Press Release
Kenneth Smith Sentenced to 20 Years for Random Act of Assault, Robbery
September 26, 2024
(Nome, AK) – On Sept. 23, Nome Superior Court Judge Romano DiBenedetto sentenced 36-year-old Kenneth Smith to 20 years for the assault and robbery of Joshua Prentice.
At trial in Feb. 2024, the evidence showed that on June 23, 2023, Smith violently attacked 23-year-old Joshua Prentice in broad daylight and without provocation in front of the Nome’s Visitor Center on Front Street. Smith kicked Prentice repeatedly in the head and body, breaking his arm and causing injury to his head and face, ultimately rendering Prentice unconscious.
The assault was interrupted when a bystander intervened, and the Nome Police Department arrived on scene. Prentice was seen exhibiting seizure-like activity. Due to the lack of ambulance service at the time, Prentice was ultimately transported to the Norton Sound Health Corporation on a piece of plywood in the back of a Nome Police Department pickup truck, where he was stabilized and treated for his injuries.
Smith was facing a presumptive sentencing range of 15-20 years based on four prior felony convictions.
Assistant District Attorney Ashly Crockett prosecuted this case with the assistance of paralegal Luella Iyatunguk. The case was investigated by the Nome Police Department.
Contact: Nome Assistant District Attorney Ashly Crockett at ashly.crockett@alaska.gov
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Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.
Due to resource constraints, we no longer post links to referenced records. Records filed in a federal court are readily available at Docket Search or PACER, and records filed in a State of Alaska court are readily available from the Alaska Court System (Trial Courts - Alaska Court System and Search for an Appellate Case). Contact Sam Curtis to request a referenced record that is not readily available from a court or on the internet, or contact law.recordsrequest@alaska.gov to submit a formal Alaska Public Records Act request.