Vestavia Hills church shooter pleads guilty to killing three; avoids death penalty

The man charged in a deadly shooting inside a Vestavia Hills church last year pleaded guilty Tuesday.

Robert Findlay Smith was charged with capital murder after three people were shot and killed at St. Stephens Episcopal Church.

The victims were identified as 84-year-old Walter Rainey of Irondale, 75-year-old Sarah Yeager of Pelham, and 84-year-old Jane Pounds of Hoover.

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On the day of the shooting, the church was hosting an event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

In February, Smith completed a mental evaluation, and deemed mentally capable of going to trial.

In a news release, Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr said the only sentencing options were either life without parole or the death penalty.

"This type of senseless murder of three innocent people is certainly a case our office would typically try in front of a jury and seek the death penalty, however, that was not the wish of the three families in this case. After much discussion, thought and prayer the families were unanimous that they would prefer a plea of guilty to capital murder and life without parole sentence," said Carr.

Within the plea guidelines Smith will not appeal. Carr said Smith "will die in prison."

"The loss of Jane Pounds, Walter Rainey, and Sarah Yeager is incalculable to their families, friends and community, and of course their church family," said Carr.

Smith's defense lawyer Emory Anthony also released a statement following the plea.

“Reaching a plea is something that came over time. We are thankful the families and the state were willing to consider life without parole to get this done and not force my client to deal with the death penalty," said Anthony.

St. Stephens Episcopal Church clergy sent a message to church members in response to the update.

Almost eleven months ago, an unthinkable act of gun violence forever changed Saint Stephen’s, taking away the lives of three beloved members of our community and deeply affecting many other lives. Since June 16, our community has chosen to focus on the love of God and the profound witness of our martyrs of Saint Stephen’s. They have inspired us to focus on how the church can continue to be a place that welcomes all, in the hope and promise of God that life is always on the other side of tragedy and even death. Saint Stephen’s has chosen to lean into Jesus’ resurrection and victory to be the defining ethic of our faith. This has been a shared effort, and we give thanks to each of you, as together we have taught one another about the Christian faith.

You can read the full messagehere.

After Tuesday's guilty plea ABC33/40's Bobby Poitevint reached out to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church's founder and current church member, Douglas Carpenter.

He did not want to comment on Smith or the guilty plea but reflected on his fellow church member's resilience in the wake of tragedy.

"Well, the central message and the one that the congregation responded to, so well, whenever you have a tragedy the only thing you can do is intensify your loving response to everybody else and I get my clue from Jesus," said Carpenter.

While Carpenter didn't want to talk about Smith or the plea, other church members, like his wife, did.

She told us Tuesday's plea leaves them with less questions to worry over.