Susan Smith, the grandmother of murder suspect Andrew Maresh, was arrested for hindering prosecution in the case. Authorities say she knew the victim was buried on her property in Fairview. (Cullman County Sheriff’s Office)
CULLMAN – The grandmother of one of the men accused of the murder of Hartselle man Daniel Ray Osborn II, 22, was arrested recently and charged with first-degree hindering prosecution, according to court documents.
Osborn’s body was found buried on the property of Susan Winton Smith, 65, of Fairview on March 26. Tyler Stephen Hudson, 20, of Baileyton and Andrew Jacob Maresh, 19, of Hartselle were arrested and charged with murder that same night. Authorities recovered the body of Osborn, who had last been seen by his family on Feb. 3, 2018, from Smith’s property on County Road 1534 in the Fairview community. Court documents revealed that Osborn died of a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
Smith, who is the grandmother of Maresh, “did conceal the body of Daniel Ray Osborn II,” according to the District Court complaint on file.
The complaint states: “On or about February 3, 2018, Susan Winton Smith was advised by her grandson, Andrew Maresh, and Tyler Hudson that they had killed Daniel Ray Osborn and buried him in her yard on CR 1534. Since then, Susan Smith never advised anyone, to include the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and/or the Hartselle Police Department of the murder/buried body of Mr. Osborn. On March 29, 2018, Susan Smith was arrested for Hindering Prosecution 1st Degree and booked in the Cullman County Detention Center.”
Smith was assigned a $10,000 property bond and was released after bond was posted.
Maresh was assigned a bond of $25,000 cash, which has not yet been paid. He remains in the Cullman County Detention Center. The bail request placed before Judge Kim Chaney stated that:
- “The offender is out on bond on an unrelated drug offense.” According to other court documents, the offense included possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance (Alprazolam), and additionally included possession of multiple counterfeit bills.
- “The offender admitted to being involved in a murder on February 3, 2018.”
- “The listed offender has made threats toward the co-defendant as well as witnesses to this case.”
Hudson was assigned a bond of $15,000 cash, also unpaid, and remains in the Cullman County Detention Center. The bail request placed before Judge Kim Chaney stated that:
- “The listed offender stated that he is in fear of his own life and that he would commit suicide due to the fact that he couldn’t live with what he had done.”
- “The offender admitted to being involved in a murder on February 3, 2018.”
Authorities from the Cullman County Sheriff's Office, Hartselle Police Department and Cullman County Coroner's Office worked together to recover Osborn’s body in Fairview.
On March 27, the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, “(On) Monday, March 26, 2018, Cullman County Sheriff’s (Office) ‘CCSO’ investigators and Hartselle Police Department investigators responded to an address in the Fairview community, Cullman County. This response was from several weeks of a relentless investigation of a missing person’s case that was initiated in the Hartselle community. Sadly, in the course of the investigation, the victim’s body was discovered buried at the residence.”
The statement said that after the discovery of the victim’s body, investigators, working in conjunction with the Cullman County District Attorney’s Office, continued the investigation throughout the night.
“I would like to commend the hard work and dedication from the Hartselle Investigators and the Investigators from the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office in working this case together. Our prayers go out to the victim’s family during this time of tragedy and loss,” said Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry.
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