Lakeland mom upset by state offering plea deal to daughter's accused murderer
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POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Lakeland mother is furious after she said the man charged with killing her daughter wasn’t given a long enough sentence. Cherie Smith has spoken to 8 On Your Side multiple times since her daughter, Angel Snell, was stabbed to death at a construction site in July 2024.

Snell had a daughter to raise. Al’Honesty is her name. She is now 6 years old.

“She used to take me out to parks,” Al’Honesty said when asked what she remembers about her mother.

It’s been just over a year since her mother was stabbed to death. The family said the man responsible was given a plea deal and a 10-year prison sentence.

“He needs more time in jail because of what he did to my mommy,” Al’Honesty said.

Her grandmother, Cherie Smith, reached out to 8 On Your Side after the state attorney’s office called them Thursday saying they would be negotiating a plea deal. Smith said, at the time, she couldn’t find the words.

“I think he should have got longer. He wasn’t the victim. My daughter was the victim,” Smith said.

Previous reports said Snell and Kenneth Foresyth were fighting when he stabbed her. 8 On Your Side asked the state attorney’s office to confirm the length of the sentence and the details of the plea agreement. They sent this statement:

“This crime occurred on a lot frequented by homeless individuals engaged in narcotic activity.  At the time of this incident, the victim and witness were visiting the property to use narcotics when they encountered the defendant who was setting a fire. The victim and the defendant had an argument that led to a physical altercation that resulted in the victim being stabbed. The witness has provided multiple different accounts regarding whether the victim or defendant started the physical altercation. Without any other witnesses or evidence, the decision was made to negotiate a plea. The victim’s mother informed our office that there were other individuals (not the defendant) that were responsible. Law enforcement never found any evidence or testimony to support this claim.”

“If she did hit him or if she did, you know, kick burned ashes on him, I think him being a man, he should have walked away. He called the cops. He didn’t have to stab her so many times and kill her,” Smith said.

8 On Your Side checked court records in this case and asked the state attorney’s office twice to confirm if Foresyth was sentenced and what the sentence for the deal would be but, as of publishing, has not heard back.

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