Huntsville man charged with murder of teen found in creek, capital murder case dismissed
Prosecutors have dismissed a capital murder charge against a Huntsville man, charging him with murder and robbery following the recovery of a body from Flint Creek at the bizarre end to a high-speed chase.
Ismael Tariq Smith, 21, of Huntsville, had been charged with one count of capital murder last week.
He is now charged with the murder of Michael Tremaine Forde-Clark, 18, of Huntsville, whose body was recovered from Flint Creek last Saturday.
Smith’s charges stem from what police say was an armed robbery that quickly developed into a chase, ending with a submerged vehicle in a creek.
On March 27, 911 dispatchers received a report of a robbery at Casa Santiago, a Mexican restaurant on Spring Avenue in Decatur, just before 1 p.m. Monday.
Court documents say a man told police he went to the restaurant to trade an AK-47 for a PlayStation 5, which was arranged through Facebook Marketplace. The man gave police a description of the robbers’ fleeing vehicle, providing a license plate number.
Officers spotted a vehicle matching its description and attempted a stop along U.S. 31, according to police, with speeds reaching more than 100 m.p.h.
During the chase, according to police, Smith, the driver of the vehicle, lost control, crossed over the median and eventually ran into Flint Creek near Bowels Bridge Road, submerging the vehicle.
Smith swam to shore and was detained there.
Forde-Clark was last seen struggling to stay afloat downstream and went under before those on the scene could render aid. His body was recovered days after a search began.