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Waseem Daker became one of Georgia’s most controversial convicted killers after being found guilty in the 1995 murder of Delta flight attendant Karmen Smith and the attempted murder of her five-year-old son in Cobb County. Prosecutors argued that Daker carried out the attack as part of a long-running obsession with Smith’s roommate, Loretta Spencer Blatz, whom he had previously been convicted of stalking. The case drew national attention because of the violent nature of the crime, the lengthy delay before charges were filed, and the later disputes surrounding witness testimony and forensic evidence. The murder remained unsolved for years before investigators revisited DNA evidence collected from the scene. Hair evidence later linked to Daker became a central part of the prosecution’s case, eventually leading to his arrest and conviction more than a decade after the killing. The case later generated additional controversy after key witness Loretta Spencer Blatz partially recanted portions of her testimony following the trial, fueling debate around the conviction and keeping the case heavily discussed in true crime media, legal circles, and online communities.
Public information about Waseem Daker’s early childhood and upbringing has remained relatively limited compared to many other high-profile convicted killers. Daker lived in Georgia and became involved in local paintball communities during his teenage years and early adulthood. It was through this environment that he eventually met Loretta Spencer Blatz, a woman significantly older than him who later became central to the criminal case that would define his public notoriety.
According to testimony presented during later court proceedings, Daker and Blatz developed a complicated and highly disputed relationship during the mid-1990s. Prosecutors described Daker as becoming increasingly obsessed with Blatz, while the defense later argued the relationship had been consensual and far more mutual than originally portrayed in court. Regardless of the differing accounts, investigators documented repeated unwanted contact, escalating harassment allegations, and multiple incidents that ultimately resulted in stalking charges against Daker before the murder of Karmen Smith.
Prior to the homicide case, Daker had already entered the criminal justice system because of allegations involving harassment and stalking behavior connected to Blatz. Authorities claimed he repeatedly contacted her, violated court restrictions, and continued attempts to maintain contact even after legal intervention. These accusations became central to the prosecution’s later argument that Daker had developed an escalating pattern of fixation and intimidation.
On October 23, 1995, Delta flight attendant Karmen Smith was found murdered inside her Cobb County, Georgia home. Investigators determined she had been attacked and strangled inside the residence. Her body was later discovered concealed beneath bedding and blankets. The murder scene became even more disturbing when Smith’s five-year-old son returned home from school and encountered the intruder.
According to prosecutors, the attacker grabbed the child and stabbed him repeatedly before fleeing the home. Despite suffering multiple stab wounds, the boy survived the attack. The brutality of the crime shocked the local community and generated heavy media coverage throughout Georgia. Detectives quickly focused attention on individuals connected to Loretta Spencer Blatz, who lived in the same residence and had previously reported being stalked.
Authorities soon identified Waseem Daker as a major suspect because of his prior interactions with Blatz and allegations that he had threatened people close to her. However, investigators initially lacked enough forensic evidence to secure murder charges. The case remained unresolved for years while Daker separately served prison time related to stalking convictions involving Blatz.
Flight attendant Carmen Smith was brutally murdered alongside her young son in a planned attack that uncovered a horrifying and calculated crime scene. Detectives investigating the East Cobb killings discovered signs of torture, multiple weapons and disturbing forensic evidence hidden throughout the home. As investigators reconstructed the victims’ final hours, phone records, witness statements and hidden clues pointed toward a suspect connected closely to the family.
The homicide investigation was later revived after advances in DNA testing technology allowed forensic experts to re-examine hair evidence recovered from the crime scene. Prosecutors stated that DNA extracted from one of the hairs matched Daker, providing investigators with the breakthrough they needed to move forward with murder charges more than a decade after the killing.
Prosecutors portrayed Waseem Daker as an offender driven by obsession, control, and retaliation. Investigators argued that the killing of Karmen Smith was not random but instead connected to Daker’s fixation on Loretta Spencer Blatz. According to the prosecution theory, Smith became a target because she was associated with Blatz and because Daker blamed people around her for limiting his access and influence.
The attack itself displayed elements commonly associated with personal and emotionally driven violence. Authorities alleged the offender entered the home intentionally, confronted Smith inside the residence, and used close-contact violence including strangulation and stabbing. The concealment of Smith’s body beneath blankets suggested an attempt to delay discovery or psychologically distance the offender from the crime scene.
Investigators also emphasized the extreme violence inflicted on Smith’s young son after he unexpectedly encountered the attacker. Prosecutors argued this indicated an attempt to eliminate witnesses and maintain control over the scene. The survival of the child ultimately became one of the most emotionally powerful elements presented during the trial.
Forensic evidence became the cornerstone of the case years later. DNA testing on hair recovered from the scene became the prosecution’s primary scientific evidence linking Daker to the murder. Defense arguments focused heavily on the possibility of innocent transfer, claiming the hair could have been deposited indirectly through shared bedding or personal items connected to Blatz.
