Former Bladen County news publisher charged with husband’s murder

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC (WWAY) — A former Bladen County news publisher has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of her husband, according to arrest warrants.

Charlotte Smith, 45, of Elizabethtown, was arrested just before 3:00 am in Montgomery County, after being taken into custody on a warrant stemming from a homicide that happened on Tuesday. The warrant accuses Smith of killing her husband, Aaron Daine Smith, 42.

The Elizabethtown Police Department says Aaron Smith sustained a gunshot wound at the couple’s home on Woodhouse Drive. Smith died from his injuries on the way to the hospital.

Charlotte Smith is the former owner of Bladen Online, a digital newspaper she operated for several years. The publication was recently sold to the Bladen Journal.

She is currently being held at the Bladen County Detention Facility with no bond.

This is an active investigation being conducted in collaboration with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI) and the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office.