Woman wanted in 2019 deadly shooting booked into Finney County Jail

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - A woman wanted in connection with the September 2019 shooting death of a Garden City man is in the Finney County Jail, booked after being extradited from South Carolina, the Garden City Police Department confirmed.

Garden City police said Samantha Jo Smith, 32, was booked into the county jail on Sunday, Sept. 17. Earlier this month, police confirmed U.S. Marshals located and arrested Smith in connection with the death of Ernie Ortiz.

U.S. Marshals found and arrested Smith in Myrtle Beach, S.C., three months after Garden City police obtained an arrest warrant for first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. Police said the department worked with the U.S. Marshals to find Smith since she’d moved out of Kansas.