Adam Smith, 48, stands accused of murdering two men in St. Lawrence County in February and March 2023. He is currently held without bail at SLCCF. (Photo courtesy)

BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed Gouverneur police as an arresting agency, in fact it was state police in that instance. North Country This Week regrets the error.

CANTON -- Juror selection in the murder trial of Adam Smith gets underway on Tuesday, Oct. 15, with two groups of jurors expected to be called over the next two weeks.

Smith, 48, stands accused of murdering Ronald Durham, 72, Gouverneur, and William Freeman, 67, Rossie last year.

Smith was indicted on charges of first and second degree murder, manslaughter, first degree robbery, and first degree assault for the Feb. 11, 2023 killing of Durham.

The indictment also charged Smith with the crimes of first and second degree murder, manslaughter, first degree robbery, and first degree assault, third and multiple accounts of fourth degree grand larceny for the March 1, 2023 killing of Freeman.

The larceny charges stem from Smith allegedly stealing Freeman's 2018 Chevy Silverado, before being apprehended by Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputies.

Smith was officially charged with second-degree murder in the death of Freeman on March 7, 2023. Smith is alleged to have stabbed Freeman to death on March 1 in Freeman’s trailer on County Route 10 in the town of Rossie.

Smith then stole Freeman’s 2018 Chevy Silverado and fled to Jefferson County where he was later apprehended by Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies.

It is still unclear at this time what motivation Smith had for committing either crime. It was also confirmed that Smith did have a residence in the town of Gouverneur.

Evidence gathered at the Freeman murder quickly led law enforcement to Smith. It was also noted that Smith had a criminal history and was on probation at the time of his arrest.

On Feb. 11, 2023 State Police responded to East Side Cemetery on Van Buren Road around 8:20 a.m. following a report of a deceased male.

When troopers arrived on the scene, they reportedly located Durham deceased under suspicious circumstances.

An autopsy has determined Durham died from sharp force injury to the neck.

In the early part of the investigation, state police wrongly charged Frederick A. Wing, 22, Gouverneur, with one count of murder in the second-degree.

Wing also appeared to have intimate knowledge of Durham’s murder on Feb. 11, leading law enforcement to make the initial arrest.

According to District Attorney Gary Pasqua, the arrest was “not made on a whim” and was only made after physical evidence at the scene gave law enforcement probable cause to arrest Wing.

The charges were eventually dropped  later after evidence led police to Smith.

Police say Smith and Wing had no connection, nor did the victims know each other.

“All individuals in the Durham case were known, there were no random coincidences in the case,” Pasqua said.

Police did confirm at the time of Smith's arrest that he had an extensive criminal history and had also recently violated his parole stemming from a previous burglary conviction.

Following his arrest, Smith waived his right to a preliminary hearing on March 14, 2023.

The case was then divested to St. Lawrence County Court.

Now, just over a year-and-a-half later, Smith is set to stand trial for the two murders after a handful of delays.

Smith is currently an inmate at the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility after Judge Greg Stories denied a previous bail request.