Former Navajo Police Officer Harrison Largo, 46, is going to prison until he's at least 76. Seven men and five women finished hearing testimony Friday - and less than two hours later decided Largo's fate. They took away his liberty for at least 31 1/2 years when they found him guilty of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence...New Mexico News Brief
koat.com
July 13, 2009
GALLUP, N.M. - A former Navajo police officer has been convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend. A state court jury deliberated two hours Friday evening before convicting Harrison Largo of the murder charge and a charge of tampering with evidence in the death of Frieda Smith. [LINK]
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[NM] Officer Largo beat his 1st wife, now has killed Freda - mother of 7 - ...Frieda Smith, of Thoreau, died Tuesday afternoon from gunshot wounds... According to local law enforcement, [Harrison] Largo has a history of domestic altercations that date back to at least 2002. According to court records, Largo was arrested on Dec. 15, 2002, on kidnapping and aggravated assault charges. The charges were filed after he was accused of the kidnapping of his then wife and teenage daughter at gunpoint and taking them to a remote area near the Zuni Mountains. The woman was then beaten until she and the teenager found a way to escape... Largo remained a cop for two years more after his documented domestic violence kidnap and aggravated assault...
Tearful testimony
Witness tells of seeing shooting by former Navajo Police officer
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
July 9, 2009
GALLUP - Jurors heard from an eyewitness Wednesday to the killing of Frieda Toledo Smith, during day two of former Navajo Police Officer Harrison Largo's trial for first-degree murder. Senior Trial Prosecutor Kerry Comiskey told the jury during opening statements that Stevick Jim, 23, watched an execution-style killing just before 8 a.m. on May 20, 2008, - a day, Jim said Wednesday, that he has been trying to forget ever since. Jim lived with his mother and siblings in the trailer adjacent to Smith's trailer the day Smith died. He testified that he woke up about 7 a.m., and then fixed breakfast for his siblings before settling in at the computer to browse Myspace. The computer was against a window facing Smith's trailer. Capital Crimes Division Public Defender Steve McIlwain showed the jury photos during cross-examination of Jim's vantage point from the window. The photos, McIlwain argued, prove that Jim could not have seen what he says he did - at least not with the clarity and detail that are the substance of Jim's eyewitness testimony. [LINK]
Ex-cop a killer Jury finds Harrison Largo guilty of first-degree murder
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
July 11-12, 2009
GALLUP - Former Navajo Police Officer Harrison Largo, 46, is going to prison until he's at least 76. Seven men and five women finished hearing testimony Friday - and less than two hours later decided Largo's fate. They took away his liberty for at least 31 1/2 years when they found him guilty of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Largo's attorney, Capital Crimes Public Defender Steve McIlwain, admitted during opening statements that Largo did in fact shoot and kill his ex-girlfriend, Frieda Smith, on May 20, 2008. The jury's decision to convict Largo on either first- or second-degree murder, or involuntary manslaughter, boiled down to whether the jury believed McIlwain's argument that Largo was too drunk, too lacking in wits that morning to intentionally shoot and kill Smith in cold blood. The difference in sentencing for each crime is substantial. First-degree murder carries a mandatory 30-year sentence, while second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 18 years. The lesser penalty is not a mandatory sentence and allows for some leniency from the judge, as well as the accumulation of "good time." Tampering with evidence is a third-degree felony, for which the penalty is three years in prison. [LINK]
OLDER:
'Harrison shot me'
Former NPD officer faces murder charge
Gallup Independent
By Philip Stake
August 19, 2008
...[Excerpts] ...Monday wasn't the first time Largo sat at the defense table. On Dec. 16, 2002, he was accused of savagely beating his girlfriend and her daughter... Now, the victim Freda Toledo Smith, is dead. She was shot four times with a .22-caliber rifle near her home inside Thoreau Trailer Park on May 20. When Deputy Ed Marble of the McKinley County Sheriff's office responded that day, she was still conscious and complaining of pain in her abdomen. She said "Harrison shot me"... [District Attorney Karl] Gillson, who is prosecuting Largo along with Assistant District Attorney Kerry Kamiski, said the case probably will not go to trial until mid-2009 because of its "sophistication"... [Full article here]
Hi my name is Leah I am Freda's oldest daughter and I would like to thanks those of you who have posted comments and encouraged us. We're still grieving and we are missing our mother very dearly. We well keep smiling and staying strong, our mother would have wanted us too....
