WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – On the night of July 6, 1932, Zachary “Smith” Reynolds, a member of the esteemed Reynolds family and heir to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco fortune, was found shot in the head on the sleeping porch of his family’s residence. The circumstances surrounding his death, whether it was suicide or an accident, have remained a mystery for over ninety years.
Now, the Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is hosting an exhibition called “Smith & Libby: Two Rings, Seven Months, One Bullet” which sheds light on the lives of the individuals involved in the fateful night that changed the Reynolds family forever. The exhibit includes a collection of artifacts, documents, and interviews with descendants and individuals connected to the case.
The museum curator, Phil Archer, has gathered items from Smith and Libby’s lives, providing insight into their aspirations and the events leading up to that tragic night. Visitors to the exhibition can also see artifacts related to the aftermath of the shooting, including the wallet Smith discarded before his death, a fragment of the bullet that killed him, and a re-creation of the porch where the incident occurred.
The shooting of Zachary “Smith” Reynolds made headlines across the country and sparked intense speculation. While the case was ultimately dropped before going to trial, the controversy surrounding the incident left a lasting impact on the Reynolds family. In addition to the unresolved questions surrounding Smith’s death, the case also had a significant influence on the cultural and historical landscape of Winston-Salem.
As the exhibition comes to a close on December 31, it invites visitors to draw their own conclusions about the events of that fateful night nearly a century ago. Whether it was suicide, an accident, or a cover-up, the mystery surrounding Smith Reynolds’ death continues to captivate audiences even after all these years.