Netflix documentary tells story of mother who went to jail for killing rapist who attacked her

A brand new Netflix documentary is set to lay bare the horrific story of a mother who went to jail for killing a man she claimed brutally attacked and raped her in her own home.

Brittany Smith, 34, from Stevenson, Alabama, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison – although she ultimately served 18 months – after she fatally shot Todd Smith, who was 38 at the time, on January 16, 2018.

However, Brittany has continued to insist that she only killed Todd in a desperate attempt to save herself and her brother, after he viciously choked her until she lost consciousness, sexually assaulted her, threatened to murder her, and tried to strangle her brother.

Now, an upcoming Netflix doc, called State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith, is set to lift a lid on the controversial case, which garnered worldwide attention and sparked a massive debate about whether or not Brittany’s actions were justified.

A brand new Netflix documentary is set to lay bare the horrific story of a mother who went to jail for killing her rapist – after she said he brutally attacked her in her own home

Brittany Smith, 34, from Stevenson, Alabama, plead guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison after she fatally shot Todd Smith (seen) on January 16, 2018

Brittany insisted she only killed Todd to save herself and her brother, Chris McCallie, after Todd raped her and tried to strangle her brother. Brittany is seen with Chris

‘I was arrested for murder, the man was in my home. I did what I thought I had to do because if I wouldn’t have, my brother and I would both be dead,’ Brittany could be heard saying during a trailer for the documentary, which is set to hit the streaming site on November 10.

Now, an upcoming Netflix doc, called State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith, is set to lift a lid on the controversial case, which garnered worldwide attention and sparked a massive debate about whether or not Brittany’s actions were justified

‘I want to get my children back. I want them to know that mommy’s not a murderer and that mommy defended herself – and that you should always defend yourself.’

‘She was raped and beaten by him and almost killed, and now, she’s been raped and beaten by the system,’ her mother, Ramona McCallie, told the camera.

‘She never should have been [taken] to jail. I taught her to fight, fight back, with everything you’ve got. And she did.’ 

Brittany, who knew Todd as a teen but had fallen out of touch with him, told the court during her trial that she reconnected with him right before the incident.

She said she met up with Todd, who was living in Jasper, Tennessee, and was working as a Pitbull breeder at the time, because she wanted to purchase one of his puppies.

However, when he told her that he was currently homeless, she agreed to let him stay with her.

‘I did what I had to do because if I wouldn’t have, my brother and I would both be dead,’ Brittany (seen with her brother) said in the trailer for the doc, which premieres on November 10

 She added: ‘I want to get my children back. I want them to know that mommy’s not a murderer and that mommy defended herself – and that you should always defend yourself’

‘She was raped and beaten by him and almost killed, and now, she’s been raped and beaten by the system,’ her mother, Ramona McCallie, told the camera

Brittany then claimed that when they got to her house, Todd turned violent – choking her until she passed out, raping her, and threatening to kill her if she told anyone.

When he wanted cigarettes after the alleged assault, Brittany called her brother, Chris McCallie, and asked him to give them a ride to a nearby convenience store.

Fearing for her life, Brittany left a note with the cashier that said she was in trouble – and that she thought Todd was going to kill her.

When they arrived back home after the outing, Brittany told her brother to go back to the store and speak to the cashier. 

After doing so, Chris returned to Brittany’s house with a gun – but when he confronted Todd, he started strangling her brother. 

Brittany said she fired Chris’ gun three times at Todd after he put Chris in a headlock, and that she did what she had to to save her brother’s life after she noticed that he was turning blue.

After the incident, a sexual assault nurse documented more than 30 injuries on Brittany’s body – including bruises, bite marks, and signs of strangulation. However, the nurse told the court that she couldn’t determine with certainty if Brittany had been raped due to lack physical proof. 

Brittany, who knew Todd as a teen, told the court she reconnected with him right before the incident, and agreed to let him stay with her when she found out he was homeless

Brittany (left) claimed that when they got to her house, Todd (right) turned violent – choking her until she passed out, raping her, and threatening to kill her if she told anyone

Brittany said that when her brother, Chris (seen together), learned of what happened, he came to Brittany’s house with a gun. But Todd then started strangling him

During the trial, Brittany sought a Stand Your Ground defense, a law that says individuals have the right to use deadly force to protect themselves against an intruder in their home.

Brittany said she fired Chris’ gun three times at Todd after he put Chris in a headlock, and that she did what she had to to save her brother’s life after she noticed that he was turning blue. Chris is pictured

But the judge said that Brittany did not need to use lethal force to end the altercation, and that her brother was also an aggressor because he brought a weapon to the home and started the confrontation.

He also ruled that the evidence was consistent with physical assault, but inconsistent with sexual assault. 

Brittany later said that she only pleaded guilty because it was ‘the lesser of two evils,’ stating in a video recorded from her jail cell for Alabama.com, ‘I’m really disappointed with having to take a plea deal. I’m not a murderer but when it’s the lesser of two evils what can you do?’

She told the outlet that had she been found guilty by a jury, she could have faced up to life in prison. 

While she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime, she was released after 18 months behind bars, receiving credit for time she spent in prison while awaiting her trial. She was also ordered to spend 18 months on hour arrest. 

During the trial, Brittany (seen during a police interview) sought a Stand Your Ground defense, a law that says individuals have the right to use deadly force to protect themselves

But the judge said that Brittany did not need to use lethal force to end the altercation, and that her brother was also an aggressor because he brought a weapon to the home

While she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime, Brittany (seen in the doc) was released after 18 months behind bars, receiving credit for time spent while awaiting her trial

‘This is gonna be in my past soon,’ she told Alabama.com. ‘It’s gonna be behind me. It’s a good feeling. After the rough waters, smooth sailing.’

She added that it was going to ‘really hard’ for her to get back to a normal life, but that she was excited to ‘move forward.’

DailyMail.com later uncovered a disturbing history of violent crimes and domestic assaults committed by Todd spanning across several decades. 

Court and arrest records revealed that he had been arrested a staggering 71 times before his death.

In July 2002, Todd embarked on a brief and violent marriage to a woman named Paige Parker. 

He was arrested five times over the course of their relationship, which lasted less than one year and ended in divorce in June 2003.

He also fathered a child with a woman named Amanda Reed, and was charged with domestic assault against Amanda three different times – in 2012, 2015, and 2016 – but on two of those occasions, the charges were dismissed, with court records noting, ‘Victim has not been coming to court despite officer’s best efforts.’