In addition to the old 1994 movie about the case, there is also another movie that is in the works. She dropped out of school in 7th grade because of financial problems within her family. filmed in and around Lexington and Harlan in 2016, More than 900 pounds of marijuana seized by customs agents in Kentucky, CDC advises those at high risk for COVID mask up in these 3 KY counties. It took a year, but suspicion slowly focused on Mark Putnam. I actually was a correctional officer where Putnam was held. Sheriffs deputy Bert Hatfield suggested to his friend, Susan, that she could earn extra money by becoming an informant. PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) _ A former FBI agent who solved a year-old homicide by confessing to the crime pleaded guilty Tuesday to strangling a pregnant informant with whom hed been having an affair. I saw an interview he did with Oprah in the late 80s or early 90s he was very candid and straightforward. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. Aint America wonderful! I didnt even know dude was a undercover cop. Those are the facts, regardless of the bullcrap people tend to spread. The marijuana would have had a street value of $2.27 million, officials said. There is a wikipedia entry named "Murder of Susan Smith" about her case. But poor white men are treated no better! Susan Daniels Smith grew up poor in an area on the border of Kentucky and West Virginia, the fifth of nine children. I guess he told them that when that happened he was at the movies, but he wasnt at the movies obviously, she said. The familys been through a lot this past year.. I remember when the story broke, being in the next town over, at the age of 12. The prosecutor, assistant prosecutor, FBI management and every law enforcement officer in the case knew that was true. Putnam, who already had been transferred to Miami, dumped the body off a coal mine road in the eastern Kentucky hills and returned to his wife and two children. Mark Steven Putnam was born on July 4, 1959, in Coventry, Connecticut, to Barbara and Walter. While visiting Pikeville to wrap up a case, Putnam took Smith on a drive to Peter Creek Mountain one night. Description In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. According to Monsters & Critics, Putnam later claimed that "he snapped because Susan was threatening to tell his wife about the affair.". Roadside Attractions/Courtesy . Erin, it would do you good to read this article by Black Author Lipton Matthews: White Peoples War on Western Civilization https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/white-people-s-war-on-western-civ/. I would like to read something written about that. He flew into West Virginia when he had business in Lexington, Jones said. And there are plenty of people of all colors who get out of jail early for good behavior. https://twitter.com/LyndaKelly/status/708741300259037184. The Inquisitr is a registered trademark. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. Susan and Kenneth eventually divorced, although they kept sharing their home with each other and their children. It appears there was ample evidence to proffer First Degree Murder Premeditation and Deliberation which might have been deliberately or inadvertently destroyed. As an informant, Susan, who was 25 at the time, relayed the shotgun she'd seen with Lockhart that hinted at the possibility of another grand bank . Putnam was the first FBI agent to be charged in a homicide. Shes telling me in the dream not to worry about her, that she was doing fine.. [1] She studied at Freeburn grade school, but dropped out in 7th grade, because of financial problems within her family. . According to The Cinemaholic, Putnam met up with Smith once more for what would be the last time. Ive read all of the court paperwork. Kathy's mother Carol claimed that what happened to Susan was simply "a crime of passion." Ward, whose clamorings about her sisters disappearance first brought the case to light, still insists that there was more than an unwanted pregnancy behind the killing--and she believes that the autopsy, halted two years ago at the request of the family, might prove that. That partnership, according to reports, soon became an affair. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Susans sister, Shelby Ward, reported her missing three days later. That partnership, according to reports, soon became an affair. Susan Smith Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her? Listen to this episode from Southern Fried True Crime on Spotify. In this one they had nothing besides him failing the polygraph which is not admissible in court! If they admit to having an affair with the first wife, Id cross him off. What a weird thing to say in this situation. No Body No case! The guy did 10 years, which is well above the average for time served in his situation. Putnam would later claim that they only had sex five times over a two-week period and only in his car. At the end of the day, Smith and Putnam are the only ones who truly know how long the affair lasted, and it's impossible to know which one of them was telling the truth. Whether or not these claims played into the decision, Mark was transferred to Miami, Florida in 1989. And before long, police were using their own informants to piece together the story, especially after the revelation that one of them was staying in the same motel as Putnam the very night that Smith disappeared. The partners approached Lockharts best friend, Kenneth Smith, and his 25-year-old ex-wife