Tennessee Family's Dreams Interrupted By Nightmare Before Christmas

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Robert Lee King is wanted by the U.S. Marshals for allegedly killing Dorothy Smith and critically wounding her daughter, Diana.

The holidays are a time of joy and fellowship for many, but for Diana Smith, they are a grim reminder of the terrifying night that would change her life forever.

It was December 1, 2005, when Diana drifted off to sleep, only to awake in the midst of a living nightmare.

Police say she awoke around 4:15 a.m. in her Memphis, Tenn. home to overhear her mother, Dorothy, in a heated argument with her estranged boyfriend, Robert Lee King. 

Concerned at the level of intensity, cops say she wandered down the hallway to make sure everything was okay.

According to cops, she reached the bedroom doorway to see King standing over her mother repeatedly stabbing her in the neck while she lay in bed.

Shocked at the gruesome scene she had stumbled upon, police say Diana frantically ran down the hallway to lock herself in her bedroom to call the cops.

Police say she was in the middle of a phone call when she heard King’s footsteps thundering down the hallway.

They say King then broke down the door to Diana’s bedroom making her his next victim before fleeing the grisly scene of the crime.

Diana would survive; her mother, tragically, would not.

Police: King Considered Armed And Dangerous

Now, police need the public’s help in finding this alleged cold-blooded killer who they say attacked Dorothy Smith to the point of near decapitation and left her adoring daughter forever scarred.

Cops say Robert Lee King is a black man who stands 6’2” tall and weighs approximately 185 lbs.  King has black hair and brown eyes, and usually wears his hair in the “Jheri curl” style. Police think he may have a tattoo of the name “Victoria” somewhere on his body.

According to authorities, King has a history of controlling behavior, and has a penchant for adult video and book stores. They say he loves basketball, and he could be working in a grocery store as a manager or clerk.

Police say King has a tight-knit family, and that he could be hanging out in Illinois.  They say he has contacts in Greenville, Miss., and in the state of Florida.

Cops say King was last seen driving away from the crime scene at the 400 block of Bradwood Avenue in Memphis.  They say his car was located a few days later, stuck in a field near some power lines.

King is considered so dangerous that the U.S. Marshals Service has placed him on their “15 Most Wanted” list and is offering $25,000 for any information leading directly to King’s arrest.

If you know the whereabouts of this accused killer, call our hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV.