Daniel Wayne Smith: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Son of Anna Nicole Smith (1986–2006)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2016}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Daniel Wayne Smith

|birth_name =

|birth_date = {{birth date|1986|01|22}}

|birth_place = [[Mexia, Texas]], U.S.

|death_date = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|2006|09|10|1986|01|22}}}}

|death_place = [[Nassau, Bahamas]]

|death_cause = [[Drug overdose]]

| father = Billy Wayne Smith

| mother = [[Anna Nicole Smith]]

|relatives = [[Dannielynn Birkhead]] (half-sister)

'''Daniel Wayne Smith''' (January 22, 1986 – September 10, 2006) was the son of the American model and actress [[Anna Nicole Smith|Anna Nicole]] and Billy Smith. He occasionally appeared in his mother's [[E! Network]] reality TV show. Smith died on September 10, 2006, at age 20, after an [[accidental overdose]].

==Life==

Smith was born on January 22, 1986, in [[Mexia, Texas]], to Billy Wayne Smith and [[Anna Nicole Smith|Vickie Lynn Hogan]] (alias Anna Nicole Smith). After his parents separated in 1987, Daniel was raised by his mother and maternal grandmother, Virgie Arthur, in [[Texas]] until he was six years old. He attended [[North Hollywood High School]] in Los Angeles.<ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-feb-18-me-characters18-story.html Los Angeles Archive: Daniel Smith</ref><ref name="Who was">{{cite web | url=http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/ny-smithlife0926,0,3691935.story?coll=ny-entertainment-headlines | title=Who was Daniel Wayne Smith? | work=Newsday | access-date=September 25, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228101730/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/ny-smithlife0926%2C0%2C3691935.story?coll=ny-entertainment-headlines | archive-date=February 28, 2007 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> He was the stepson of [[J. Howard Marshall|J. Howard Marshall II]], whom his mother met at a strip club and married in 1994.

At age 16, Smith was featured as himself on his mother's [[reality television]] series, ''[[The Anna Nicole Show]]'', which ran on the [[E!|E! Entertainment Television]] channel from 2002 to 2004. In a second-season episode he would mention that he no longer wanted to be part of the show. He was also seen with his mother in ''[[E! True Hollywood Story]]''. Daniel played bit parts in two of his mother's films, ''[[Skyscraper (1996 film)|Skyscraper]]'' and ''[[To the Limit (1995 film)|To the Limit]]''. Described by his mother as a straight-A [[honor student]],<ref name="Larry King">{{cite news | url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0609/12/lkl.01.html | title=Anna Nicole Smith's Son Dies | work=Larry King Live | access-date=September 12, 2006}}</ref> he had last been attending classes at [[Los Angeles Valley College]] in the summer of 2006.<ref name="Who was" />

==Death==

Smith died in his mother's hospital room while visiting her at the maternity ward in Doctors Hospital in [[Nassau, Bahamas]], on September 10, 2006, just three days after she had given birth to his half-sister [[Dannielynn Birkhead]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1533524,00.html | title=Anna Nicole's Son Dies, Daughter Is Born | work=People | access-date=September 11, 2006 | archive-date=November 25, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125132805/http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1533524,00.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Cyril Wecht]], an American forensic pathologist, stated Daniel Smith accidentally overdosed on [[methadone]] and antidepressants. [[Larry Birkhead]], testifying at an inquest, stated that security in the house indicated that Daniel had stolen his mother's [[methadone]], actually used drugs with his mother, and lost about twenty pounds before his death.<ref>[https://www.news24.com/Entertainment/CelebNews/Annas-son-was-using-drugs-20080317 "Anna's Son Was Using Drugs"]. News24, 18.03.2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Drug-use-by-Anna-Nicole-s-son-recalled-in-death-8437955.php "Drug use by Anna Nicole's son recalled in death inquest"]. Associated Press, March 16, 2008.</ref>

===Investigation and inquest===

Her Majesty's Coroner announced on September 12 that: "The cause of death is not natural. However, we wish to reserve the cause of death at this time pending the toxicologist examination and report for confirmation of cause of death. Friday is the likely release date for the autopsy and toxicology report."

