Kalvin Michael Smith sentenced to prison following charges of electronic monitor tampering

A man who claimed innocence in connection with a 1995 brutal assault in Winston-Salem pled guilty Thursday to interfering with an electronic monitoring device.

Kalvin Michael Smith was on an ankle-monitored curfew as part of his post-release supervision from charges in the summer. Smith pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022, to charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and larceny.

According to a press release from the Forsyth County District’s Attorney’s Office, Smith allegedly failed to keep the device charged and was arrested on September 29, 2022.

A Forsyth County District Court Judge sentenced Smith to 6—17 months in prison.

Smith was at the center of one of the region’s most prominent allegations of wrongful conviction. He was sentenced to almost 29 years in prison in connection to an assault at the Silk Plant Forest store in Winston-Salem. The attack left the victim, Jill Marker, severely brain-damaged. A judge granted a shortened stay in 2016. Smith maintained his innocence and is currently in the process of appealing his conviction in the case.