Susan Smith. Dont miss out! Initially, Mark Putnam was assigned to the Louisville office in Kentucky, and Kathy Putnam had already started looking for houses in the area. Meet the Smiths by Best of SWLA Susan Daniels Smith: 'Betrayed' Mark Putnam, FBI Killer Of Pregnant Informant Found Dead In Pikeville, Kentucky, Subject Of New Crime Series On ID by Inquisitr Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty To Slaying Kentucky Woman by AP News Former FBI agent from Coventry due for release from prison by Journal Inquirer He still did quite a bit of time considering Compared to many cops for instance..who never serve time at all for murder! The movie theater announces its showtimes on itsFacebook page. Sadly, after he came back to town and agreed to meet with Susan Smith, he strangled her and threw her nude body down a ravine. [1][5] Smith received $5,000 (equivalent to over $11,000 as of 2020) for her contribution to the case.[6]. There were no winners in this case. Erin is right. Thriller. We dont want to make a secret about it, but we prefer not to bring it out, he said. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. But I had pleaded guilty to murder in 2001 of a Chicago police man and got out 2012 for good model. Isnt the fact that he was an FBI agent who had an affair with his informant and then killed her more pertinent to the story and any judgments about his conviction and sentence than his race? Her body went limp, and the agent realized she was dead. During this time, Mark continued working at his clerical position at the FBI, and at the beginning of 1986, he took the entrance exam for the FBI Academy. YupPigs always get away with the evil they do. Working as a telephone switchboard operator during night shifts and weekends, Jones writes in "The FBI Killer" that Mark rarely talked to his superiors and exchanged only polite and casual greetings if he did. While some claim that Putnam confessed to draw attention away from something worse, his brother insists that he simply "just couldn't bear the guilt. During his time in college, Putnam mentioned to his soccer coach that he dreamed of being an FBI agent. Recall that in 1987, Agent Mark Putnam was just beginning his investigation of Cat Eyes Lockhart. 10 - The Murder of Susan Daniels Smith - Beyond Contempt True Crime The victims family expressed outrage they were not consulted in the drafting of Putnams plea bargain. 1. After Mark Putnam was able to gain Susan Smith's trust, they started meeting two to three times every week. It seems like it wont go away, Ward said of the case. Shown here is Mark Putnamthe first FBI agent in history to be convicted of a homicide. 1989 murder of Susan Daniels smith by FBI agent Mark Putnam This story was one of the very first true crime stories that I followed and is in part the reason I am obsessed with true crime in general. Im sorry but theres something terribly wrong with that picture. Regardless of where they met, the two continued their affair. They were in love, she said, and she was pregnant with his child. Jim Huggins - Mark Putnam, FBI Informant Murderer But this narrative of being stricken with guilt ultimately plays into the idea that Putnam is a noble man who "snapped" because a woman pushed him too far and was so remorseful that he felt compelled to confess. At autopsy, they discovered they werent pregnant. After local townsfolk threatened his family in connection with ongoing cases, Putnam was transferred to Miami, much to his relief. We all know OJ did it! The Old Crime is New Again newsletter is a monthly email covering a topic that has not appeared in the blog. Her father came from the Hatfield while her mother was a descendant of the McCoys. (Susan's mother was a McCoy; her father's family descended from the Hatfields.) Books and television programs were created using the story and that shock continues to cause ripples in different forms of media today. The people who are obsessed with it, theyre the racist. Putnams first wife, Kathy stood by him while he was in prison. And in August 1982, Putnam got one step closer to his goal when he became a clerk at the FBI's Connecticut headquarters office. I remember when the story broke, being in the next town over, at the age of 12. Thank you for sharing! Susan Smith's Drug Use, Sex with Guards Explored on 'Cellmate - People I work in the system and between race and class, it makes all the difference. Its true that on average, the average black man wouldnt be treated as well as the average white man. Updated. Throughout all this, Putnam, 31, also has remained silent. But Katheryn Sizemore, Kenneth Smiths landlady and a neighbor, said it is obvious they miss their mother. r/TrueCrimeDiscussion - Murder of Susan Daniels Smith at the hands of FBI Killer/The - Aphrodite Jones - Google Books Absolutely no consequences for that action. She was the fifth of nine children (including her sister Shelby Ward). Her father said she told him, I sure wish my mommy had lived. . In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. That is what every vocal or keyboard social-justice-warriors can do that actually helps the world instead trying to look pious. