Contrasting Views Of Murder Suspect

By DAN UHLINGER

Hartford Courant

May 17, 2007

To his colleagues, Kenneth J. Otto Sr. was a successful executive with a bright future at an international metal treatment company.

"He was outgoing and jovial, a very friendly guy. He was a member of the [company's] senior team," said Alan Madden, human relations director for Bodycote, The Americas.

But to more than 30 family members and friends of Shamaia Smith, an exotic dancer from East Hartford who disappeared in March, the 56-year-old Ellington man was viewed Wednesday as her coldhearted killer.

"Murderer!" one family member shouted as she stomped out of a courtroom in Superior Court in Manchester, where Otto was arraigned on one count of murder and two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with Smith's death.

Several other Smith supporters shouted profanities at Otto and stormed out as eight judicial marshals lined the front of the courtroom, trying to maintain order. One court official said he feared that the supporters would have attacked Otto were it not for the marshals' presence.

Judge Raymond Norko, who had read an affidavit for Otto's arrest, said the evidence gathered in the investigation of Smith's death was overwhelming. Norko called it a "heinous crime."

East Hartford police arrested Otto Tuesday at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks shortly after they were told a warrant for Otto's arrest had been signed by Superior Court Judge Edward J. Mullarkey in Hartford.

Mullarkey ordered Otto, of 21 Windmill Road, Ellington, to be held without bail until his arraignment. Adam Scott, supervisory assistant state's attorney, told Norko that Otto went to the airport with more than $10,000 in U.S. and Canadian currency, a newly issued passport, a container of toiletries and pill bottles with medications for a trip.

"He's an extreme flight risk," Scott said in asking for a $10 million cash bail.

Richard Brown, a lawyer for Otto, said Otto knew for two months that he was the only suspect in Smith's killing and could have fled earlier.

"That was not his inclination," Brown said. "He could have left but did not."

Brown said Otto was at the airport to pick up a business associate. He said most of the money Otto was holding was U.S. currency that he planned to spend on lawyer fees and the passport was in a briefcase that he often carries for business reasons. Brown said he also told Otto to keep his medications with him because of his pending arrest.

Madden said he and Otto's other colleagues were shocked by the arrest.

Otto is group operations director for the company, which provides metallurgical services to aerospace, automotive and other industries, and has an office at a company plant in South Windsor.

John Hubbard, chief executive officer of Bodycote, said in a statement that Otto was suspended from his job Wednesday.

"We are deeply saddened by the murder of Ms. Shamaia Smith and our condolences go out to her family at this time," Hubbard said.

Last month after police searched a 75-acre Stafford tract owned by Otto and said they had found human remains, later identified as Smith's, Otto's wife, Kathleen J., filed for divorce.

The two have been married 33 years and have a son and a daughter.

Geena Canty, Smith's aunt and a spokeswoman for her family, said she and her relatives were relieved that Otto was arrested.

Canty also said Smith's supporters, some wearing T-shirts with Smith's photo and the words 'We love you, Shamaia. Rest in peace,' attended the arraignment because they wanted to send a message to the court. "We wanted the judge to understand Shamaia is not just an exotic dancer. She's someone's daughter, niece and sister. And we want justice," Canty said.

Smith, of 35 Indian Hill Road, East Hartford, disappeared March 14 and failed to show up for work at Kahoots, a strip club in Vernon. Police say Otto killed her and then tried to dispose of her body by burning it on the wooded Stafford tract he has used for hunting.

Town police, assisted by state police, searched the tract for four days in mid-April and said they found Smith's remains and gun shell casings in a fire pit. The remains included teeth, her left foot and bone fragments from her legs, arms, back, pelvis and skull, police said. DNA tests on the remains confirmed that they were those of Smith, police said Tuesday.

Police said Otto admitted being with Smith the day she disappeared and lied about taking her to another Kahoots club in East Hartford.