Woman allegedly helped fiance remove evidence from a murder scene

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BATON ROUGE - A woman has been arrested for allegedly helping her fiancé remove items from the scene of a fatal shooting in hopes of getting rid of any evidence that would tie her gun to the murder.

According to an affidavit filed by investigators with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, 33-year-old Deneal Smith did not actively participate in the shooting that led to 29-year-old Freddie Banks' death at a Poydras Avenue home last Saturday (May 23), but her fiancé, Eddie Turner did. 

Authorities say they used nearby video surveillance of the crime scene to determine that after Banks was shot and killed, Turner called his fiancee, Smith, and told her to come meet her because "he was about to go to jail" and said that her gun had been used during the crime.

The report goes on to say Smith went to the Poydras Avenue home where her fiancé and his accomplices were holding one person at gunpoint and had recently killed a second person, Freddie Banks. 

Authorities say video surveillance shows Smith walking into the home, looking at the person who was being held at gunpoint, and then moving along to "calmly" step over Banks' deceased body before tampering with evidence at the crime scene.

Investigators report that Smith appeared "calm and calculated" as she spoke with Turner and moved items around the home; one of the items was a gun and the other was possibly, a large sum of money.

According to investigators, nearly 30 minutes after Smith arrived at the crime scene, 911 was called; when authorities arrived and asked her if she'd moved any items in the house, she told them she hadn't. 

Deputies say video surveillance clearly proved otherwise. 

Smith was arrested on charges of principal to false imprisonment with a dangerous weapon as well as accessory after the fact/first-degree murder.