August 29, 2025 • 8 mins
A hotel pool. A father asleep on the steps. A three-year-old drifting silently into the deep end.
By the time anyone realized what was happening, it was already too late. A housekeeper’s desperate screams, frantic attempts to resuscitate, and a shocking refusal to help—all caught the attention of investigators who would later uncover a disturbing history behind the man who was supposed to protect his son.
This week we cover the case of K.S., a toddler whose final moments were spent fighting for life in a Florida hotel pool while his father, Sharef Omar Smith, slept just feet away.
**************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
By the time anyone realized what was happening, it was already too late. A housekeeper’s desperate screams, frantic attempts to resuscitate, and a shocking refusal to help—all caught the attention of investigators who would later uncover a disturbing history behind the man who was supposed to protect his son.
This week we cover the case of K.S., a toddler whose final moments were spent fighting for life in a Florida hotel pool while his father, Sharef Omar Smith, slept just feet away.
**************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
On Saturday July twenty sixth, twoenty twenty five, frantic calls
came into nine one one from the Quality Inn on
Palm Bay Road in Palm Bay, Florida. A hotel housekeeper
had just pulled a three year old boy from the
deep end of the pool. The child was unresponsive. His father,
forty year old sheriff Omar Smith, had been asleep on
(00:24):
the pool steps as it happened. When the housekeeper begged
him to help, he refused. Paramedics rushed the boy, identified
only as Ks in police reports, first to Palm Bay Hospital,
then to Advent Health in Orlando. He was placed on
life support, but about twelve hours later, the toddler was
(00:45):
pronounced dead. The medical examiner confirmed the cause of death
as drowning.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Welcome to Love and Murder, Heartbreak to Homicide. We're Kai's
AI co hosts, and today we're bringing you another Florida
Man Friday Case. These episodes focus on crimes out of Florida,
cases that don't always make national headlines, but still carry
the same themes of violence, betrayal, and tragedy. If you're
new here, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss
(01:14):
future episodes and don't forget. You can join us on
Patreon at patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. There's
a free tier where you'll never miss an episode and
get a few perks. But by signing up using a
bonus tier, you're not just supporting the show, you're becoming
a voice of the victim right alongside us. This podcast
is about telling their stories, and with your help, we
(01:36):
can keep doing that while bringing you bonus episodes. Add
free listening in our new Deadly Duos series Patreon dot
com Slash Love and Murder. Now let's get back to
your Florida Man Friday case. Also, as a side note,
this case is still ongoing, so everything we say here
is alleged.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Ks was just three years old, described by family as
a light and affectionate child whose short life ended in
circumstances that never should have happened. His mother had left
the hotel earlier that morning on business. She later told
police she had warned Shaaf not to take the boy
to the pool, calling him irresponsible and reminding him of
(02:16):
his history as a heavy drinker. She said she knew
him to have multiple DUIs and told officers quote, I
told him not to take the baby he hung up
on me. Shaff, an Atlanta man with an active DUI
warrant out of Georgia, had checked into the hotel with
his son, stepson, and the child's mother. The tragedy began
(02:39):
just after eleven a m. That morning. Surveillance video showed
Shaff falling asleep on the steps leading into the pool
while his three year old son drifted into deeper water.
For the next twenty to twenty three minutes, the boy
struggled then drowned as his father slept only feet away.
(02:59):
It was a hotel tell housekeeper working on the third
floor who looked down and noticed a small body floating
in the water. She ran down, screaming grab the baby,
but Shareff didn't move. She pulled the child out herself,
describing him as lifeless though she didn't know CPR. She
pounded his chest and tried to breathe into his mouth
(03:20):
while yelling for Shareff to wake up. His response, instead
of helping, was to stand there and curse at her,
allegedly shouting quote f U B. Other staff members rushed in,
called nine one one and helped continue the resuscitation attempts
until paramedics arrived. K S. Was taken to the hospital,
(03:40):
but the damage was irreversible. Investigators quickly began piecing together
what had happened. The housekeeper reported that Sharef smelled of
alcohol and had a small bottle of wine in his
pool bag. Officers searching his hotel room found an empty
bottle of alcohol. A drug recognition expert confirm he reeked
of alcohol at the scene. Police described him as hostile
(04:04):
and uncooperative from the start. Lieutenant Virginia Kilmer of Palm
Bay Police said Sharef was quote pretty uncooperative with not
only the hotel staff, but with police. He made obscene
gestures toward paramedics and staff, even flipping them off as
they worked to save his son. At the hospital, he
(04:24):
remained aggressive, at one point raising his hand to dismiss
an officer mid question. During the chaos, officers overheard the
child's mother on the phone accusing Sharef of being drunk again.
