Woman Faces Murder Charge in Mardi Gras Queen’s Death
MOBILE, Ala.
By Dale Hines
Blue RAM Media
April 3, 2025
A grand jury has indicted a Mobile woman on a charge of murder relating to a fatal wreck where she had previously been charged with reckless manslaughter.
38-year-old Spencer Luanne Strickland is accused of crashing into Katherine Smith in September 2024 on Airport Boulevard near McGregor Avenue, killing Smith.
Smith was a Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association queen.
At Strickland’s preliminary hearing on Nov. 14, Mobile Police Department Lead Investigator James Welch testified that Strickland was purposefully running red lights while heading westbound on Airport Boulevard. She was reported to be driving at least 82 miles per hour in a 40-mile zone.
According to investigators, Strickland showed no concern for Smith after the crash and was told by witnesses that she was “running around erratically worrying about her dog.”
Officers said they did find a small cup that had alcohol inside and that Strickland smelled of alcohol.
Welch said officers gave Strickland a sobriety test, and it was determined she was impaired. Officers also reportedly determined that Strickland had THC in her system.
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