Jaremy Smith was sentenced to life without parole for the heinous murder of Officer Justin Hare. During the course of the incident, one New Mexico state police officer was shot in the act of saving him. The deadly crash took place around 6 a.m. on March 15, 2024, on I-40 outside of Tucumcari. Smith’s reckless behavior cost Officer Hare his life. Yet they unleashed a new, terrifying wave of violence that crossed state lines.
On that fateful day, Officer Hare was assisting Smith, who was stuck on the shoulder with a flat tire. The officer gallantly decided to give Smith a ride two counties over. There weren’t any repair shops open at that hour so it was a truly kind act. Things took a tragic turn when Smith shot Officer Hare. He shot him just once, then stood and waited for oncoming traffic to pass before shooting a second time.
Following the shooting, Smith did not stop. He forced Officer Hare into the passenger seat and sped off, a path of devastation behind him. He went on a shooting spree, carjacking a mother of three. Convincingly, tragically, he murdered her and then drove cross country in her car. That violent rampage resulted in several attempted murder charges for Smith in South Carolina.
The court proceedings ended with Smith’s own sentencing, the result of a plea deal made with federal prosecutors earlier this spring. Further complicating the matter, Smith’s extensive criminal history played an oversized role in the fate of their case. It was an excellent demonstration of a pattern of illegal behavior by him.
Ryan Ellison, the newly appointed U.S. attorney for the district of New Mexico, expressed profound sorrow over the loss of Officer Hare.
“Officer Justin Hare, a hero who saw someone in need and selflessly stepped in to help, paid the ultimate price,” – Ryan Ellison
Officer Hare had served with the New Mexico state police agency since 2018. He was a devoted father and public servant whose life was given in service of protecting others. The circumstances of his tragic death serve as a painful reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every single day.
This was an unbearable shock to the community. It simultaneously triggered immediate warnings of threats to public safety and underscored the necessity for long-term investments in policing professionals. The case has further highlighted the impact of violent crime and the rarely-seen realities of the stories behind such tragedies.