Searching For a Serial Killer: What happened to Regina Smith's husband? Everything you need to know

Lifetime's movie, Searching for a Serial Killer: The Regina Smith Story, follows the story of Regina Smith, an inexperienced Dallas police officer and single mother, whose investigative activities culminated in helping bring to justice the notorious Eyeball Killer, Charles Albright.

Searching For a Serial Killer elaborates on the hard-fought battles Regina took to be a newly thrust officer balancing duties with raising a young daughter. Although the storyline is centered on Regina’s pursuit of Albright, it leaves questions about her personal life, particularly regarding her husband, and the role of her family during this high-stakes investigation.

Regina Smith's husband, Senior Corporal Norman "Big Russian" Smith, tragically passed away in the line of duty in 2009. His death deeply affected Regina, but she channeled her grief into founding a music production company in his honor and continuing her relentless pursuit of justice.

Searching for a Serial Killer: The Regina Smith Story premiered on November 9, 2024, in the United States. It is available for streaming on the Lifetime app and website.

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Searching For a Serial Killer: Regina Smith’s early career and the “Eyeball Killer” case

In the late 1980s, Regina was part of the Dallas Police Department in Oak Cliff. All the residents were shocked by this barbarous series of murders. Each of the victims had their eyes surgically removed. So, these murders were incredibly terrifying and distinctive one by one.

Charles Albright, who used to be a teacher, was investigated as a suspect in the murders through reports from a succession of witnesses. These were pieced together with other evidence by Regina and her partner, John Matthews, that pointed out him as the culprit.

It was such an intense investigation that Regina soon became recognized and, finally led to Albright's conviction in 1991, ending his reign of terror. The success shown by Regina in this case became a stepping stone to her career as she made it to the position of Detective and then Sergeant within the Dallas Police Department. Her journey is chronicled in detail in Searching For a Serial Killer.

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Searching For a Serial Killer: How did Norman Smith die?

Norman Smith, husband to Regina, had served with the Dallas Police Department's Gang Unit for close to 18 years. Known as "Big Russian" due to his height, Norman was respected for his courage, affability, and extensive experience of gang-related crimes in the Dallas Metropolitan area. He found out serving the law was a hazardous business for him, though.

Norman led a service of a felony arrest warrant for an apartment in Dallas on 6 January 2009. The suspect opened fire at Norman when he approached the door as the suspect opened up while executing this operation in which Norman got fatally shot. Even though his team responded on time and tried to subdue the suspect, Norman's injuries proved fatal.

A shooter was later arrested and then convicted to life imprisonment. Norman’s passing was not only a devastating loss to his family but also to the Dallas law enforcement community. His tragic death, the first officer fatality in the line of duty in 2009, served as a somber reminder of the dangers officers face daily.

For Regina, the loss marked a turning point, leaving her to continue raising their two children while grappling with the grief of losing her husband and partner.

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Honoring Norman’s legacy through advocacy and art

Norman's death prompted Regina to channel her feelings and commitment into new avenues of advocacy. Together with her friends, she founded Big Rush In, LLC, a music production company named after Norman's playful nickname, the "Big Russian."

Assuming the stage name Lucille Baller, Regina continued using music as a tool for social commentary and to continue advocating for the values that Norman stood for. Although her path to becoming an artist and activist was undeniably unique, it became a poignant vehicle for keeping his memory alive and furthering the community and social justice values he held so dearly.

Regina stirred up somewhat of a controversy with one of her songs in 2013, which included explicit messages, but she stood firm in her commitment to social change and awareness. Through Big Rush In and her advocacy, Regina contributed to the ongoing discussion on resilience, justice, and assistance to families through losses experienced in life.

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Searching for a Serial Killer: The Regina Smith Story was released on November 8, 2022.