FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. – A man from Indiana has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2023 murder of a Fayette County woman. The announcement was made by Anthony Ciliberti Jr., the Prosecuting Attorney for Fayette County.
Ciliberti said 29-year-old Andres Torres Jr., from Goshen, Indiana, murdered Michelle Smith in February 2023 as well as kidnapping and robbing her. Torres was found guilty in Oct. 2024. Ciliberti said Torres’ co-defendant, Amanda Soultz, pled guilty to first degree murder on Dec. 6, 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 11.
Ciliberti said Soultz and Torres came to Fayette County in January 2023 and that Soultz knew Michelle Smith. Torres needed money, and Ciliberti said Torres pawned a watch to Smith for $50, and sometime later Smith listed the watch for sale. When Torres found out about the listing, he got angry that Smith was trying to sell the watch, and on February 16 Torres and Soultz went to Smith’s home to get the watch, Ciliberti said.
Ciliberti said when the two arrived at the home on Deepwater Mountain Road to get the watch, Smith was kidnapped, robbed, and shot in the head.
Smith was found, still alive, 12 hours later by her son, but Ciliberti said Smith died on March 31 from her injuries.
Soultz admitted to helping Torres, but claimed that she was forced by Torres to participate and that she only complied out of fear, Ciliberti said. Ciliberti said evidence about Soultz’ and Toress’ interaction after the shooting showed that the two continued to work together to avoid capture and that even after they were captured they still called each other in jail, even talking about getting married.
Recorded jail calls, according to Ciliberti, revealed that the two planned for Torres to take responsibility for the crime so Soultz could go free.
Torres was also sentenced to consecutive term of not less than 1 year and no more than 5 years for the felony crime of conspiracy and a fine of $10,000. Before going on trial for the shooting, Torres was serving a 2-10 year sentence for malicious assault of another inmate at Southern Regional Jail, Ciliberti said.
You can read more details about the shooting here.
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