By Faimon A Roberts III
The Advocate
ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — A Slidell-area man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after he pleaded guilty to fatally shooting a firefighter and hiding his body in the trunk of a car in 2011, said Lisa Page, a spokeswoman for District Attorney Warren Montgomery.
Michael Lizana, 38, was charged with first degree murder in the death of 43-year old David Smith, a firefighter with St. Tammany Parish Fire Protection District 1, which covers the Slidell area.
Lizana went to Smith’s home to inquire about a car Smith was selling, Page said. Neighbors called police after they heard four gunshots and when deputies arrived, Lizana was still there and Smith’s body had been wrapped in plastic and put in the trunk of the car, Page said.
Lizana was indicted in 2011. Smith was a 22-year veteran of Fire Protection District 1 and battalion chief. His stepdaughter said in a victim impact statement that Smith was a wonderful father and that she was satisfied with the outcome of the case.
The Slidell-area man pleaded guilty after he was discovered with the firefighter’s body in his trunk of his car. https://t.co/vgDk3fWoFX
— New Orleans Advocate (@theadvocateno) September 30, 2016