Thomas Yanasak

Carol Smith's Story

“Somebody Took My Mommy”

Crying five-year-old Michael Smith wandered the J.A. Conley department store on June 13th, 1978. He approached a clerk and told her “Somebody took my mommy.” The clerk immediately called authorities and a short time later police arrived at the scene.

Police learned that Michael and his mother, 23-year-old Carol Smith, were spending the afternoon together shopping for a birthday present for Michael’s cousin, her brother’s son. Mrs. Smith’s husband stayed at home while the couple’s two-year-old daughter took a nap. Mrs. Smith bought a little red wagon for her nephew and returned to her automobile with Michael.

Michael told police he was in the back seat of his mother’s car when a man with curly hair, a white shirt and holding a large knife approached his mother. As Mrs. Smith tried to get in the driver’s seat the man grabbed her. He told Mrs. Smith that if she did not go quietly, he would kill her son. Mrs. Smith screamed for help however no one offered to assist her. In order to save her son’s life Mrs. Smith complied with the man’s demand. Michael said the man drove Mrs. Smith away in a red car.

A little over an hour later a man driving to his home spotted a body about 1000 yards off the road in a secluded area. Police arrived and found the body of Carol Smith. Her clothes were found scattered under trees in the area. Beer cans were strewn around her body. She had been stabbed 27 times in the arms, legs, chest, neck, and abdomen. She had several stab wounds to her lungs and vaginal area. The wounds made by the knife severed a major artery and collapsed both of Mrs. Smith’s lungs. The abductor also eviscerated Mrs. Smith. Her intestines and organs were left outside her body cavity. Authorities immediately began the hunt for Mrs. Smith’s killer.

A Loving Mother and Wife

Carol Smith was a young, innocent, happily married, loving mother who had a full life ahead of her. She was adored by everyone and her kindness touched all those around her. Mrs. Smith had a special place in her heart for all animals and was always rescuing strays. She brought pets home to her children, to her parents, to her brother and sister-in-law, as well as the rest of her family. Mrs. Smith also had a passion for baking and cooking. Her specialties were pecan pie and chicken and dumplings. Her favorite color was peach and her favorite flowers were carnations.

Mrs. Smith most cherished being a mother to her two young children. She sewed many baby bonnets for her daughter with care. Her heart went into making them and it showed with each one. Mrs. Smith thrived on being a mom. She was very involved with both of her children. Old family photo albums are filled with pictures of her playing with the children, being affectionate with them, and doting on her young son and daughter. She dedicated her life to her children, took care of them, protected them, and made them feel safe. She had hopes and dreams which included expanding her family. The future was bright for the Smith family.

Family meant more than anything to Mrs. Smith. Not only was Mrs. Smith and an amazing mother and wife, she was a great daughter to her parents and granddaughter to her grandparents. She would do anything for them. Mrs. Smith’s best friend was her sister-in-law, her husband’s sister. They did everything together and always had fun. They would play with Michael and his little sister and they read them books until bedtime. Once the children were tucked in bed, they would go in the kitchen and have girl talk or bake. They laughed a lot.

One Last Goodbye

The last thing Mrs. Smith’s sister-in-law did for her best friend was pick out a dress for her funeral. She chose a dress, peach, Mrs. Smith’s favorite color. The funeral director said it had to be a high neckline to cover the neck wounds. At the funeral home they had to put the dress on backwards to cover more of Mrs. Smith’s neck.

The family was not even certain they would be able to have an open casket until the last minute. The mortician continually came in to touch up makeup on Mrs. Smith’s face and hands because dark color was coming to the surface. When visitation came and it was time for the family to say their last goodbyes it was absolutely overwhelming for everyone. The most heart wrenching moment occurred when Michael was told it was time to say goodbye to Mommy. He climbed halfway into the coffin to kiss his mother goodbye.

A Break Leads To A Predator

As police were searching for Mrs. Smith’s killer, they caught a huge break. A clerk at the department store had been alerted earlier in the day that shoplifters were working the area and to be on the lookout for suspicious people. After returning from lunch, the clerk noticed a suspicious man in a 1968 red Chevelle outside the store. The man was drinking a beer and watching women who were entering and leaving the store. The clerk wrote down the suspicious man’s license plate number. After obtaining the license plate number from the clerk, police immediately traced the vehicle back to 31-year-old drifter and construction worker Thomas Yanasak. He was arrested and taken to police headquarters. When police searched his home, they found books dealing with crime scenes and kidnappings. Mrs. Smith’s underwear was found in his car.

Police learned Yanasak had also tried to abduct a 22-year-old woman from a laundromat in the exact same manner the day before abducting Mrs. Smith. The woman stated a red car was parked next to her and, while she was loading clothes into her car, a man pulled a knife and tried to abduct her. The woman’s five-year-old daughter was in the backseat. She leaned on her car horn and three men rushed to the woman’s aid. The man said, “I ain’t hurting her”, jumped into his car, and sped away. The men who assisted the woman wrote down the license plate number. A police report was filed however authorities were unable to trace the plate number. When the woman saw Yanasak on the local news, she immediately recognized him as the man who tried to kidnap her at the laundromat. After Yanasak’s arrest police matched the plate number the men provided to the license plate number Yanasak’s vehicle.

Another woman, who was at the same shopping center as Mrs. Smith, identified Yanasak as the man she suspected of slashing her tires two hours before Mrs. Smith was kidnapped at knifepoint. According to the woman she came out of a store and found her tires slashed. The woman went back into the store, called her father, and went back to her car to wait for him. A suspicious man approached her to see if she needed assistance. She told him she had already called for help and went back to the store and called the sheriff’s office. She also stated she saw the same man drinking an alcoholic beverage in the parking lot. The license number the woman provided matched the plate on Yanasak’s vehicle.

A Violent Felon Gets Life

When Yanasak was arrested, he was no stranger to the law. In 1970, Yanasak was charged with rape in Michigan. He accepted a plea deal, was convicted of attempted rape, and sentenced from one to five years in prison. He also had a criminal history dating back to 1967, which included multiple felonious assault charges.

There was overwhelming evidence against Yanasak, including five-year-old Michael Smith who was an eyewitness to his mother’s abduction. Facing a possible death sentence, Yanasak pled no contest to the aggravated murder of Carol Smith. He said nothing at sentencing. He made no apology and showed no remorse. Yanasak escaped the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison for his horrific crime.

No Parole

Thomas Yanasak is a sadistic killer who preys on innocent women. We believe, based on the nature of his crime and the evidence, that Yanasak very likely may have raped and/or killed others before Mrs. Smith. It is our opinion that Thomas Yanasak is a potential serial killer. If he is released from prison before he dies, there will likely be many more victims as a direct result of his actions. Granting parole to Thomas Yanasak would not further the interests of justice and it would be a complete injustice to Carol Smith and her family.

Based on the fact that Thomas Yanasak abducted an innocent woman in front of her five-year-old son and then brutally murdered and mutilated her, and the fact he demonstrates a clear pattern of stalking and attacking women, we believe Thomas Yanasak should be required to serve his FULL life sentence.