The following day, the chief inspector of the coroner's office, told the [[Associated Press]] whenever there is a suspicious death we would have an inquest to determine how the person died,"<ref name='Anna Nicole Grieves Suspicious Death'>{{cite news| author=Gina Serpe| title=Anna Nicole Grieves "Suspicious" Death| date=September 13, 2006| publisher=eonline| url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid%3Dc60c7768-34dc-41d0-a035-b57095271d52%26entry%3Dindex| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214110523/http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=c60c7768-34dc-41d0-a035-b57095271d52&entry=index| url-status=dead| archive-date=December 14, 2007| access-date=February 22, 2007| df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Attorney Michael Scott, read a prepared statement: "The devastation and grief over Daniel's sudden death coupled with the sedation has been so extreme that Anna Nicole experienced memory loss of the event. Anna Nicole was so distraught at the loss of Daniel that she refused to leave his side and it was necessary to sedate her in order to check her out of the hospital," Scott said that the third person in the room at the time of the death was another one of Anna Nicole Smith's attorneys, [[Howard K. Stern]]. Mr. Scott was a partner in the law firm Callenders and Co. and would later reveal that he had been asked by the real estate developer [[G. Ben Thompson]] and an associate, who he said were friends of Ms. Smith, to act on her behalf after the sudden death of her 20-year-old son Daniel.<ref name='Attorney Says Immigration Minister Should Resign'>{{cite news|author=Quincy Parker |title=Attorney Says Immigration Minister Should Resign |date=October 30, 2006 |url=http://www.jonesbahamas.com/print.php?a=10401 |work=The Bahama Journal |access-date=February 22, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031131127/http://www.jonesbahamas.com/print.php?a=10401 |archive-date=October 31, 2006 |df=mdy }}</ref> Scott, Callenders and Co., and G. Ben Thompson were to figure prominently as Anna Nicole Smith's adversaries in the highly politicized Bahamian residency scandal surrounding her disputed home ownership.

On September 20, 2006, authorities issued a death certificate for the son of Anna Nicole Smith but left the cause of death undetermined pending toxicology tests.<ref name='Authorities issue death certificate for Anna Nicole Smiths son'>"She's much better," he told the AP. "You never get over that, you get through it. Time is the catalyst for that."At this time he added that Anna Nicole Smith has been granted permanent residency in the Bahamas.{{cite news |title=Authorities issue death certificate for Anna Nicole Smith's son |date=September 21, 2006 |publisher=AP |url=http://www.courttv.com/people/2006/0921/anna_nicole_smith2_ap.html |access-date=February 22, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929210543/http://www.courttv.com/people/2006/0921/anna_nicole_smith2_ap.html |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |df=mdy }}</ref>

The long-awaited inquest in the Bahamas into the death of Daniel started on October 30, 2007.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-annanicole-inquest-idUSN2427154420070924 "Bahamas to hold inquest in death of Daniel Smith"]. Reuters.com</ref>

In March 2008, Bahamas jury determined that Anna Nicole Smith's son died from an accidental drug overdose and recommended no criminal charges.<ref>[http://cbsnews.com/news/jury-anna-nicoles-son-death-an-accident/ "Jury: Anna Nicole's Son Death An Accident"]. CBS. com, Associated Press, March 31, 2008.</ref>

===Funeral in the Bahamas===

Howard K. Stern told Florida Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin during his testimony at Anna Nicole Smith's baby custody trial following her death: "At Daniel's funeral, she had them open the coffin and tried to climb inside. She said that "If Daniel has to be buried, I want to be buried with him," Stern testified. "She was ready to go down with him."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070220/ENTERTAIN/70220018 |title=Howard K. Stern says Anna wanted to be buried next to her son |work=recordonline.com |access-date=April 20, 2007}}</ref> Howard K. Stern revealed that "Anna saw herself as both mother and father to Daniel. From the time I met her, everything was for Daniel. I would say that physically, she died last week, but in a lot of ways, emotionally she died when Daniel died."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1536410_20012329,00.html |title=Howard K. Stern: Anna was my whole world |work=People |access-date=April 20, 2007 |archive-date=March 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070301210638/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C1536410_20012329%2C00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artharris.com/2007/06/16/exclusive-howard-k-stern-talks-fathers-day-larry-birkhead-plans-special-day-for-dannielynn-fathers-day-surprise-flowers-on-annas-grave/ |title=Howard K. Stern talks Father's Day| work=Art Harris:The Bald Truth |date=June 16, 2007 |access-date=June 16, 2007}}</ref>

