, in the murder case of his cousin, Antonio Carter. The verdict was reached on Wednesday after a jury trial.

Smith was found guilty on charges of Felony Murder and Aggravated Assault, relating to the death of 36-year-old Antonio Carter on April 9, 2019. The incident unfolded when officers from the DeKalb County Police Department responded to a call just after 3 a.m. reporting a person stabbed at a residence on N. Hairston Road.

Upon arrival, authorities discovered Antonio Carter on the back porch of the home with multiple stab wounds. Despite being transported to a nearby hospital by paramedics, Carter succumbed to his injuries. The investigation led officers to an abandoned house off Lauren Parkway, where relatives revealed that both Carter and Smith had been living together.

Neighbors reported seeing Steven O’Neal Smith carrying a kitchen knife toward the abandoned home prior to the murder. A trail of blood behind the residence led police to the crime scene. Hours later, officers found Smith covered in blood not far from the abandoned house. DNA testing conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the blood belonged to the victim, Antonio Carter.

Following the conviction, DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Shondeana Morris, who presided over the trial, sentenced Steven O’Neal Smith to life in prison. The case was handled by the Homicide and Gangs Unit and prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Amy Ferguson, with support from Senior ADA Eleanor Friedman, DA Investigators J. B. Williams, Shaun Hector, Julian Brim, and Victim Advocate Jozlyn Varnadoe. The initial investigation was led by DeKalb County Police Department Detective James Paden.