Oklahoma man arrested in Grant County, found guilty of manslaughter

GRANT COUNTY, Wis (CIVIC MEDIA)- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Mose Adam Smith, 43 of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000. The jury trial began with testimony on April 7 and concluded on April 10 with the
guilty verdict.

During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on or about July 17, 2023, Smith unlawfully killed an individual during an altercation at the victim’s Sallisaw, Oklahoma residence. The Government presented evidence that during the altercation, Smith inflicted blunt-force trauma on the victim, and that Smith caused extensive injuries resulting in the death of the victim. Smith attempted to conceal the victim’s death and fled the state.

On the evening of July 24, 2023, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office received an attempt to locate vehicle request from Dubuque in reference to a fight that occurred at a campground where a knife was brandished. Two suspects fled the area and were believed to be in Grant County. A short time later two Grant County Deputies located the suspect vehicle on County Highway D, south of Platteville. The two suspects, Mose Smith, 42, of Stilwell, Ok, and Kimberly Gilbert, 41, of Gans, OK, had abandoned the vehicle and were located walking on County Highway D approximately a mile from where the truck was abandoned. When the license plates of the vehicle were ran there was a hit on the vehicle associated with a missing person from Sallisaw Oklahoma. The Grant County Deputies worked with investigators from Dubuque Iowa and Sequoya County Oklahoma. Grant County Deputies interviewed Smith and Gilbert, collected evidence and seized the truck in the course of the investigation. It was later determined that the missing person associated with the vehicle that Smith and Gilbert were driving, was deceased. On April 6, 2025 the two Grant County Deputies that assisted in the investigation traveled to Muskogee, Oklahoma to testify in federal court.

On March 19, 2025, Co-defendant Kimberly Dawn Ball-Gilbert, 42 of Stilwell, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to an Information of one count of Voluntary Manslaughter. At the plea hearing, Ball-Gilbert admitted to aiding and abetting Smith’s actions in causing the victim’s death.

The sentences for Smith and Ball-Gilbert will be scheduled following completion of the pre-sentence reports. Smith and Ball-Gilbert will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals until sentencing.

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