Jury selection began Monday in the case of 46-year-old Michael Smith of Charleston, accused of killing Cheyenne Johnson in May 2021 and dumping her body down a mine shaft. Smith has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, concealment of a body, and several firearm-related offenses.
His co-defendant, 33-year-old Virginia Smith, previously pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and related charges in 2023, but her sentencing was delayed until after Michael Smith’s trial. Johnson was reported missing in April 2021 and later found dead in a well near Sissonville. Prosecutors say Michael Smith admitted to the killing when he was arrested.