Cobb County man Waseem Daker accused of killing flight attendant rests case

Closing arguments were under way Thursday in the trial of a man accused of stalking and killing a flight attendant.

Karmen Smith, a single mother who worked for Delta, was 30 when she was killed in 1995. Her son, 5 at the time, was also stabbed more than a dozen times but survived.

The suspect in the case, Waseem Daker, is representing himself in the trial. Prosecutors said DNA ties him to the crimes and that he was motivated by revenge.

”Waseem Daker chose to take Karmen Smith’s life and stab that 5-year-old boy, Assistant Cobb County District Attoey Jesse Evans said in court.

But Daker refutes the DNA evidence. He said the evidence is flawed and actually points to someone else.

During emotional testimony last week, Smith’s son described the stabbing but didn’t see enough to identify the man.

"I could kind of see when they ran past the window, but it was still really dark. I got up and walked, and fainted to the ground," Nickolas Smith said.

He said the assailant was wearing dark clothes, a mask and gloves.

A woman who lived in the spit-level home with the Smiths described the aftermath of the killing and said she wants Daker imprisoned.

"Nick kept trying to reach for me, I remember his hands -- deep gashes on his little fingers," Christine Valenti said.