On October 7, Daniel's friends and family, including his father Billy Smith and grandmother Virgie Arthur, gathered at the First Baptist Church of [[Mexia, Texas|Mexia]] for a separate memorial service while Anna Nicole remained with Howard K. Stern in the Bahamas. Daniel was eulogized at the service by his great-grandfather Gus Moser.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/10/08/10082006wacdanielsmith.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20061025155351/http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/10/08/10082006wacdanielsmith.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 25, 2006 | title=Mexia says goodbye to celebrity son | work=The Waco Tribune-Herald | access-date=October 8, 2006 }}</ref> Daniel was finally buried at [[New Providence]], [[Bahamas]], on October 19, 2006.<ref name="Funeral">{{cite web | url=http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1548489,00.html | title=Funeral Held for Anna Nicole Smith's Son | work=People | access-date=October 19, 2006 | archive-date=November 8, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061108042426/http://people.aol.com/people/article/0%2C26334%2C1548489%2C00.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> According to Howard K. Stern, Smith's long-time companion, she was devastated over her son's death. "Anna and Daniel were inseparable. Daniel was without question the most important person in Anna's life."

===Independent autopsy===

Dr. [[Cyril Wecht]] was hired by Callenders and Co., a Bahamian law firm, to do an independent autopsy.<ref name='Anna Nicole May Not Pay Callenders'>{{cite news| author=Quincy Parker| title=Anna Nicole May Not Pay Callenders| date=January 23, 2007| url=http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c%3D45%26a%3D11289| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070317100436/http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=11289| url-status=dead| archive-date=March 17, 2007| work=The Bahama Journal| access-date=February 17, 2007| df=mdy-all}}</ref> Wecht stated Daniel Smith died as a result of the interaction of [[methadone]], an analgesic, and the [[antidepressant]]s [[Zoloft]] and [[Lexapro]]. The metabolism and the breakdown of the methadone is delayed in the presence of Zoloft, according to Wecht. Methadone can alter the cardiac rhythm – it's referred to as a prolongation of the QT interval. "When that is prolonged, the individual could even lose consciousness, and suffer cardiac dysrhythmia. And that is something that can happen from methadone alone, and in the presence of Zoloft and Lexapro, it is more likely to happen," "I don't mean frequently, and certainly not predictably, so tragically, with this young man this is what happened. So I have no question at all as to the cause of death."<ref name='Meds Killed Daniel Smith'>{{cite news |author=Nicole Weisensee Egan |title=Pathologist: Meds Killed Daniel Smith |work=People |publisher=People |date=September 28, 2006 |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,26334,1540184,00.html |access-date=February 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220002646/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,26334,1540184,00.html |archive-date=February 20, 2007 |df=mdy }}</ref><ref name='Pathologist Ready To Testify'>{{cite news| author=Quincy Parker| title=Pathologist Ready To Testify If Needed| date=November 27, 2006| publisher=Bahamas News Online Edition| url=http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c%3D45%26a%3D10661| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810013417/http://jonesbahamas.com/?c%3D45%26a%3D10661| url-status=dead| archive-date=August 10, 2017| work=The Bahama Journal| access-date=February 18, 2007| df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Wecht later told the press that he had not been paid. He told the Bahamas Journal that he had originally been contacted by Michael Scott, and was ostensibly working with him and Tracey Ferguson (of Callenders and Co.). Scott and Ferguson dropped out of the picture, and attorney [[Wayne Munroe]] took over Ms. Smith's representation. "I believe, quite frankly, that there has been some breakdown in communication, and quite possibly some antagonism. Scott and Ferguson were representing real estate developer G. Ben Thompson in an action against Anna Nicole Smith over her house in the Bahamas.<ref name='Pathologist Says He Been Hasn'>{{cite news| author=Quincy Parker| title=Anna Nicole's Pathologist Says He Hasn't Been Paid| date=November 21, 2006| publisher=Bahamas News Online Edition| url=http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c%3D45%26a%3D10588| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810013744/http://jonesbahamas.com/?c%3D45%26a%3D10588| url-status=dead| archive-date=August 10, 2017| work=The Bahama Journal| access-date=February 18, 2007| df=mdy-all}}</ref>

