Defendant takes the stand in Homewood triple fatal fire trial

Martell Smith spent nearly eight hours in a Pittsburgh police interview room on Dec. 20, 2017, being questioned about a fire in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood that killed three people earlier that day.

Investigators suspected the fire had been purposefully set and that gasoline was used.

They also knew that when Smith was stopped by police, both he and the car he’d been in smelled strongly of gas.

Smith told them that the Pontiac Grand Prix he’d borrowed from a friend ran out of gas that night, so he walked to a nearby Sunoco station, bought a one-gallon gas can, filled it and then put it in the car. But that story didn’t match the video evidence from that night.

On Tuesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, Smith took the stand in his own defense and changed his original story. He told a jury that the gas he got that night was really for his own car — an Acura at his home — and that he had driven the Grand Prix to the Sunoco, bought the can, filled it and returned to the Acura.

Smith spent about two hours testifying Tuesday and will return to the stand Wednesday to continue being cross-examined. He is charged with killing Shamira Staten, 21, her daughter Ch’yenne Manning, 4, and Sandra Carter Douglas, 58, who all died in the fire.

His trial, on three counts of criminal homicide and related charges, began on Sept. 12 before Common Pleas Judge Jill E. Rangos. Prosecutors said he set the fire in retaliation after being attacked outside a Penn Hills bar earlier that night by another man who lived in the house that burned.

Throughout the trial, the district attorney’s office played video from the bar, as well as video taken from the fire scene that night, where Smith was spotted repeatedly. Witnesses testified during the trial that they heard him brag about setting the fire.

If Smith is found guilty of first-degree murder, the case will move to a penalty phase. Prosecutors are seeking capital punishment.

On cross-examination by Deputy District Attorney Brian Catanzarite on Tuesday afternoon, Smith admitted that he lied to the police during his 2017 interview.

“I wish I had enough trust and faith to tell them what I did here today,” Smith said.

Catanzarite asked why he didn’t.

“You didn’t mention the Acura at all, did you?” the prosecutor asked.

“I thought there might be a firearm in there,” Smith answered. “I was more worried about getting charged with a firearm than getting charged with a crime I did not do.”

Smith began his testimony on direct examination by talking about Homewood and how he spent the day leading up to the fire.

“I live that day over and over,” Smith told defense attorney Randall McKinney. “I do remember.”

Smith said he woke up at noon and eventually made his way to a friend’s house, where he borrowed the Grand Prix.

Later that night, he drove to The Spot, a bar in Penn Hills. McKinney showed several video clips from inside the bar, and Smith painstakingly noted that he kept asking others there to borrow their lighters because he didn’t have one with him.

Smith also described running into Rico Carter, who lived in the house on Bennett Street that burned.

“He was definitely angry,” Smith said.

Smith told the jury he was a peacemaker that night, that he calmed Carter down and offered to buy him a drink, which Carter refused.

A short time later, outside the bar, Carter and another man attacked Smith. His necklace was ripped off, his lip was bloodied and Carter punched him several times.

After that happened, Smith said he left and went to get gas for his Acura, returned to the car and filled it.

He then drove the Grand Prix to a nearby store, at which point, he said, he could hear the sirens and commotion coming from the fire.

As he walked around the area, Smith said, Rico Carter saw him, followed him and punched him in the mouth.

“He was looking distraught, angry,” Smith said.

After that, Smith testified that he said, “‘I don’t give a (expletive) if his house burns down.’”