On Saturday, April 16, 2022, around 4:55 a.m., Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch received a report of a burglary on Hummingbird Road in Jackson County. Steven Baxter was arrested and charged in this case on Thursday, Aug. 12.
The JCSO Criminal Investigations Division continued following various leads in reference to the burglary on Hummingbird Road. Baxter’s fiancé, Margaret Melzer Smith, was determined to be actively assisting Baxter in the concealment and destruction of evidence in this investigation. JCSO Investigators obtained a warrant for Smith’s arrest and she was arrested at her home in Bay County by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, Sept. 9, and transported to their local jail to await her first appearance on the charges of Accessory after the Fact to Burglary and Tampering with Evidence.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are forthcoming for those individuals who acted as an accessory to the crimes. If anyone has information that can assist investigators, please contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 850-482-9624. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can submit a tip to Chipola Crimestoppers by calling 850-526-5000 or submitting a tip online at chipolacrimestoppers.com.