On February 8, 2007, Wecht said on [[Fox News]] that there was still no information available as to how Daniel obtained methadone. Although methadone is prescribed in place of other opioids for pain relief and is used in the treatment of [[heroin]] and [[morphine]] addiction, Wecht had said he had no information to make any conclusion about why Daniel was using it.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/27/smith.son.ap/index.html | title=Pathologist: 'Classical' drug combo killed Smith's son | work=CNN | access-date=September 27, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060928083114/http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/27/smith.son.ap/index.html |archive-date = September 28, 2006}}</ref> On February 14, it was reported that his mother Anna Nicole Smith had been given a prescription for methadone under a false name while she was in her eighth month of pregnancy.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tmz.com/2007/02/14/the-doctor-who-scored-methadone-for-anna-nicole/ | title=The Doctor Who Scored Methadone for Anna Nicole | work=TMZ | access-date=February 14, 2006}}</ref> Ford Shelley claimed that methadone was found in Anna's bedroom refrigerator while her Bahamas mansion was being reclaimed by his father-in-law, real estate developer G. Ben Thompson.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/12/people_late_great/main2466142.shtml |title=Did Methadone Contribute To Anna's Death? |work=CBS News |access-date=February 12, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070222084354/http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/12/people_late_great/main2466142.shtml |archive-date=February 22, 2007 |df=mdy }}</ref>

==Anna Nicole Smith estate==

Anna Nicole Smith died suddenly on February 8, 2007, less than five months after her son's death. Florida circuit court judge [[Larry Seidlin]], who oversaw the disposition of Smith's body, ordered Anna Nicole Smith's will produced. It was released on February 16, 2007.<ref name="AnnaDisinherit">{{cite news | url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,21243019-5001026,00.html | title=Anna's daughter left out | work=The Daily Telegraph | access-date=February 18, 2007 | first=Stefanie | last=Balogh | date=February 18, 2007}}</ref><ref name="AnnaWill">{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/16/smith.ruling/index.html | title=Anna Nicole Smith's will leaves everything to dead son | work=CNN | access-date=February 16, 2007}}</ref> The "Will of Vickie Lynn Marshall" was signed on July 30, 2001, and declares:

<blockquote>

I am unmarried. I have one child DANIEL WAYNE SMITH. I have no deceased children nor predeceased children leaving issue. Except as otherwise provided in this Will, I have intentionally omitted to provide for my spouse and other heirs, including future spouses and children and other descendants now living and those hereafter born or adopted, as well as existing and future stepchildren and foster children.

</blockquote>

<blockquote>

All of the property of my estate ... shall be distributed to HOWARD K. STERN, Esq., to hold in trust for my child under such terms as he and a court of competent jurisdiction may declare, such that my children are distributed sufficient sums...and support according to their accustomed manner of living....<ref name='Will of Vickie Lynn Marshall'>{{cite web |url=http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/02/16/pleadings021607v2.pdf |title=Will of Vickie Lynn Marshall |access-date=February 22, 2007 |date=July 30, 2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225220016/http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/02/16/pleadings021607v2.pdf |archive-date=February 25, 2007 |df=mdy }}</ref></blockquote>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Portal|Biography}}

*{{IMDb name|id=1226410|name=Daniel Wayne Smith}}

*{{Find a Grave|15698174|access-date=August 28, 2010}}

*[http://www.annanicole.com/ Anna Nicole's official website]

{{Anna Nicole Smith}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Daniel Wayne}}

[[Category:Accidental deaths in the Bahamas]]

[[Category:People from Mexia, Texas]]

[[Category:1986 births]]

[[Category:2006 deaths]]

[[Category:Drug-related deaths in the Bahamas]]

[[Category:Anna Nicole Smith]]