New Surveillance Video of Brittany Smith and Her Alleged Abductor

Dec. 14, 2010 — -- The man accused of kidnapping 12-year-old Brittany Mae Smith agreed today to return to Virginia to face charges of kidnapping and credit card fraud.

Jeffrey Scott Easley, 32, waived his extradition at a court hearing in San Francisco, Calif. The hearing lasted just minutes and no charges of murder were mentioned, despite Easley being named a suspect in the murder of Brittany's mother. Virginia police found the body of 41-year-old Tina Smith on Dec. 6 and later ruled her death a homicide.

Roanoke police will not comment on whether Brittany fits into the murder investigation, saying it's too early to comment.

"Easley is a murder suspect in the death of Tina Smith. So much of the past week has been spent trying to locate 12-year-old Brittany that really over the weekend, when investigators spoke to both of them, that's really when the murder investigation began," Roanoke County spokeswoman Teresa Hamilton Hall said.

New surveillance video emerged today of Easley and Brittany gassing up a car on Friday, Dec. 3, the day police believe Tina Smith was likely killed. In the video is a second man whose home police searched in connection with the murder.

Brittany was back home with her family today after being escorted from California by two Virginia detectives.

Easley and Brittany, missing for more than a week, were taken into custody last Friday after a California woman recognized Brittany's "big brown eyes."

Theresa Shanley spotted the seventh grader and her alleged kidnapper panhandling outside a Safeway supermarket in San Francisco.

"Because Virginia was so far away, I thought it couldn't possibly be her, but the brown eyes is what got me...her big brown eyes," Shanley said.

Shanley ran and asked a store clerk to call the police. Police quickly took the pair into custody without resistance.

Shanley said that she recognized Brittany after seeing her on cable television. Police first issued an Amber Alert for the girl on Dec. 6. When Brittany's mother failed to show up for work, police went to the home and found her body. They then learned that Brittany had disappeared.

The search for Brittany spanned eight states with police sifting through over 700 tips, but it was Shanley's alertness that made the difference.

"I am happy that she will at least be home to say goodbye to her mom," Shanley said.

Benjamin Smith, Brittany's father, spoke last night to reporters, saying he couldn't describe how grateful he was for his daughter's safe return.

"I thought that the happiest day of my life was when my daughter was born. Tonight has taken the number one spot," Benjamin Smith said.

The father, a police officer in South Boston, Va., was grateful to Shanley for her help.

"It's not anything that I could say to describe you the way my heart feels about you," Benjamin Smith said. "A simple thank you and God bless you."