Vanroy Evan Smith, accused of killing doctor, claims he is Jesus

February 13, 2023

The man accused of running over and fatally stabbing a California ER doctor said he has no regrets killing because he is “God and Jesus Christ.”

In a rambling jailhouse interview with the Orange County Register, Vanroy Evan Smith, 39, quoted Bible verses and said people would think differently about his alleged crimes if they knew he was the “King of Kings.”

“I have killed,” Smith said. “If they knew who I was, they would let me walk out of here. The would fulfill all my desires.”

Despite the jailhouse confession, Smith has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in court and denied he used a deadly weapon.

He remains at an Orange County jail under a $1 million bail and is expected to appear in front of a judge on Tuesday.

Vanroy Evan Smith is the Long Beach Lexus driver accused of stabbing doctor and bicyclist Michael John Mammone to death after running him over in Dana Point, California, on February 1, 2023 — Vanroy Evan Smith is the Long Beach, Calif. driver accused of stabbing doctor and bicyclist Michael John Mammone to death after running him over in Dana Point, Calif. on Feb. 1, 2023.

Dr. Michael John Mammone, 58, was riding in the bike lane on the Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point around 3 p.m. on Feb. 1 when Smith slammed into him from behind with his Lexus, Orange County Sheriff’s officials said.

Video footage from a surveilance camera captured the horrifying moment when Mammone was launched into the air and landed into an intersection.

Witnesses, who helped detain Smith before authorities arrived, said he was also holding a BB gun as he approached the injured doctor before stabbing him with a large knife.

Vanroy Evan Smith is the Long Beach, Calif. driver accused of stabbing doctor and bicyclist Michael John Mammone to death after running him over in on Feb. 1, 2023. — Video footage showed Vanroy Evan Smith allegedly running over doctor and bicyclist Michael John Mammone on Feb. 1, 2023.

Dr. Michael John Mammone, 58, was an emergency medical physician for Providence Mission Hospital.

Mammone was rushed to a Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo — one of the local hospitals where he had worked as a physician — where he later died.

During his jailhouse interview, Smith said “it was his right” to kill Mammone because “he was in the cross walk and presented himself.” Smith also denied he is suffering from mental illnesses.

However, Long Beach Police officials have clarified Smith was previously placed on a 5150 hold — a California state law which allows a person to be involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for up to 72 hours if authorities deem necessary — after he attacked a friend on Dec. 19, 2020.

Dr. Michael Mammone, 58, was riding in the bike lane on the Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point around 3 p.m. on Feb. 1 when Vanroy Evan Smith allegedly slammed into him from behind.

Smith — who the newspaper said acknowledged heavy drinking, marijuana use and visting sex workers — claimed Mammone’s death was “minuscule” compared to other deaths, and claimed it was Jesus who had killed thousands of people by summoning the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that has devastated Turkey and Syria.

Smith, who mixed race, said he did not utter any racial slurs about “white privilege” as has been reported. He said he would not kill again if he is released from jail.

Smith’s former wife, Marla Hart, told The Post she doesn’t know why Smith would commit murder. She said they have been divorced for 10 years and have twin daughters.

“I haven’t spoken to him in over a month, so honestly, what has been going on with him leading up to that, I have no idea,” Hart said.

Smith was also diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, police said.