Karen King And Sons Once Wanted For Brutal Beating And Kidnapping

Karen King And Sons Once Wanted For Brutal Beating And Kidnapping

If you tuned in to Love & Hip Hop Atlanta this evening, you got introduced to The King family — portrayed by production as a much feared and revered family in the A. But the “shady past” of the family and why exactly they are so feared in certain circles in Atlanta was lost on most viewers. Karen mentioned in passing having had to go on the run for a crime she didn’t commit, but didn’t elaborate further.

As it turns out, Karen was once wanted for kidnapping and causing SEVERE bodily harm to her sons’ father — with their assistance. While some internet sources claim Karen’s ex-boyfriend, Lyndon Baines Smith was beaten so badly that he actually died upon arrival to the hospital, most news outlets report that all charges stemming for the attack were purely for the beating and kidnapping of the man, not for his killing.

A 2012 11alive story pegged King as the “Fugitive of the Week,” as she was still on the run, while her two sons were brought into police custody over the beating:

The sheriff office got involved in the beating investigation after receiving a call from Cleburne County (Ala.) Police on March 4, when an officer made a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by 22-year-old Melvin Floyd of Atlanta.

The officer thought Floyd was acting suspicious and asked if he could search the car he was driving.

“The driver consented to the search and the officer was actually shocked when he opened the trunk to find a man lying there beaten and bloodied,” Lt. Jamie Gianfala said.

The man in the trunk, 44-year-old Lyndon Baines Smith of Alabama, suffered severe fractures to his face and ribs. Lt. Gianfala said the officer who found him probably saved his life.

“Mr. Smith was going to be transported in the trunk to Alabama to an apartment complex and left to fend for himself,” he said. “Without medical attention, the way he was beaten, the severity of it, he would have passed.”

Well thankfully he lived! Apparently Karen and her sons had been planning the attack for quite some time, and she convinced her sons to lure their father to their Canton, GA home where the brutal beating took place. According to police, once he was inside, Karen, alongside her sons and two of their friends, beat, struck, and repeatedly kicked the victim well past unconsciousness, breaking several of his ribs and facial bones to the point of disfigurement.

Karen’s sons and the two other men — one of whom was new cast member Will Cortez Robinson aka “Scrapp Deleon” — were arrested in the months following the vicious attack, however Karen remained nowhere to be seen well into 2013.

On May 12, Alonte Lyndell Smith, 17 of Canton was arrested in Woodstock, and on June 8, Lyndon Ahlik Smith, 23 of Atlanta was arrested in Miami, Fla. The Smiths are brothers and the biological sons of the victim.

All the suspects are charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated battery. Lt. Gianfala said the beating stemmed from an argument over money.

Investigators say the only suspect who was involved in the beating who is not in custody is Karen King. She is the victim’s ex-girlfriend and mother of Alonte Smith.

“She was an active party in the beating itself,” Gianfala said. “She participated in the cleaning up of the crime scene and in our eyes is as responsible as the rest of them.”

According to WPTV, Karen was finally picked up in Vero Beach, FL after an anonymous tipster alerted authorities after seeing her featured on America’s Most Wanted:

King was at the home of her boyfriend, Aziz Munir, who was renting a condo at the Dunes House in the Sea Oaks community in the 8800 block of N Sea Oaks Way.

An anonymous caller contacted the sheriff’s communication center and indicated that King, who was featured on the America’s Most Wanted Web site, may be at the Sea Oaks location.

Raulen says King had changed her hair color to blonde since the photo of her featured on America’s Most Wanted was taken. She was also in possession of several forms of ID and credit cards which were in names other than her own.

Wow. Well, you definitely can’t say this new crew doesn’t have any street credibility…

Vh1 / Indian River County Sheriff’s Office / Canton PD / WXIA