Although investigators suspected Waseem Daker early in the investigation, authorities did not immediately have sufficient physical evidence to charge him with murder. Detectives continued reviewing the case over the following years while Daker remained incarcerated on separate stalking-related convictions.
The major breakthrough came when forensic technology improved and investigators re-tested evidence collected from the original crime scene. Analysts reported that DNA recovered from hair found on bedding associated with the victim matched Daker. Prosecutors described the result as the critical piece of evidence that finally connected him directly to the homicide.
Daker was eventually indicted in 2010 for the murder of Karmen Smith, the aggravated battery of her son, burglary, false imprisonment, and additional related offenses. The case attracted significant media attention because Daker chose to represent himself during portions of the legal proceedings, leading to tense courtroom exchanges and extensive public interest.
The prosecution also relied heavily on testimony from Loretta Spencer Blatz, who described Daker as obsessive and dangerous. Recordings of phone calls, prior stalking allegations, and evidence connected to his earlier convictions were introduced to establish motive and behavioral escalation.
Waseem Daker’s murder trial took place in Georgia in 2012. Prosecutors argued that Daker murdered Karmen Smith as an act of revenge connected to his fixation on Loretta Spencer Blatz. The state presented DNA evidence, witness testimony, prior stalking allegations, and recordings of phone conversations to establish motive and identity.
During the proceedings, Daker frequently acted as his own attorney and aggressively challenged witnesses and investigators. The defense argued that the forensic evidence was unreliable and claimed the hair evidence could have been transferred innocently through blankets and household items connected to Blatz. Daker also maintained that aspects of the relationship described by Blatz had been misrepresented.
The jury ultimately convicted Daker of malice murder, aggravated battery involving Smith’s son, burglary, false imprisonment, and related charges. He received a life sentence plus additional consecutive prison terms. Appeals later challenged numerous aspects of the trial, including judicial conduct, evidentiary rulings, and witness credibility, but the convictions were upheld by the Georgia Supreme Court.
The case remained controversial after Loretta Spencer Blatz later recanted portions of her testimony, claiming she had exaggerated or falsely described some aspects of her relationship with Daker. Prosecutors rejected the significance of the recantation and continued to maintain that the forensic evidence and totality of the case strongly supported the conviction.
The Waseem Daker case became heavily debated within true crime communities because of the unusual combination of stalking allegations, delayed forensic testing, and later witness recantations. Supporters of the conviction viewed the DNA evidence and Daker’s documented history with Loretta Spencer Blatz as overwhelming indicators of guilt. Others questioned whether the prosecution relied too heavily on disputed testimony and circumstantial interpretations surrounding the forensic evidence.
The case also drew broader attention because of Daker’s extensive legal filings and repeated appeals following his conviction. Over the years, he became known within legal circles for filing numerous motions, lawsuits, and court challenges connected not only to the murder case but also to prison conditions and procedural complaints. His constant litigation activity kept public attention on the case long after the original conviction.
Media coverage frequently focused on the psychological dimensions of obsession, stalking behavior, and escalation toward violence. The survival of Karmen Smith’s young son also remained one of the most emotionally significant aspects of the case and contributed heavily to the lasting public impact surrounding the investigation.
Debates over the reliability of recanted testimony, DNA interpretation, and the dynamics between Daker and Loretta Spencer Blatz continue to generate discussion among true crime followers. Despite ongoing controversy, Daker’s murder conviction has remained intact through multip
"No one deserves what happened in that house."— Prosecutor statement during trial coverage
"I never killed Karmen Smith."— Waseem Daker
"Maybe you're scared of me but … you always think I'm going to kill you."— Waseem Daker (Recorded phone call)
Covered the murder investigation, stalking allegations and the delayed DNA breakthrough that led to Daker’s conviction.
Focused on the forensic evidence, timeline reconstruction and the surviving child witness.
Examined the obsessive relationship allegations and the prosecution’s revenge motive theory.
Analyzed Daker representing himself, courtroom confrontations and the later witness recantation controversy.
Covered the trial evidence, stalking history and the forensic debate surrounding the hair DNA evidence.
Focused on the long-running controversy surrounding the conviction and witness credibility disputes.
Examined the investigation timeline, prosecution theory and Daker’s later appeals.
Discussed the violent attack, psychological obsession themes and courtroom developments.
The Waseem Daker case received major media coverage from:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dateline NBC, CBS News, ABC News, Court TV, Law & Crime, Associated Press, regional Georgia news outlets
Major themes included:
stalking escalation, obsessive behavior, delayed homicide investigations, forensic DNA evidence, witness recantations, self-representation in court, surviving child witnesses, appeals and legal controversy, fixation-driven violence, psychological escalation toward murder