Freda was a dear friend we all loved her. She was a great friend and a hard worker. Visiting Officer Freda Smith you will be missed. I enjoyed the time we served together in corrections. Kids keep your head up and keep smiling like your mom would want you to. Were all here for you if you need anything. Love you guys...
[police officer involved domestic violence law enforcement fatality fatalities murder new mexico repeat history prison]
I found these heartfelt words for Freda here and there around the internet after she was murdered, and I kept them. I hope it's okay to share them here because they show how much Freda meant to others in her life. She's not just a victim to her family - she was a woman and mother, sister and friend, someone who can never be replaced and who will always be remembered
ReplyDeleteI'm posting only excerpts out of respect for their information:
...if yall still got your mom treat her with RESPECT!!!!! becuz you dont know when your gonnah lose her. I thought i wouldnt lose mine so soon but i guess i was wrong...i wish she could be here with us right now! i cry and cry but it doesnt help, my mom touched so many ppl. i miss her so so much!!!...
..."!!!MISSING YOU AND ALWAYS LOVING YOU MOMMY!!!...
...i lost my mommy... i love her so much and i know that she is in a better place and that she is happy. i just can't wait to go see my mommy in haven and be by her side. because i know that god had forgiven me and so has she. i changed my life around and it's going to stay that way. i'm going to make my mommy proud. i'm going to be what she always wanted me to BE!!!!
...i just want to say whoever reads this please respect your mom, love her and do as much as you possibly can because you dont know when your gonnah lose her. i lost my mom on may 20, 2008. she was the best mom in the whole entire world she touched alot of ppl and she made me who i am!!! i will always remember you mom you will nevah be replaced, your in my heart!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
It has been two years and the pain does not get easier. Its Leah, two years later! I'm raising the kids because of a tragic event that tore us into pieces. We welcomed my mom's third grand-baby in the world May 29, 2009. We celebrated her 1st year with us yesterday. My brother Calvin and sister Dorenda tearfully graduated May 2009. The presence of her is dearly missed. The memories we have are precious to us. We still face challenges and still feel helpless at times, but that's natural! As long as we pick ourselves back up. We are bothered by Harrisons family, believing that a father who murdered his mother is ok. My younger brother is only 8. He was 6 when she was murdered. They have come to an understanding that what he did did not bother them. But yet we get criticized for being the part to blame. Or get judged because we feel that its only right that the best thing we do is to keep him from believing that what Harriso. Did was ok. When its not. When they don't see our hurt. Feel our pain. A song a ran upon while searching for lyrics that would suit my feelings is, I'm not ready to make nice - Dixie Chicks. I love the pictures! May my mom always be remembered....Until then.
ReplyDeletehello everyone, im freda smiths second oldest daughter, calvena joi. til this very day it is still hard knowing that my mom is gone. My life has changed alot since she left. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Shakari Mae, i just wish she was here to see her grow up and spoil her like she did to my neice and nephew. I know she is always watching over us but just knowing that she will never be able to hold her hurts me bad. I am also getting married to a great guy my mom would have approved. I love and miss you everyday mom, you are always in my heart for eternity...
ReplyDeleteHi! It's Leah once again! It's going to be 3 years since my mothers death tomorrow. It will be a bitter sweet day for us because our baby sister Danielle will be graduating from high school. Things don't get easier for us, we just learn ways to handle our grief and to take things day by day. I'm currently 24 and I've had two sisters and one brother graduate. That leaves me the two baby boys! It's been a rough road but I choose to go through the bumps in hopes of a smoother ride along the way. I am my only best friend. Although my mother is dearly missed I would rather her be in heaven, than for her to be here and endured this crazy thing we call life. I've come a long way with my siblings! I learn from them and they learn from me. Things always happen for a reason. We never know that reason, but we live our lives trying to figure out what the reason(s) are. Thank you, for this page!
