Background: News footage of Michael Wayne Smith being led into the court for sentencing on Feb. 11 (WCHS). Inset: Cheyenne Johnson (Facebook).
A man from West Virginia has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a woman whose body he disposed of in a well.
Michael Wayne Smith, aged 46, was found guilty in October 2025 for the murder of 35-year-old Cheyenne Johnson. This past Tuesday, he received his sentence. During a hearing reported by local ABC/Fox affiliate WCHS, the judge handed down a life sentence, allowing for parole after 15 years, due to his status as a repeat offender. Additionally, Smith was given a 40-year sentence for second-degree murder, along with lesser sentences for concealing a body, illegal firearm possession, and assault.
The conviction followed testimony from his former girlfriend, 33-year-old Virginia Smith, who is not related to him. She testified against him after pleading guilty to first-degree murder, concealing a body, and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. In December 2025, she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
According to previous reports by Law&Crime, Johnson was shot fatally with a rifle by Virginia Smith on April 29, 2021. She claimed she did so under Michael Smith’s orders. The incident stemmed from a verbal dispute with Johnson concerning an accusation that she had stolen Virginia Smith’s car. This dispute escalated into a physical altercation, during which Johnson allegedly wielded a knife.
After threatening Johnson with a rifle, Michael Smith instructed Virginia Smith to shoot her, which she did. A minor who witnessed the event testified that Virginia Smith was the shooter. Michael Smith then disposed of Johnson’s body in a well on Virginia’s property, using a belt and ratchet straps for the task.
Johnson’s remains were discovered days later after she was reported missing. Virginia Smith had reached out to authorities to disclose Johnson’s location.
Michael Smith was originally charged with first-degree murder, but was convicted of second-degree murder after Virginia Smith admitted to being the one who shot Johnson.
During his sentencing hearing, Johnson’s brother called Michael Smith a “waste of human flesh” as he read a statement on behalf of himself and Johnson’s father. One of Johnson’s friends said Michael Smith was a “hollow shell of a man.”
