A 34-year-old man has been charged with killing an elderly man at his home in Baltimore County in November.

Baltimore County police arrested Tavon Smith on Thursday in connection with 81-year-old Jaward Hannah’s death. Smith is charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm with a felony conviction.

Police responded 3400 block of Kelox Road on Nov. 10, 2023, in reference to a past personal robbery. Records show Hannah was found “handcuffed and lying in a pool of blood” inside his home in the Powhatan Farms community.

Upon arrival, investigators noted that the Hannah’s pockets had been turned inside out and that his wallet was missing. An autopsy revealed Hannah had a gunshot wound to his head from a .22 caliber handgun, records show.

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During the investigation, a confidential source said that during the week of the homicide, Smith said that “he was going to his wife’s friend’s house to kill the man because he messed up their relationship,” according to records.

The source added that they saw Smith with a gun, handcuffs and a police badge.

A search warrant executed on Smith’s home resulted in the recovery of his iPhone, while a search and seizure warrant allowed police to obtain the data on the phone.

While reviewing the phone’s data, police found a photo of a Smith & Wesson 22 caliber handgun. Smith’s DNA was also found in Hannah’s pocket, police said.

Police interviewed Smith at the county’s headquarters where he admitted to being outside of Hannah’s home early in the morning on Nov. 10 — the same day he was killed — but denied any involvement in the death.

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Smith had previously been convicted of first- and second-degree assault, records show. He is currently being held without bond at the Baltimore County Detention Center.

In November, neighbors said Hannah was a “pillar in the community” and that he lived in the home on Kelox Road for more than 50 years.

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner.

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