Convicted rapist kills former court-ordered therapist in her Orange County office

The killing of mental health counselor Rebecca White has left Orange County with two questions that don’t sit quietly: how did this happen inside an office building, and what, if anything, failed before the first scream was heard.

In her report for WFTV Channel 9 Eyewitness News, Valerie Boey described a case that investigators say began late Monday night, when Michael Smith, a former client, somehow entered an office building at 933 Lee Road around 9 p.m. and attacked White inside her workplace.

Valerie Boey told viewers that deputies say Smith stabbed White to death, and that he took his own life the next day, turning what might have been a single-night crime scene into a lingering community trauma that stretched into the next morning and beyond.

The building, Boey reported, was closed for a day after the killing.

Then it reopened.

And that detail alone is jarring, because life keeps moving even when people aren’t ready, and workplaces have to decide whether “back to normal” is real – or just a sign on the door.

The Building Reopens, But The Fear Doesn’t

Valerie Boey reported live from outside the Lee Road office building, responding to Channel 9 anchor Martha, who noted the building was back open for business.

Boey explained that the building had reopened after being closed the day before, while the bigger question – why Smith killed his former therapist – still had no clear answer.

Boey emphasized that investigators have not publicly explained a motive.

That silence doesn’t fill the gap; it widens it.

When people don’t know why something happened, they start scanning their own lives for weak points: the dark parking lot, the side entrance, the unlatched door, the late appointment they probably shouldn’t take but feel pressured to schedule.

Valerie Boey said the attack has reignited concerns about safety in office buildings, especially buildings that host vulnerable professions like mental health counseling.

It’s one thing to talk about “workplace violence” as a concept.

It’s another thing to picture it happening in an office hallway at night, where people expect paperwork and quiet conversations, not panic.

Deputies Say A Former Client Got Inside After Hours

Valerie Boey reported that Orange County deputies are investigating the murder of Rebecca White “by her former client,” Michael Smith.

Boey said deputies believe Smith somehow gained access to the building at around 9 p.m. Monday, and that he attacked White inside.

Boey also reported a crucial detail that can’t be overlooked: another person was stabbed in the building during the same incident.

That person, Boey said, is recovering in the hospital and is expected to survive.

Even when one person’s life is lost, there are often others who carry the injuries, the fear, and the memories.

Survivors don’t just recover physically.

They have to decide whether they can ever walk into a similar building again without their brain replaying the moment things went wrong.

Valerie Boey also focused on Smith’s criminal history, telling viewers that his past includes a rape case dating back to 2003.

Boey reported that records show 39-year-old Michael Smith was arrested for breaking into a woman’s home and raping her in 2003, when he was 17.

And as part of his sentence, Boey said, Smith was ordered to undergo mental health counseling after being released from prison in 2022.

That detail matters because it ties the justice system, treatment requirements, and professional safety into one hard knot. When courts order counseling, somebody has to provide it. And too often, the person providing it is also the one absorbing the risk.

“She Was A Phenomenal Therapist,” A Friend Says

Valerie Boey’s report didn’t paint Rebecca White as a statistic or a headline.

It included how people who knew her talked about her work.

Rebecca White’s friend and former co-worker, Cherlette McCullough, described her as unusually skilled in a difficult niche.

“She was a phenomenal therapist,” McCullough said in Boey’s report, adding that White was “really good, specifically with sex offenders.”

That kind of work is not casual, and it’s not glamorous.

It’s the kind of job that demands boundaries, patience, thick skin, and a steady belief that helping people confront their worst actions can reduce harm down the line.

It also requires walking into sessions with eyes open. Valerie Boey’s reporting made it clear that the people closest to White believed she took safety seriously.

And that detail makes the ending even more painful, because it suggests this wasn’t carelessness.

It was a system of protections that still wasn’t enough.

Here’s where a blunt truth belongs: society benefits when therapists do this work, especially with high-risk clients, but society rarely wants to pay for the full safety apparatus that should come with it.

