Man arrested after using box cutter to commit robberies

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    Davenport, Iowa (Quad-City Times) — A Davenport man is facing charges after he used a box cutter as a weapon to rob two businesses in January and February, Davenport police said.

William Robert Smith, 50, of 625 W. 7th St., is charged with two counts of armed robbery, each a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years, of which 70%, or 17 ½ years, must be served before parole can be granted.

Smith is also charge with one count each of second-degree robbery and first-degree theft, each of which is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years.

According to the arrest affidavits filed by Davenport Police Detective Aric Robinson, on Jan. 9 at 2:33 a.m., Smith used a box cutter to threaten the clerk at the Kiwk Shop at 201 W. 53rd St. Smith took money from the cash register and a drop safe and then fled the store.

On Feb. 10 at 2:51 a.m., Smith went back to the same Kwik Shop, walked behind the counter and approached the clerk. It is suspected he had a box-cutter type weapon on his hand, but that could not be confirmed. Smith motioned for the clerk to move out of the way, and the clerk went to the back room. Smith took money from the drop safe after hitting the release button.

Then on Feb. 10 at 3:48 a.m., Smith went to the Kwik Stop at 303 W. Locust St. He asked the clerk for a pack of cigarettes and gave the clerk a $5 bill. When the clerk opened the register Smith reached across and stole money from register and then ran out the rear door.

On Feb. 19 at 10:16 p.m., Smith went to the Tienda Mexicana Grocery and Restaurant at 903 W. 3rd St. In the parking lot of the restaurant, Smith wielded a box cutter and demanded money from the victim. Smith then grabbed the victim’s sleeve and tried to pull the victim toward him. A struggle ensued and Smith ran away without getting any money.

Smith was arrested Monday. He was being held Tuesday night in the Scott County Jail on cash-only bonds totaling $110,000.

Smith waived his preliminary hearing and is scheduled to be arraigned March 18 in Scott County District Court.

Smith was one of two men accused in the Nov. 25, 2005, death of Charles Lee “Chris” Nixon of 5117 Pine St.

On that day, Nixon’s roommate found blood in the house and Nixon missing. Davenport police then began a search for Nixon and the two men who had been staying with him, Smith and Steven Howard Dietz.

A farmer in Belle Rive, Illinois, found Nixon’s body burning the next day in a rural area. Smith and Dietz were arrested Nov. 28 leaving a house in Yale, Virginia.

Smith pleaded guilty to willful injury, first-degree theft and administering harmful substances and was sentenced to 10 years each on both the willful injury and theft convictions and five years for the administering harmful substances conviction. The sentences were to run consecutively for a total of 25 years in prison.

Dietz was found guilty of first-degree murder and first degree robbery and sentenced to live in prison without parole. Dietz died of liver disease in prison in 2010 at the age of 55.

Smith was released from work release on Dec. 7, 2017.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds restored Smith’s citizenship rights to vote and hold public office on Jan. 17, 2020. Smith had forfeited those rights by being convicted of an “infamous crime.”

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