Teen Plots to Kill Jogger and Save the Body for Fun

A teenager in Florida was arrested in early 2022 when he attempted to murder a jogger. While this is horrific enough, it gets far worse when you start to dive into the case to understand more of the details. This may well have been the first attempted foray of someone who could have become a serial killer. Fortunately, he failed. Let’s get a closer look.

A Troubled Young Man

Logan Smith was not a typical 18-year-old. He had desires that are not normal by any stretch of the imagination, and it will quickly become evident that there is something wrong with him.

Smith had become obsessed with a jogger that ran past his home just about every day. His obsession led to desire and fantasies that started to overtake him. He soon began to think about how he could get and keep this man’s body.

He started to track the movements of the man, essentially stalking him and finding out more about his schedule and when he would pass near the house. Smith also collected his kit of “weapons” that he believed he could use to subdue and then kill the man. His “plan” was not well thought through, which is lucky for everyone involved.

This kit contained a rubber mallet, an Axe deodorant canister (not an actual axe), and a belt that had been taken from a robe—not exactly high-end stuff.

Smith went out to the street and hid behind a light pole to lay in wait for the jogger to come by. He held the belt in his hands and placed the mallet and the deodorant on the ground near him. When the victim ran past the light pole, Smith ran after him and placed the belt over the victim’s head and around the neck to choke him.

However, Smith was not prepared for the victim’s martial arts skills. The jogger overpowered Smith and was able to subdue him until the police arrived. The half-baked plan was doomed to fail, which is a very good thing.

What He Told the Police

Smith told the cops that he had been following the victim’s routine for six weeks and that he decided to kill him after watching Scream. He said that the deodorant was to spray in the jogger’s eyes as a means to disable him. He didn’t just want to kill the jogger, though. He wanted to keep his body in his close where “no one would know”. He said that he wanted to keep the body to fulfill his sexual desires and fantasies.

As mentioned, Smith told police he decided to act after he watched the horror movie Scream. However, even if the movie gave him that final push, you can’t blame the movie for his psyche or mental health issues. There were already problems brewing, problems that often go overlooked and undertreated in our society. We leave loners alone. Parents don’t always question strange behavior, and they don’t always get their kids help when it’s needed. People who have strange desires hide them rather than getting help. It’s the way humans are.

Eventually, what happens is that you get more and more people like Jeffrey Dahmer. Those who have any knowledge of serial killers will recognize some similarities between this case and the early days of Dahmer. There was a similar desire to keep the body for sexual gratification. Fortunately, Smith didn’t succeed with his first attempt and was able to be taken off the streets before things escalated even further.

Smith is facing charges of attempted murder. This case is still ongoing, and it will be one to watch.