A Sangamon County jury has found David D. Smith guilty in the killing of 80-year-old Donna Bricker, who was found dead in her home on W. Elliot Street in January of 2019. Smith, formerly of Springfield, was found guilty Wednesday on three counts of first-degree murder. He will be held without bail, until his sentencing scheduled for August 31st.

State’s Attorney Dan Wright presented 22 pictures from Bricker’s house, including four showing Bricker dead on her bed. According to WAND TV, Bricker was found face up on her bed with an electrical cord wrapped around her neck three times and double knotted. Her hands were bound behind her body. She also had a pair of scissors sticking out of her chest.

Jennifer Aper, an Illinois State Police Forensic Scientist and DNA expert testified that 96% of the DNA extracted from the scissors matched the DNA sample taken from Smith. Aper also said Smith’s DNA was on a white washcloth that was found in a trash can in the alley behind Bricker’s home. Aper said it was unlikely that the DNA found on the scissors was transferred there from another object. She said this means the DNA couldn’t have come from another item Smith touched.

One piece of evidence presented by the State’s Attorney was the search history on Smith’s cellphone Google Chrome browser. In that history, Smith had clicked on several articles related to Bricker’s death and other murders in the Springfield area. Those searches occurred before Smith’s interview with the Springfield Police Officers.