Three indicted in plot to kill councilwoman

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Brother of slain Smith arrested on charge of conspiracy to commit capital murder-for-hire

By Alex Bridges -- abridges@nvdaily.com

BERRYVILLE -- Authorities have charged three people with plotting to kill Berryville Town Council member Gail Smith -- including her brother.

A Nottoway County Circuit Court grand jury indicted Timothy R. Smith Jr., 50, as well as Edward Visosky III, 39, and Edward Poley, 32, on Tuesday on charges of conspiracy to commit capital murder-for-hire, according to a news release from Berryville Police Chief W. Neal White. All three men are in custody, White stated.

Visosky and Poley lived in Nottoway County at the time of the alleged plot, according to White.

Authorities served an arrest warrant on Visosky at his home in neighboring Prince Edward County sometime late Thursday.

Poley was served an arrest warrant in New Jersey on Friday afternoon, White said. Poley already was being held at a jail in Atlantic County, N.J., on an unrelated charge and likely will face an extradition hearing before being brought to Nottoway County, according to White.

Smith and Visosky are being held at the Piedmont Regional Jail in Nottoway County.

Authorities have alleged that the three defendants conspired to kill the councilwoman sometime between June and August 2008.

"This conspiracy plot pre-dates the actual homicide of Gail Smith, which is still being actively investigated by a joint task force with support from several other law enforcement agencies from multiple jurisdictions," the release states.

"Investigators from the Berryville Police Department, Clarke County Sheriff's Office and Virginia State Police turned over information to the Nottoway County Commonwealth's Attorney Office once the conspiracy was uncovered in order for formal charges to be placed in the jurisdiction where they occurred."

No charges have been filed in the actual murder case in Clarke County, White said.

Smith is scheduled to appear Tuesday in Nottoway County Circuit Court for an arraignment hearing. Information on when Poley and Visosky are to appear in the court was not available through an online database.

Authorities found the councilwoman dead in her Picket Court home when they went to check on her July 30.

Law enforcement agents stated in documents filed in Clarke County Circuit Court that the victim likely knew her killer, and may have even let that person into the home prior to the slaying.

The investigation led authorities to Nottoway County. Smith's brother and sister, Deborah Smith, live in Burkeville, the Nottoway County seat.

Both siblings, in a civil case in Clarke County Circuit Court, had objected to Gail Smith going forward with proceedings to become the legal guardian of their father, Timothy R. Smith Sr., which would put her in control of their father's $200,000 estate, according to court records.