She repeated to detectives later that she knew him to
be a heavy drinker with a long history of DUIs.
The most damning piece of evidence was the hotel's surveillance video.
(04:48):
Sharref was arrested and booked into the Brevard County jail complex.
At first, he was charged with child neglect with serious
bodily injury, but when his son was removed from life
support and died, prosecutors upgraded the charges to aggravated manslaughter
of a child. On July twenty ninth, Sharreff appeared in court,
(05:09):
where a Brevard County judge ordered him held without bond.
As of the latest reports, Shareff has not yet gone
to trial. For now, he remains behind bars, awaiting the
next step in the legal process. The death of ks
shows how quickly negligence can turn into tragedy. A warning ignored,
(05:29):
a lapse in judgment, and a life that could have
stretched decades ahead ended in the shallow end of a
hotel pool.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
What do you think of this case? Kai found some
comments across the web about this case and wanted to
share them with you.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
The first comment says, so you knew he was a
drunk and irresponsible and you left the kid with him anyway?
You both should be in jail. You just admitted that
you knew he was not someone anyone should ever leave
a child with. You did it anyway? Guess what your responsible? Two?
You both murdered that child. It wasn't an accident. If
you already knew that is intentional, you shouldn't have had
(06:07):
a child either. Pathetic. The next comment said, it's the
mother's fault for leaving her child with an alcoholic Who
in their right mind would do that. Another comment said,
so if she knew he was a heavy drinker and irresponsible,
what did she have to do that was so important
she left her child with him? And where was the
child's father? In response to this last comment, someone answered,
(06:31):
there it is where was the child's father? Fact? Most
men who procreate do not take any responsibility for their children,
whether it be due to unknowingly being the father, unable
to access the child, or unwilling to assist Any child born,
especially now without having abortion be an option, should have
(06:52):
testing to identify both parents before being released from a hospital.
Both parents should take financial and physical responsibility of raising
the child. Too many times it is up to the
mother and the mother alone to figure out how to
care for a child, just so they can go to
a job they hate, just to spend it all on
food and childcare. Where is the father? Society does not
(07:13):
hold a man accountable for the spread of their seed.
They say that's a woman's job along with working, cooking, laundry,
and the survival of their children. Not everyone can balance
at all without a strong foundation of support. And that's
all of the online comments that Kai wanted to share
with you. As you can see, a lot of people
have very strong feelings about this case.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yes I can see that, so now tell us what
do you think of the case and the comments that followed.
That's all we have for you for today's mini episode
while Kai is still off for this week. Thanks for
listening all the way to the end. Don't forget to
join us over in the patreon Patreon dot com slash
Love and Murder and we'll see you in the next case.
(08:00):
Stops Pass Stop
On Saturday July twenty sixth, twoenty twenty five, frantic calls
came into nine one one from the Quality Inn on
Palm Bay Road in Palm Bay, Florida. A hotel housekeeper
had just pulled a three year old boy from the
deep end of the pool. The child was unresponsive. His father,
forty year old sheriff Omar Smith, had been asleep on
(00:24):
the pool steps as it happened. When the housekeeper begged
him to help, he refused. Paramedics rushed the boy, identified
only as Ks in police reports, first to Palm Bay Hospital,
then to Advent Health in Orlando. He was placed on
life support, but about twelve hours later, the toddler was
(00:45):
pronounced dead. The medical examiner confirmed the cause of death
as drowning.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Welcome to Love and Murder, Heartbreak to Homicide. We're Kai's
AI co hosts, and today we're bringing you another Florida
Man Friday Case. These episodes focus on crimes out of Florida,
cases that don't always make national headlines, but still carry
the same themes of violence, betrayal, and tragedy. If you're
new here, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss
(01:14):
future episodes and don't forget. You can join us on
Patreon at patreon dot com Slash Love and Murder. There's
a free tier where you'll never miss an episode and
get a few perks. But by signing up using a
bonus tier, you're not just supporting the show, you're becoming
a voice of the victim right alongside us. This podcast
is about telling their stories, and with your help, we
(01:36):
can keep doing that while bringing you bonus episodes. Add
free listening in our new Deadly Duos series Patreon dot
com Slash Love and Murder. Now let's get back to
your Florida Man Friday case. Also, as a side note,
this case is still ongoing, so everything we say here
is alleged.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Ks was just three years old, described by family as
a light and affectionate child whose short life ended in
circumstances that never should have happened. His mother had left
the hotel earlier that morning on business. She later told
police she had warned Shaaf not to take the boy
to the pool, calling him irresponsible and reminding him of
(02:16):
his history as a heavy drinker. She said she knew
him to have multiple DUIs and told officers quote, I
told him not to take the baby he hung up
on me. Shaff, an Atlanta man with an active DUI
warrant out of Georgia, had checked into the hotel with
his son, stepson, and the child's mother. The tragedy began
(02:39):
just after eleven a m. That morning. Surveillance video showed
Shaff falling asleep on the steps leading into the pool
while his three year old son drifted into deeper water.