ReplyDeleteI always come back to this site, from time to time. I've seen how much I've grown as a mother and sister. Wow! Thank You for this website. It's a late night and I'm up thinking about my mom. She's proud of me, I know it. I have so many thoughts going through my head, I don't know which one to follow. I'm currently 25 and nothing has changed, everything is still the same. I will continue my fight, until I win!!
ReplyDeleteI'm honored that it is a place you want to come. I really felt the sense of family love as I was gathering and preparing the information.
ReplyDelete5 years later!!! Wow there's so much to say! First of all I'm in good standings with Harrison and his family! Why was I not in good standing? Well it wasn't so much that I wasn't in good standing, it was that I knew I needed to heal a little more. There was mixed feelings and I realized that me holding onto those feelings and expressing them towards Harrison's family was childish. Yes, I lost my mother, but I'd be losing more than her if I held onto a grudge that could be mended and forgiven! Truly forgiven. I always express to others who question me forgiving such a horrendous act. I knew from the moment my mother passed that I wouldn't heal and I'd be displaying hatred onto my own children, who would then absorb it and express it, in the way I've portrayed it. If Harrison's family ever reads this, I hope I touch the depths of your heart through my messages. If I've ever offended you, forgive me. I know you understand that me and the kids truly suffered. Through that suffering, I became a better mother/sister. If I can't post my name, it's me Leah. We've come so far from the endless nights of my baby brother crying, little did he know I was crying too. Now he's a teenager. Boy do I have so much more to learn. I've had many obstacles to jump over and at times it seemed that I've had to attempt to jump over the same ones. I'm growing in many positive ways. I am currently one course away from qualifying for the local nursing program! I will be getting married in July 2014. We are currently looking for a house. Gabriel will soon have a degree in welding and has offered me to be a housewife! No!! One thing my mother always said was to not be 100% reliant upon a man. I've carried that with me and I believe that if we want our children to succeed that they have to see the possibilities through their parents. Well not always. I've been in college for 2.5 years and it gets tiring at times but my focus is the future of the kids. Holden is a teenager, and we were all that age once. He has those bad days and good days! He's very caring and quiet! Hayden is outspoken and bold. I always point out that college is mandatory and not an option. Danielle, my favorite sister just got a job after being veerrrryyy patient! Dorenda is a workaholic and has a great head on her shoulders! Calvena is something else! She's very honest and works hard! Calvin Jr is still growing!
ReplyDeleteI can't complain! I know my mother is smiling from up above!
I will be going to Hawaii on May 30th to finally reunite with my siblings! Life is as sweet as you make it! Don't sit around and be bitter! We all have the same 24 hours, use them, don't abuse them! As my brother John would say, "One love!"
Leah you are beautiful through and through. I am so sorry that your mother was stolen so violently from you. It is really an honor for me to still be here and to see you able to open to life and forgiveness for yourself and for those who are learning how to live in the future by watching you and learning from you. Not everyone can forgive and it's a gift and a blessing that you can, and have.
ReplyDeleteLast year you wrote here in the comments, "...It's a late night and I'm up thinking about my mom. She's proud of me, I know it..."
I know it too.
May your whole family continue to be blessed and watched over with love.
I am so sorry for you. I do not know if you knew John Largo but he was an interpreter for my adopted dad yrs ago.I'm not sure if he interpreted for Nelson McBride who lived in Thoreau Crosslands Mission.I will pray for you.Your mom did not deserve to be treated this way. God loves you so do we.
