A basketball tournament planned for later this month will honor Murray native Samarah Smith, who was killed in April, while calling for justice and raising awareness about domestic violence.
Hoops Against Silence will be held Saturday, Aug. 22, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Chestnut Park basketball courts. Event organizer Demond Crumbaugh said four teams have registered, meeting the minimum needed to hold the tournament, but additional teams may sign up through Friday, Aug. 7.
The entry fee for teams is $100, and the winning team will receive a cash prize. Vendors may also participate in the event. All donations from the event will go to Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center, a nonprofit providing services to people affected by domestic violence.
Smith, who was 22 when she died, was born in Murray and graduated from Murray High School in 2022, according to her obituary. At the time of her death, she was visiting Clarksville, Tennessee, where the father of her 2-month-old daughter lived.
Clarksville police found Smith suffering from multiple stab wounds April 26, according to NewsChannel 5. She later died at a hospital, and police charged the father of her child with homicide. Her mother, Brandi Shekell, said Smith had received help from Merryman House, attended counseling and taken other precautions while trying to leave the relationship.
According to FBI statistics, the percentage of violent crimes involving domestic relationships has increased from 25.6% in 2020 to 27.5% in 2024. Of the offenses included in the report, aggravated assault had the highest average percentage, followed by rape, murder and robbery, respectively.
Kentucky’s 2025 Domestic Violence Data report found reported domestic violence incidents and arrests increased from 2024 to 2025. The report also states the Commonwealth does not have a formal system for tracking homicides related to domestic violence, including deaths of bystanders and other family members — leaving the true death toll unknown.
Crumbaugh said Smith was a close friend and chose Murray as the event’s location because it was her hometown. He said the idea was inspired by a similar event in Evansville, Indiana, called the Dust Bowl.
Crumbaugh enlisted Tymar Haliburton as a co-host and Joseph Reeves, Jr., who will DJ the event. Reeves, a Murray State alumnus, said he and Crumbaugh have been friends since they were children and have worked together on events in the past.
Reeves said he was honored to be invited to work on Hoops Against Silence, especially because of the impact organizers hope the event will have.
“(Crumbaugh) lost a close personal friend earlier this year to domestic violence,” Reeves said, “so putting on this event is extremely personal to him and her family.”
“I realized that she followed every step to get away from her situation but still couldn’t get the help she needed,” Crumbaugh said. “I want to bring awareness to this because not everyone will speak up. Some women are terrified to speak up and others want to protect the spouse. It’s not fair to them!”
Crumbaugh vowed to never let Smith’s story be overlooked.
“We are still fighting for justice,” he said. “That’s why I am doing this event to let people know domestic violence is serious and we need to make a change.”
For more information about registering a team or participating as a vendor, contact Crumbaugh through Facebook or Instagram.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here