Ex-wife 'feared for her safety' before man mows down, stabs and kills bicyclist

04 February 2023 , 10:57

1003     0

Marla Annette Hart reportedly was "concerned for her own safety"

A driver who allegedly struck a bicyclist with his car before stabbing him to death was facing personal and family "issues", his close ones have suggested.

Vanroy Evan Smith, 39, has been charged with murder after allegedly killing Dr Michael John Mammone, 58 while driving on the Pacific Coast Highway in California.

Ring camera footage from a nearby home shows Mammone flying over the hood of a white Lexus in an intersection on Wednesday afternoon.

Police confirmed the suspect, Smith, then got out of his car brandishing a knife, and inflicted more injuries upon Mammone.

It has now emerged that, just a few days before the tragic incident, police were called to conduct a wellness check on Smith’s ex-wife.

Double killer who slit girlfriend's throat within weeks of release jailed

Vanroy Evan Smith, 39, has been charged with murder after the tragic incident

Smith's former father-in-law Stanley Hart told The New York Post his daughter had alerted the police over "something involving Mr Smith".

It is unclear if the incident was related to Smith's killing, however, Hart said of his daughter, Marla Annette Hart that she was "concerned for her own safety before this".

Hart said his former son-in-law was a well-mannered young man but had a history of “issues.”

“It wasn’t like I didn’t believe it, but I never could’ve imagined this,” he said.

“He has some issues, that’s all I can say. If the authorities do their due diligence, they will probably determine pretty quickly what those issues are.”

Smith was seen on surveillance footage striking a bicyclist, then stabbing him to death

According to Hart, the alleged murderer was amidst a dispute with his ex-wife over the custody of their children.

Smith's father-in-law noted that Marla was seeking full custody of their two daughters.

A friend and former client of Smith's, Jo Gilliam said that the twins were Smith’s "world", although she believed Smith had not been seeing them lately.

Gilliam said: "This is ridiculous. I’m devastated. I just spoke to him on the 23rd, and he said he was doing OK, but he was going through some things."

She added that Smith had begun closing himself off in the weeks leading up to the tragic incident and mysteriously shut down his business without notice.

Killer dances in his victim's house with twerking model who later turned on him

Vassia Barba