Read the latest: “Smithfield man to remain in jail after wife found shot to death in parking lot”
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A Smithfield man has been charged with first-degree murder after his wife was found dead in the parking lot of an industrial plant early Thursday morning, according to Smithfield Police.
Officers responded around 5 a.m. to 2121 Wal-Pat Road, where they found 45-year-old Lorena Capera Paz suffering from gunshot wounds in the parking lot of AAF Flanders, an air filtration plant in Smithfield. She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
A GoFundMe page, written in Spanish, said Capera Paz was from Colombia and her death may have followed an argument with her husband. Police have not confirmed a motive in the case.
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Detectives identified 39-year-old Jesus Bermudez as the suspect with the help of witnesses at the scene. He was arrested around 9 a.m. at his home on Galilee Road in Smithfield.
He is being held at the Johnston County Detention Center without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
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This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 4:16 PM.