6-30-10 —     The trial date for a local man accused of shooting a young mother on the porch of her home last September has been postponed. Richard Smith, who is

charged with murder in connection with the death of Samantha Rigney, was originally scheduled to go to trial on Monday, June 28.

    Smith appeared in Wayne Circuit Court earlier this month, as Circuit Judge Vernon Miniard, Jr. ruled in favor of a motion for a continuance in

the case.

    A pretrial conference has been set for July 6 in Wayne Circuit Court and a new trial date could be set at that time.

    In addition to murder, Smith is also charged with five counts of wanton endangerment.

    Rigney died from a single gunshot wound to the head on Saturday, Septem-ber 5, 2009, as she, her husband, her two children, and two guests at

the home were sitting on the front porch of their residence at Parnell.

    According to testimony presented during a preliminary hearing in the

case, witnesses stated that Smith rode up to the residence on horseback,pulled out a pistol and began to fire. 

  Smith was questioned by police several hours later and was then taken

into custody. He remains lodged in the Wayne County Detention Center.