Alex Johnson – Journalist at Large

Leon Hendrix of NBC station WOOD-TV of Grand Rapids, Mich., spoke to one of the possible victims.

Update: Smith’s attorney says he plans on “exploring all options” in defending Smith, saying specifically, “I am concerned about his mental health.”

Over at msnbc.com, I have the bizarre story of a Michigan man with HIV who’s been charged with sex crimes after he told police he intentonally set out to kill as many people as he could by having sex with them.

According to documents on file with Grand Rapids 61st District Court, Smith claimed to have had sex with “thousands” of partners, intending to kill them by infecting them with HIV. Some of those people are from outside the Grand Rapids area, including people Smith met over the Internet, he told police, according to documents.

Smith faces separate preliminary hearings on the two charges on Jan. 4 and Jan. 9. He remains in the Kent County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond. Smith’s attorney did not answer calls seeking comment.

The Kent County Health Department issued an alert Tuesday warning that “hundreds of people may have been exposed to HIV,” urging potential victims to come forward and encouraging everyone who may have concerns to be tested for HIV.

One of the two women police have identified so far as potential victims told our colleagues at WOOD-TV that “he hits drifters.”

“”He hits people who are young. He hits young women, and from what I understand, he hits men, too. Those are his targets,”  she says. (You can watch the WOOD report above.)

Full story (M. Alex Johnson/msnbc.com)