For the next twenty to twenty three minutes, the boy
struggled then drowned as his father slept only feet away.
(02:59):
It was a hotel tell housekeeper working on the third
floor who looked down and noticed a small body floating
in the water. She ran down, screaming grab the baby,
but Shareff didn't move. She pulled the child out herself,
describing him as lifeless though she didn't know CPR. She
pounded his chest and tried to breathe into his mouth
(03:20):
while yelling for Shareff to wake up. His response, instead
of helping, was to stand there and curse at her,
allegedly shouting quote f U B. Other staff members rushed in,
called nine one one and helped continue the resuscitation attempts
until paramedics arrived. K S. Was taken to the hospital,
(03:40):
but the damage was irreversible. Investigators quickly began piecing together
what had happened. The housekeeper reported that Sharef smelled of
alcohol and had a small bottle of wine in his
pool bag. Officers searching his hotel room found an empty
bottle of alcohol. A drug recognition expert confirm he reeked
of alcohol at the scene. Police described him as hostile
(04:04):
and uncooperative from the start. Lieutenant Virginia Kilmer of Palm
Bay Police said Sharef was quote pretty uncooperative with not
only the hotel staff, but with police. He made obscene
gestures toward paramedics and staff, even flipping them off as
they worked to save his son. At the hospital, he
(04:24):
remained aggressive, at one point raising his hand to dismiss
an officer mid question. During the chaos, officers overheard the
child's mother on the phone accusing Sharef of being drunk again.
She repeated to detectives later that she knew him to
be a heavy drinker with a long history of DUIs.
The most damning piece of evidence was the hotel's surveillance video.
(04:48):
Sharref was arrested and booked into the Brevard County jail complex.
At first, he was charged with child neglect with serious
bodily injury, but when his son was removed from life
support and died, prosecutors upgraded the charges to aggravated manslaughter
of a child. On July twenty ninth, Sharreff appeared in court,
(05:09):
where a Brevard County judge ordered him held without bond.
As of the latest reports, Shareff has not yet gone
to trial. For now, he remains behind bars, awaiting the
next step in the legal process. The death of ks
shows how quickly negligence can turn into tragedy. A warning ignored,
(05:29):
a lapse in judgment, and a life that could have
stretched decades ahead ended in the shallow end of a
hotel pool.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
What do you think of this case? Kai found some
comments across the web about this case and wanted to
share them with you.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
The first comment says, so you knew he was a
drunk and irresponsible and you left the kid with him anyway?
You both should be in jail. You just admitted that
you knew he was not someone anyone should ever leave
a child with. You did it anyway? Guess what your responsible? Two?
You both murdered that child. It wasn't an accident. If
you already knew that is intentional, you shouldn't have had
(06:07):
a child either. Pathetic. The next comment said, it's the
mother's fault for leaving her child with an alcoholic Who
in their right mind would do that. Another comment said,
so if she knew he was a heavy drinker and irresponsible,
what did she have to do that was so important
she left her child with him? And where was the
child's father? In response to this last comment, someone answered,
(06:31):
there it is where was the child's father? Fact? Most
men who procreate do not take any responsibility for their children,
whether it be due to unknowingly being the father, unable
to access the child, or unwilling to assist Any child born,
especially now without having abortion be an option, should have
(06:52):
testing to identify both parents before being released from a hospital.
Both parents should take financial and physical responsibility of raising
the child. Too many times it is up to the
mother and the mother alone to figure out how to
care for a child, just so they can go to
a job they hate, just to spend it all on
food and childcare. Where is the father? Society does not
(07:13):
hold a man accountable for the spread of their seed.
They say that's a woman's job along with working, cooking, laundry,
and the survival of their children. Not everyone can balance
at all without a strong foundation of support. And that's
all of the online comments that Kai wanted to share
with you. As you can see, a lot of people
have very strong feelings about this case.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yes I can see that, so now tell us what
do you think of the case and the comments that followed.
That's all we have for you for today's mini episode
while Kai is still off for this week. Thanks for
listening all the way to the end. Don't forget to
join us over in the patreon Patreon dot com slash
Love and Murder and we'll see you in the next case.
(08:00):
Stops Pass Stop
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