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. Adaptation. Sometimes you get the good people who believe in real justice, and sometimes you do get them racist tyrants. They were not concerned about Justice being served; they only wanted the Black man to be found not guilty. But before long, Mark Putnam started to look more and more like a potential suspect, according to Monsters & Critics. He declined a recent written request for an interview. Ten years is pathetic and a slap to the victims family. ", Mark Putnam: The First FBI Agent Convicted Of Murder, daughter of a wealthy real estate developer. Smith also built up a relationship with Kathy Putnam, and the two of them often spoke on the phone for hours on end. Susan did not once put her children first nor did Mark. But after getting a divorce, Susan and Kenneth continued living together. It would have remained there if not for Putnam, wracked with guilt, confessing to the crime and leading investigators to the corpse a year later. Susan Daniels Smith, 28, dropped out of sight last June after threatening to expose the two-year affair and her pregnancy to the agent's wife, said sister Shelby Ward. The information provided by Smith ended up leading to the FBI's apprehension of Carl Edwards "Cat Eyes" Lockhart by the end of 1987 after she told Putnam that the target had ski masks and sawed-off shotguns at her home, The New York Post writes. But what was the relationship between Smith and Putnam, and how did it get to a point where he felt compelled to choke her to death? According to Sharkeys book, a concerned Kathy warned her husband: Dont you ever get involved with this woman . Nevertheless, Smith's family was outraged at the fact that no one had talked to them about the drafting of the plea bargain, and they'd hoped to see Putnam stand trial for murder. In the 28 years that I have been a prosecutor, this is the first experience that I have had where a lawyer called me on a telephone and said I have a man who wants to confess to murder, or homicide, and wants to go to the penitentiary, and we had absolutely no evidence, Runyon added. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. LoL. [4] The next day, he dumped Smith's body along an old coal mining road. 8 to 30 years for a Class B felony. Ms. Smith kept telling me the baby was mine and that she was going to hang me over this. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. Putnam reportedly confessed because he got overwhelmed with the guilt. In his confession, Mark said that he pulled off on the side of the road to continue the discussion. Listen to "67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith" on Spreaker. Sad, but true. The family rarely talks about the case publicly, Tim Putnam said. "It's part of our culture now. All rights reserved. Its likel that their father, Kenneth Smith, raised them but I dont know for sure. Susan Daniels Smith, aka Sue Smith, the Pikeville, Kentucky, informant who was killed by her married lover, FBI Agent Mark Putnam, will have her story discussed again for the first time in many years on Betrayed, the new Investigation Discovery crime series. It is unlikely it will die down soon. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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A year later, apparently racked by guilt, he offered to lead authorities to her body. Locals believe keeping the story alive is important, but some are suspicious of how the story will come across through the Hollywood gaze. They met frequently to exchange information about Lockharts activities and plans. How nice for him. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. That will never be erased but yes being white made all the difference for him and his future + current success story. Mark Putnam: The First FBI Agent Convicted Of Murder - Grunge A year later, apparently racked by guilt, he offered to lead authorities to her body. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. That film was finally released during the pandemic. He killed someone and hes allowed to be free, remarry and have a wonderful life?!!! Furthermore, this has nothing to do with OJ getting under anyones skin or the color of ones skin. In his written confession, Putnam said he strangled Smith in a fit of rage because she was threatening to tell his wife and superiors that she was carrying his child. [5], Despite being sentenced to 16 years in prison, Putnam served only 10 years due to good behavior, and was described as a "model inmate". Watch the trailer here. I couldnt find any information related to this. Then, on the other, I think she saw him and her as Bonnie and Clyde.. The boyfriends panicked and murdered the girls (they were all teenagers). Runyon, the Pike County commonwealth's attorney at the time, added that in his almost 30 years as a prosecutor, this was the first time that they encountered someone who wanted to confess to a homicide while the prosecution had absolutely no evidence. Susan Daniels Smith Susan met Kenneth Smith in 1977 when she was just 15 and he was 22. The majority of black inmates act like a slew of undisciplined children in grown-up bodies. And.. What does that count for anything? She said she was also questioned, having been working at the former movie theater in town, which she said Putnam used as an alibi. Southern Fried True Crime: 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan With the way our society has allowed punishment for crimes to be diminished to a slap on the wrist the answer to your question would be a simple yes. They jumped up whooping and dancing around as if everyone of them had won the lottery. The icing on the cake was when president Obama declared Treyvon Martin was the son he never had. The reason George Z. was found innocent by a racially diverse jury was because he was simply protecting his life from having his head bashed into the concrete sidewalk. A film adaptation of this book, Above Suspicion, was released on June 20, 2019, starring Emilia Clarke as Susan Smith, and Jack Huston as Mark Putnam.