Christopher H. Smith charged Murder 2nd, accused of killing his 42 year old girlfriend
By Andrew Harris, pictured is Livingston County District Attorney Ashley Williams, Sheriff Thomas Dougherty, and Captain Ryan Swanson
Sheriff Dougherty and the Livingston County District Attorney held a press conference concerning yesterday’s murder in the quiet Finger Lakes region.
In an apparent domestic incident, the Sheriff indicated that the accused shot the victim, Shannon Knapp, also of Springwater on Sunday October 25th. The 911 call was received just after 11pm.
According to Dougherty, a full response to the scene
Smith, 26, was arrested at his home without incident.
During the press conference, Sheriff indicated that the accused and the victim were “boyfriend and girlfriend,” and that it was an isolated incident. No threat to the public existed according to Dougherty.
Official statement from the LCSO:
SPRINGWATER – Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty reports the arrest of a Springwater man on murder and weapon charges following an investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office.
On October 25th, 2026 at approximately 11:07pm, Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a residence in the Town of Springwater for the report of a person who had been shot.
Deputies arrived on scene and found a female outside of the residence who had been shot and was obviously deceased. The deceased was later identified as Shannon Knapp, age 42, who resided at the residence. Deputies secured the scene and began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The investigation revealed that an altercation had taken place outside of the residence that involved three other individuals and that during the altercation a 12-gauge shotgun had been introduced that ultimately discharged, leading to Knapp being shot.
Sheriff’s Office members worked throughout the night and day piecing together the events that led to the shooting.
On October 26th, 2026 Sheriff’s Investigators located, arrested and charged Christopher Smith, age 26 with felony Murder in the Second Degree, felony Criminal Use of a Firearm in the First Degree, and misdemeanor Menacing in the Second Degree.
Smith was turned over to Central Booking Deputies at the Livingston County Jail for processing and pre-arraignment detention. He was later arraigned at the Livingston County Centralized Arraignment Part (LC-CAP) at the Livingston County Jail before Town of Springwater Justice Johnson. Smith was remanded to the Custody of the Sheriff and held with no bail.
The investigation into the incident continues. Sheriff’s Investigators did locate and secure weapons believed to be involved.
Assisting with the investigation for the Sheriff’s Office was members of the Command Staff, Criminal Investigations Division, Patrol Division, Forensic Identification Unit (FIU), and the Livingston County District Attorney’s Office.
