From Huntsville crime writer Nick Ireland:
Online she called herself Crimsonsmommi. She loved her husband, her two kids, country living in Ardmore, and Crimson Tide football. As if you couldn't tell the latter from her avatar...well, that and the fact she named one of her daughters Crimson. The kid can always change it when she's older.
But before Ardmore, Tala Nicole Verley lived outside Huntsville, if you call working for a janitorial service living. She must have needed something to dull the pain of boredom and that something led to some free stays in Madison County's finest barred facility. Maybe that's why her loving hubby moved the family to Ardmore, Tennessee, in 2016.
Ever been to Ardmore? No? Then you've missed so very little. The funny thing about Ardmore is that it has a conjoined twin just across the state line in Alabama. Even stranger is that Ardmore, Tennessee, that bastion of provincial life, extends into two counties.
It was in the Giles County part of Ardmore that Tala lived with her husband of 11 years, James Eric Smith. We're calling him her husband since she called him that. He called her his wife. His obituary didn't even come close to mentioning Tala.Yes, unfortunately Eric Smith is dead. Shot on the night of October 8, 2018, at the age of 28. Cops didn't have to go far to find who pulled the trigger. Tala was hysterical and her story meandering. It didn't help Tala's case when she showed up on social media announcing that she was trying to secure all electronic devices and wipe them clean. Say what? It took a few months, but the Giles County Sheriff arrested Tala in February 2019.
Detectives refused to say much about the case, only that they had one. Official charges were possession of meth, possession of a handgun used in a felony, evidence tampering, and second degree murder as they still call it in the Volunteer State. The Crimsonsmommi's bond was set at a cool quarter million, possibly because she was originally from Cali and had contacts there.
Tala managed to post bond and, due to COVID, keep her freedom for two years. They say all good things must end, as did Tala Nicole Verley's ability to stay out of jail. This week she was lucky enough to have her charges reduced to Negligent Homicide and found herself back in the Giles County nick.
Tala's now 29 and, if convicted looking at 5 years at least, maybe 20 if the judge doesn't take to her batting her baby browns at him. Let's hope they at least let her have a radio to listen to the Bama games.