[10][11]. on one of Susans bones? But Kenneth proved unreliable, so Putnam picked Susan to be an informant instead. Putnam had become involved in a risque sexual affair with Susan Daniels Smith, who by all accounts was from the rough side of town. [5] He is the first FBI agent convicted of murder. He has told his story but she is not here to tell hers so we will never truly know what happened on the day of her death but one thing is certain, 10yrs was too short a time compared to the sentence being served to people of color for the same crime. He served his time there have plenty of persons of color who were released either by being model prisoners or because they were found not guilty, Mark had no former criminal file and was, before the murder, an upstanding citizen. I hear you Erin. They used her and they killed her and they dumped her out like a bag of garbage.. Ive thought about it and I feel sort of bad collecting money off it, but I went through a lot of hell for it, she said. But when he wasn't playing sports, Putnam became more introverted and was "extremely shy and private.". Immediately after the hearing, Putnam was handcuffed and taken into custody by Kentucky State Police officers. Putnam said he and his wife would adopt the child but Ms. Smith refused, and began slapping Putnam. According to Lexington Herald-Leader, he is possibly working in the Georgia area as a personal trainer. The affair was hot, heavy, and extremely passionate. And Susan Daniels Smith didnt hold out on the details with her sister. He laughed about it on TV in an interview even. In the premiere episode titled, No Escape, detectives find the body of a naked woman and learn that the woman may be the missing informant who disappeared a year earlier. His battles with the church arent over, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, U.S. says 20,000 Russians killed in Ukraine war since December, Speaker Kevin McCarthy addresses Knesset amid fraught U.S.-Israel ties, First Republic: Cheap, interest-only jumbo mortgages to Silicon Valleys elite fueled the banks failure, SpaceX used wildlife preserve as dumping ground for space waste, lawsuit alleges, Judge blocks Missouri rule that would limit transgender care. Susan Daniels Smith (1961-1989) Susan Smith was raised in Lonesome Hollow where the feud occurred. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. In "Above Suspicion," Joe Sharkey writes that before long, Mark amassed a network of informants and started thinking of himself as a "streetwise crime-fighter who was living the life that he had always dreamed about." Based primarily on Huggins' ability to elicit a confession, Putnam pled guilty and was convicted of strangling is his pregnant informant, Susan Daniels Smith, in a fit of rage. I believe you are incorrect about that. She was poor and uneducated but for Gods sake, she could have gotten help and tried to change. Hoping to expand his web of informants, Putnam set up a meeting with Kenneth and Susan in order to convince them to cooperate in the case against Lockhart, according to "The FBI Encyclopedia.". According to the Associated Press, what made the case novel was that it was "apparently the first case in FBI history in which an agent had been charged with a homicide." What would you do if someone were banging your head in the concrete and you had a weapon? Prosecutor John Paul Runyon, the Pike County commonwealths attorney, said that without Putnams June 4 confession, we had absolutely no evidence. This threw Smith into a violent rage. The couple was driving on a rural eastern Kentucky highway at the time and pulled off the road at Peter Creek Mountain. Since the murder, two books have been written about Susan Daniels Smiths sad story: Above Suspicion by Joe Sharkey and The FBI Killer by Aphrodite Jones. The case, which caught the attention of local and national news outlets, was the first reported instance of an FBI agent committing homicide. Then therere women who murder pregnant women to cut their babies out of them and claim them as their own in order to keep their boyfriends and husbands. Mark married Kathy Ponticelli, who was the "daughter of a wealthy real estate developer." Susan dropped out of school in seventh grade due to her family's financial difficulties. The following year saw him sentenced to 57 years in federal prison for robbery. Susan Daniels Smith: 'Betrayed' Mark Putnam, FBI Killer Of Pregnant PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WYMT) - The Riverfill 10 Cinema re-opened its doors Wednesday for the first time in more than one year, resurrecting the screens with- among other options- a movie about a local murder. After being paroled, Lockhart and his girlfriend Sherri Justice rented a room from Kenneth and Susan Smith a divorced couple who maintained the same residence with their two children. Plus I believe his conscience was eating at him. Simpson acquittal. Putnam was sentenced to 16 years in prison, but was released after 10 years, early in 2000, on good behavior. Theres a lot of things Ive not told the press . Susan Daniels Smith, aka Sue Smith, the Pikeville, Kentucky, informant who was killed by her married lover, FBI Agent Mark Putnam, will have her story discussed again for the first time in many years on Betrayed, the new Investigation Discovery crime series.

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