ReplyDeleteSharon Goeglein
I'm way overdue for a post! It's been six years y'all! I'm doing fine. Life is chugging along and things are falling into place. I'm down to one kid now! Hayden, he's 12 years old and is going to be an 8th grader this school year. I can't even imagine my son having to live without me. If the choices were ours I'm sure she'd still be here, Freda, my mother. I believe circumstances in life happen for a reason. They mold us, break us, and teach us about how the world doesn't stop because you're not doing good. The world doesn't stop when your mother is murdered, it just keeps going. That was the hardest part as the oldest of all the children, sometimes I just wanted the world to stop for a few years while I get back on "track". Little did I know that although I was suffering tremendously, I was on the right track. When you're suffering you fail to see that where you are at this instant is where you're meant to be. Even if you're hurting, suffering, or God forbid dying. I was very naive 6 years ago, I thought I knew it all, I thought I had all this parenting stuff down. I honestly didn't. I learned so much in 6 years about who I am as a person then prior to my mothers death.
ReplyDeleteIt was tragic but I do believe that God knew what he was doing. He wanted us to trust that the choices that are set in stone were meant to help us. It sure did. My mother was suffering financially. She didn't have a permanent home. She divorced my step dad and left. The children were in the midst of the divorce. I believe my mother thought when she left my stepdad that things would be great and promising. She had a hard time getting food on the table and she had a lot to deal with behind doors. Now that she's not here I realize how hard it is to keep a household together. How expensive things are getting. I'm young and I'm able to tolerate a lot of things. My mother reached her tolerated level and it was her time to go home. God must have my tolerance level on Extreme!
I haven't went back to church. I'm not ready, I know that sounds selfish but I'd rather not go to church and pretend to be a Godly woman. That's not me. It's such a shame that I've noticed the worse encounters regarding my mother are from folks who attend church. Stand 100% in your belief because you make others look foolish for going to church too. I do pray! I thank God randomly, not just when I need him. Nor do I plaster the world that I pray. Prayer is my private conversation with God. I need that. He's the bridge to my mother.
She had friends who reached out to us and I'm still in contact with just a few of them. I'm grateful for all the memories they share with me.
My siblings are doing good. Calvena lost her husband in January. Dorenda is still a workaholic. Calvin Jr is still in Thoreau with my dad (stepdad) with Holden too. Hayden is at his grandma's right now.
As for myself, I'm home thinking about that beautiful red lipped gal in heaven. I completed my first associates this past semester. It sure isn't my last either! My kids are doing well too. I can't complain. I am living proof that when the road is rough and there is not path it doesn't mean you cannot travel through, it means travel and make your own path. I'm making this path of mine smooth for my siblings to follow!
May you be blessed in all you do!
Leah
Thank you so much for the update Leah.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to post pictures! When I get them together I'll email you!
ReplyDeleteThat will be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIt's really been three years since I posted?
ReplyDeleteWow! Hello Behind the Blue Wall!
It's Leah!
My life has changed in so many ways!
I'd like to share with you that I'm finishing nursing school in May 2017!
I still have 3 children and I believe I'm done with having more.
I have moved and am enjoying the peaceful street i'm currently residing on.
All my children have been in basketball this season and have had amazing seasons!
My sister Calvena had another baby, Ava Marie. She is engaged and soon to marry.
Dorenda is finally dating after a few years of soul searching.
Calvin has a steady job and is supporting his children.
Danielle is still working and supporting herself!!!
Holden my big little brother will also be graduating from high school in May also.
Hayden will be a junior next year.
All of Freda's children are doing something with their lives! We have all graduated from high school or college despite all the circumstances we all faced individually.
I like to brag because there is still so much statistics against us. We have suffered and still continue to suffer the loss of our mother. We have had to adjust to life without her. I know that of all siblings the ones who suffered the most were Danielle, Holden, and Hayden. We had to answer our own life questions and learn how to depend on ourselves. We did so much and we have broke barriers that hindered us.
When I look at my siblings I see so much strength.
I mean look at us.
We're still living, breathing, and moving along, although the center of our universe was ripped from us.
We still love, hope, pray, and live everyday!
I know that if my mother were to look at us now she would be proud.
Proud of who we are now and who we will be in the future.
Leah
What a beautiful update. So kind of you to share with any who would wonder. Beautiful lives. Beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteSo many think that after a domestic murder that the children will be ruined forever. I always say no - that a circle of love can bring everyone through intact. Love love love. You're right - yo mama is so proud.
Angels near.