Gayno Gilbert Smith (January 23, 1938 – May 16, 2005)[1] was an American mass murderer and serial killer who killed six of his family members in Iowa between 1961 and 1962.

Another daughter, Patsy Lou, 15, was wounded by Smith but escaped in the night and ran to a nearby farm for help.

"Smith remained at the dance a short time, then disappeared until midnight, according to court records.

Donna and Amos found the murdered bodies of their parents in the garage, where they'd been dragged.

Patsy escaped to another room where she found her older sister, Anna, already dead.

She played cat and mouse through the ditches, crawling and crouching to escape his roving flashlight through the early morning hours.

At the time, Iowa still had capital punishment, and prosecutors wanted Smith hanged.

Facing an almost certain death sentence if he went to trial, Smith pleaded guilty to six counts of murder, leaving his fate up to the judge.

Arguing for a death sentence, prosecutors said Smith had "attempted to exterminate an entire family."

His lawyers did not call any witnesses and did not contest that Smith was sane and the crimes were premeditated, choosing instead to plead with Judge C. R. Carson for mercy.

[5] The sentences were ordered to run consecutively to ensure he would spend the rest of his natural life in prison.

Smith said he hoped to work with juvenile delinquents and help other young people with his newfound knowledge.

Smith's body was cremated and buried in Mount Zion Cemetery next to the plot of his mother.