'First 48:' Cat Fight Turned Deadly; Laquitta Turk Sentenced in Shooting Death of Rosetia Smith

By Alicia Cruz

Senseless Decision Leads to Conviction in Death of Rosetia Smith

L.Turk/Photo: Alabama DOC

Laquintta Turk, 23, did not know Rosetia Smith. The two women lived in the same Alabama city, but never exchanged glances let alone words until the night Smith decided to get into a verbal altercation with some of Turk's friends.

The end result would leave Smith dead of a gunshot wound and Turk cooling her heels in an Alabama prison until she's too old to remember what landed her in the slammer in the first place.

 Their story was featured on an episode of the crime drama,"The First 48: Girl Fight; Blink of an Eye."

The night of July 23, 2009, Smith was visiting the apartment of friend, Tiffany Allen. Allen was having problems with another woman, Lashan Catlin, who was upset that Allen's sister gave birth to a child by Catlin's former boyfriend.

I know stupid, right? It gets crazier.

Allen and Catlin squabbled via cell phone and that night, Catlin took Allen up on her offer to meet and argue in person over the "baby-momma drama." Allen brought along several friends, one of them was Turk, who decided to bring a (totally legal) handgun to a cat-fight over some jerk.


Smith, who, again, had nothing to do with the drama, decided to leave, and as she drove out of the apartment complex, she ran into Catlin, who brought along three friends.

As the two women’s vehicles passed one another, they began exchanging vulgar insults. According to Al.com, the young women parked their cars in a parking lot on the 4100 block of Trax Drive and at some point, Catlin exited her car and approached Smith, who still sitting in her own car.

Cameron Marshall, Smith's boyfriend testified that Catlin and Smith began arguing. Catlin then slapped Smith and the two began struggling.

During this time, mind you, Smith's minor children are in the back of the car. At least one of her sons was awake and witnessed the entire tragedy. One witness said Smith was trying to drive away while still tussling with Catlin through....Full Story