NEED TO KNOW
- A Florida therapist was stabbed to death at her office by her former client, who then fled and killed himself
- Rebecca White, 44, had just finished a session with another client on Jan. 19 when Michael Smith, 39, arrived at her Orlando office and demanded to see her
- Smith began repeatedly stabbing both White and her client, a man in his 30s
A Florida therapist was stabbed to death at her office by her former client, who then fled and killed himself.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said that 44-year-old Rebecca White had just finished a session with another client at around 9 p.m. local time on Monday, Jan. 19, when Michael Smith, 39, arrived at her Orlando office demanding to speak with her, per WESH, Florida Today and FOX 35 Orlando.
Deputies said Smith then began repeatedly stabbing both White and her client, a man in his 30s. The client was eventually able to call 911, and Smith fled the scene.
Both White and her client were found with stab wounds and transported to a local hospital. The therapist later died from her injuries, while the client, whose identity has not been made public, is expected to survive.
The client’s mother wrote on GoFundMe that he will have a “scar on his mouth and other areas of his body, along with possible nerve damage from being stabbed in his hand.”
Smith’s body was discovered about 14 miles away from the office building at around 8 a.m. the following morning. Deputies told the outlets that it is believed that he died by suicide.
Authorities have not yet shared what caused Smith to confront White.
Records obtained by FOX 35 showed that Smith was a registered sex offender who was released from prison in 2022. His parole required that he have “psychological or psychiatric evaluation geared towards someone who has committed a violent and vicious sexual battery and who has a violent anti-social personality disorder.”
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According to her website, White worked as a licensed mental health counselor at her own therapy practice, Down to Earth Therapy Solutions. Her family has since spoken out about their concerns surrounding access to her office building and the safety measures in place there.
“We are struggling to understand how this could have happened,” the family told FOX 35 in a statement. “There are serious and troubling questions surrounding building access, security measures, surveillance, and how an individual was able to enter the premises during those hours.”
“This tragedy raises concerns about systematic failures that may have contributed to a situation that should never have occurred and, in our view, could have been prevented,” White’s family added. “Right now, our family is grieving an irreplaceable loss. We are heartbroken, angry, and searching for answers — but above all, we are mourning Rebecca.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
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