We praise “mental health resources” in speeches. We don’t always fund the locks, staffing, protocols, and security upgrades that make those resources safer to deliver.

The Family’s Statement Raises Security Questions

Valerie Boey reported that Rebecca White’s family released a statement that did two things at once: it mourned her, and it raised pointed concerns about how an attacker got into the building at that hour.

In the statement Boey shared, the family said there are “serious and troubling questions” about building access, security measures, surveillance, and how someone was able to enter the premises during those hours.

The family’s message landed with a clear tone: heartbreak, anger, and a demand for answers.

They also asked for privacy, and they stressed that their focus was on honoring Rebecca’s life, not feeding speculation.

That request matters.

Even when the public is hungry for explanations, families live in the part of the story that cameras don’t show: the phone calls, the funeral planning, the empty chair, the shock that shows up in random waves.

Valerie Boey also reported that she tried to speak with the property management company, but no one was available.

And that, too, becomes part of the story, because silence can look like avoidance when the community is asking basic questions about doors, keys, cameras, and after-hours access.

If a building’s security is strong, owners usually want to say so.

If it isn’t, that’s when statements get careful and rare.

What Safety Measures Should An Office Building Have?

Valerie Boey brought in outside perspective to explain what security typically looks like in office properties.

She spoke with Realtor Ray Lopez, who she noted is not responsible for this property, but who explained what is common in many office buildings.

Lopez said buildings are typically locked at a certain time, requiring either key access or keypad access to get in.

In Boey’s report, Lopez also gave practical advice that sounds boring until you realize it can be life-altering.

“Write up a lease that’s going to include all of your wants and wishes,” Lopez said, urging tenants to put safety expectations in writing.

That’s not just paperwork talk.

It’s a reminder that safety can become an afterthought if it isn’t negotiated upfront, especially when tenants are busy building a practice, paying overhead, and assuming the building’s basics are handled.

Valerie Boey also reported that, according to Sunbiz, the property is owned by a company called 933 Building LLC.

Boey said Lopez explained that owners sometimes create structures like this to protect personal assets if they’re sued.

That may be common business practice, but it can also feel cold in moments like this, when a grieving family wants accountability and a public wants transparency.

Boey then included another voice: safety expert James Copenhaver, who said that if tenants don’t get the protections they want from building management, they may need to add security measures themselves.

Copenhaver said it can be up to individual tenants to provide their own buzzer systems, pass cards, or IDs.

On one hand, that’s realistic.

On the other hand, it’s a tough standard to accept, because it suggests safety is optional – something you “add on” if you have the money, the time, and the leverage.

And if you don’t, you’re exposed. Valerie Boey noted that she saw a security guard walk into the building while she was reporting.

That’s a visible sign that someone, somewhere, understood the building needed a stronger presence after what happened.

The unsettling part is wondering whether that presence existed before.

Because if it didn’t, the obvious question becomes: why did it take tragedy to make safety visible?

A Case That Should Force Hard Conversations

Valerie Boey’s reporting left the audience with facts and a clear unresolved gap.

Deputies say the attacker got into the building at night. The building reopened quickly. A second victim survived. And the family is demanding answers about security and access.

Here’s the part that sticks with me most: when you work in mental health, you’re often told to focus on empathy, de-escalation, and trust.

That’s good guidance for treatment.

But it can’t be the only layer.

Because locks, controlled access, camera coverage, and after-hours policies aren’t “paranoid.”

They’re basic risk management for professionals who sometimes deal with people at their most unstable, angry, or dangerous.

Valerie Boey didn’t claim to know what specifically failed at 933 Lee Road, and she didn’t pretend the public has the full picture yet.

But the way she laid it out makes the central point hard to escape: if someone can “somehow” get into a building after hours and kill a counselor at work, then the word “somehow” needs to be replaced with clear answers.

Not for gossip.

Not for internet arguments.

For prevention.

And for every professional who’s unlocking an office door tonight, hoping their building’s security is more than a hope and a habit.