Although they were twin sisters, Denice and Deborah Graham didn’t always get along. However, when Denice expressed her desire to have her ex-husband killed, Deborah was willing to assist. 

The Graham twins were born in 1962 and relocated with their family to Cleveland, Tennessee during the early 1970s. According to Brittany Smith, Denice’s daughter, the girls had a comfortable upbringing and lacked nothing. 

Denice was a good student, while Deborah was affiliated with the wrong crowd. The sisters would often engage in physical altercations during high school, requiring teacher intervention. They harbored a deep dislike for each other. 

The marriage of Aaron Smith- Why did the couple part ways?

In 1981, Denice met and married Jonathan Aaron Smith, a native of Cleveland born in 1960, whom Brittany describes as adventurous, fun-loving, and sociable. 

They wed after dating for a year but faced a tragedy when Denice’s mother died unexpectedly of a heart attack. The incident further strained the relationship between the Graham sisters, with Deborah relocating to New York.

Aaron and Denice had two children in the years that followed their marriage. Then in 1991, Aaron’s parents purchased a commercial campsite in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

Aaron and his family resided in the caretaker’s dwelling while his parents constructed their own residence. Aaron later became a minister and oversaw a small church on the property. In the meantime, Denice commuted 30 miles to work as a dental assistant in Sevierville. 

However, by 1995, their marriage was in turmoil, prompting Aaron to file for divorce and relocate to his parent’s home. 

Aaron was found dead outside his house

Denice and the children stayed behind in their home. On July 23, 1997, at 6:05 p.m., Harry Smith called 911 to report discovering Aaron’s lifeless body outside his house. 

According to court documents, a medical examiner later determined that Aaron had been shot three times, once in the ear, once in the lower back, and fatally in the back of the head. 

David Davenport, a former Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent, informed “Snapped” that the shooting probably occurred between 4 and 5 p.m. since Aaron’s father found him at 6 p.m.

Based on the location where Aaron’s body was discovered and the wounds he sustained, investigators concluded that a conflict had erupted inside the house. Aaron was shot in the back while trying to flee. 

The interior of the residence had been ransacked, and valuables, including jewelry and watches, had been removed. 

A pair of handcuffs was found on a chair. Witnesses reported seeing a white sedan with two passengers cruising the campground around 5 p.m. on the day of the incident. 

Access to the campsite was restricted by a front gate that required a passcode, suggesting that the perpetrators were familiar with the location. 

The investigation made several discoveries

The investigators discovered that Aaron and Denice’s marital difficulties had worsened due to their living conditions at the campsite and Denice’s job, which exacerbated the issue. 

Brittany stated that many women at Denice’s place of employment were having affairs with patients, and Denice was among them. 

After Aaron discovered Denice’s infidelity, he filed for divorce, and Denice counter-sued, accusing Aaron of physically abusing her and their children. 

She later called the police on him and had him removed from the house. Despite being granted visitation rights with his children, Denice often prevented him from seeing them.

During the divorce trial, Denice presented drawings that she claimed depicted Aaron’s abuse, but the judge determined that Denice, not Aaron, drew them.

Aaron had won full custody of his children a week prior to his murder, but when he went to pick them up, Denice had fled with them in a car. 

Who killed Aaron?

Denice was charged with custodial interference after she was located in Florida, but she did not reveal the children’s whereabouts. 

Several days after Aaron’s death, Denice surrendered herself but denied involvement in his murder. She refused to divulge the children’s location until she was released on bond.

Authorities discovered that Aaron had been receiving drugs through the mail, and he was cooperative when Postal Inspectors delivered the package to him. 

The package contained cocaine and a note that suggested an increase in the price for the next shipment. 

Aaron was not charged with any drug-related offenses, but the sender’s fingerprints were found on the package, which was identified as Deborah Graham’s.

The authorities believed that the drug package and Aaron’s murder were connected.

After Aaron Smith won full custody of his children, his parents, who had temporary custody, contacted investigators with statements made by Brittany Smith that connected her to the murder. 

Brittany recounted to authorities that her mother and grandfather took her and her brother to Miami, where they met up with Debi and her boyfriend. Brittany overheard a conversation in which the couple bragged about hurting Aaron, and her mother and grandfather confirmed that they had killed him. 

Rivera was seen wearing Aaron’s watch, and Debi wore a ring belonging to Cleta Smith. The trio was arrested, and Rivera claimed that he had only gone to scare Aaron and that he was alive when he left.

Denice and Debi were tried together and sentenced to life in prison, with Brittany testifying against them. Rivera was convicted of first-degree murder and also sentenced to life in prison. The sisters will be eligible for parole in 2048, and Rivera in 2049, when they are in their eighties.