27°
Even when he hurt her physically, even when he yelled at her, Beighley remained determined to fix her relationship.
But things hit rock bottom earlier this year, according to a family member, who requested anonymity -- and Beighley was losing hope.
"Evan told her numerous times that he was going to kill her and the kids, just within the past few months," the family member told Daily Voice. "[Jamie] even said, 'Either he's going to die or I'm going to die. It's the only way out.'"
And on July 1, that's exactly what happened: Smith choked Beighley unconscious in a Bucks County hotel room. Three days later, 39-year-old Beighley died.
Loved ones could have only hoped Beighley, of Levittown, would have gotten herself out of the relationship sooner, which is why they're sharing her tragic tale as a cautionary one.
"People were telling her to get out, and told her dozens of times," Beighley's relative said. "I wish I would've forced more action [instead of] letting her make the decisions."
A mom of five and first-time grandmother, Beighley saw Smith as someone who she had to love through it all, the family spokesperson said.
Smith, 37, apparently had been struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, but Beighley seemed to be blinded by her love for him.
"She did not want anyone to look down on her, him or her children," family told Daily Voice. "She saw him as a good person, even after his repeated run-ins with the law."
Evan was in and out of jail for years on end due to drug abuse and was rarely sober, the family representative said.
"Evan never stayed out of jail for too long so the kids didn't really have a relationship with him, and then once he came home this time, that relationship was tainted," the representative said.
Court records show Smith has been charged 11 times since 2003 for DUI, aggravated assault, harassment, disorderly conduct, theft, and more. He was most recently charged in May.
As much as Beighley tried hiding the abuse from other people, she couldn't.
"She would hide at different people's houses during the day," the family member said. "He was a danger to her children and himself."
Smith's stints in jail were the only times Beighley felt safe, family said.
She had a break from mental anguish, but after his last five-year stay, allowed him back into her life -- hoping for an idyllic family she once dreamed of.
"Before she met him alone, she would call (me) and his friends before she met him to almost talk her out of it," the family member said. "But nine times out of 10 she went."
Smith had been out of jail for about a year before the July 1 assault at the New Falls Motel in Falls Township. Beighley met Smith there in an attempt to spend some time with him away from her children, keeping them as far away as she could from his abuse.
Rarely, though, did Beighley protect herself.
Officers arrived at the New Falls motel at 201 Lincoln Highway late last Thursday night on a report of a person in cardiac arrest.
There, they found Smith performing CPR on Beighley, who was unresponsive with blood on her face, authorities said. Medical reports also indicated she had suffered head trauma and a possible brain bleed.
But Smith soon became combative and uncooperative with officers, and fled the scene, the Bucks County DA's Office previously said.
He fled to the trailer where Beighley's kids were living, the family spokesperson said, and later taken into custody.
Meanwhile, Beighley clung to life at an area hospital. She was pronounced dead on July 4, at 1:51 p.m.
Smith told police that the couple "got into a heated verbal argument prior to engaging in sexual activity," at which point Smith strangled Beighley.
The family spokesperson said Beighley was "the kindest, most giving soul who would've given anything off of her back."
"She loved her family more than anything."
More than $7,400 had been raised on a GoFundMe campaign as of July 7 to support Jamie's funeral expenses.
Beighley's loved ones encourage others to take action before it's too late.
"Trust your gut and never think it won't happen to you," the family member said.
"Seek professional help if you can't trust yourself, or know how to go about leaving safely. Also, have a will."
For more information on domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit their official website.
For local information, people can also contact the Bucks County Network of Victim Assistance located in Jamison at 1-800-675-6900.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cresskill-Closter and receive free news updates.
