Its disgusting to hear people defend this mans release. Is 'Above Suspicion' (2019) Movie Based On A True Story? Even in the movie they mentioned 6 is the usual for manslaughter with most serving 2 with good behavior. LoL. Once an informant was approved, FBI agents were allotted $5,000 "to be distributed at the agent's discretion." While there, Putnam was reportedly the same type of person he'd been throughout his youth, exhibiting "aggression in sports and in class but extreme caution about divulging information about his private affairs," Jones writes. After college, he attended the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He couldnt handle it, the brother said. We dont need more division, we need people building bridges. I think many times white people try to be social justice warriors and speak out for people whom they dont see as equals, thinking they are doing them a favor when its just down putting, as they ARE, of course EQUALS. At that time, Putnam strangled and killed Smith and placed her body in the trunk of his car. Putnam appeared tense during his 20-minute appearance in Pike County Circuit Court. Despite no longer being married, they still lived together. Listen to this episode from Southern Fried True Crime on Spotify. The case, which caught the attention of local and national news outlets, was the first reported instance of an FBI agent committing homicide. Putnam reportedly confessed because he got overwhelmed with the guilt. In mid-1986, Mark learned that he'd been accepted into the FBI Academy, and on October 6, 1986, he graduated and was finally rewarded with the gold FBI badge he'd long dreamed of obtaining. Susan Daniels Smith was born in Matewan, West Virginia, in 1961, but soon after her birth, her family moved to Freeburn, Kentucky. I loved Game of Thrones, you know. What is the point of stating this? Mark Putnams guilty plea on June 12, 1990, was unlike any an American courtroom had seen before. But Kenneth proved unreliable, so Putnam picked Susan to be an informant instead. After Kenneth's parole officer informed Putnam he was "totally unreliable," Putnam approached Susan to be an informant. From last weeks mob murder in Beverly Hills, we travel to Pikeville, Kentucky. Eastern Kentucky manslaughter case featured on TV show - WYMT The reason others get much stiffer sentences will happen for a variety of reasons: the authorities have evidence, witnesses or a stronger case.sometimes the police have good interrogators who can solicit a confession or the suspects are plain ignorant or dumb? I couldnt find any information related to this. Books and television programs were created using the story and that shock continues to cause ripples in different forms of media today. She was strangled at age 28 by her handler and lover, a FBI Agent. Furthermore, this has nothing to do with OJ getting under anyones skin or the color of ones skin. Fbi Agent Killed Informant Turned Lover, Woman Says The guy did 10 years, which is well above the average for time served in his situation. [2], Putnam was released from prison in 2000, at age 41. When a good-looking, big city FBI agent named Mark Putnam entered her life, Susan thought her prayers had been answered. In 1990, the investigation into Smith's death became an FBI matter, as Putnam was under suspicion for her disappearance. Written, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal GraphicArt by Coley HornerOriginal Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma Radio, Major Source: Above Suspicion by Joe Sharkey, https://www.amazon.com/Above-Suspicion-Joe-Sharkey-ebook/dp/B01N49MWZH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TSQXJQASEJND&keywords=above+suspicion+book&qid=1567612166&s=gateway&sprefix=Above+Suspicion%2Caps%2C252&sr=8-1, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikeville,_Kentucky, https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2000-09-29-0009292462-story.html, https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrime/comments/c1tys4/1989_murder_of_susan_daniels_smith_by_fbi_agent/, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-07-07-mn-2951-story.html, https://tvcrimesky.com/2019/04/19/susan-daniels-smith-mark-putnam-fbi-killer-above-suspicion-pikeville-update-today/1514, https://joesharkey.com/2016/07/21/__trashed-2/, https://www.apnews.com/782fcc8b1c55b5c5a9b9eff10b35096f, https://www.journalinquirer.com/archives/former-fbi-agent-from-coventry-due-for-release-from-prison/article_22d7dc50-bb6c-5b1a-ac9c-b22905d2b879.html, https://bestofswla.com/2014/12/05/meet-smiths/, The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith. The pair would meet two to three times every week, and Smith quickly told Putnam she believed Lockhart was planning another heist because she discovered a duffel bag with two sawed-off shotguns and ski masks in their home, Sharkey writes. But strangely, Kathys parents always stuck by their former son-in-law. 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. According to Putnam, his contact with Smith became less frequent after Lockhart's case was closed. Her worried sister, Shelby, with whom she had a close relationship knew that the last person her sister was going to see was FBI agent Mark Putnam. 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. I remember when the story broke, being in the next town over, at the age of 12. Might not have even been a manslaughter. In addition to solving another bank robbery, Mark was responsible for closing down a stolen car shop. And.. Did Goebbels help write this?? 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith - Spotify 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. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Hes a wonderful man, her mother Carol Ponticelli told the Hartford Courant when he was let out of prison. Meanwhile, the guy who robbed the bank gets nearly 60years. What a great (in)justice system we have. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Putnam would pay her thousands of dollars for tips, while she became increasingly enamored with her handler. Smith and Putnam's verbal argument turned physical, and he ended up strangling her. Its a woman who lost her life. The affair with Susan Smith ruined his marriage. He flew into West Virginia when he had business in Lexington, Jones said. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. In his confession, Mark said that he pulled off on the side of the road to continue the discussion. He lives in Georgia, is remarried, and works as a personal trainer. The people who are obsessed with it, theyre the racist. Putnam was sentenced to 16 years in prison, but was released after 10 years, early in 2000, on good behavior. On June 16, Smith's sister Shelby Ward filed a missing person report after failing to find Smith. But poor white men are treated no better! After leaving it there for a day while he drove around, Putnam left the body by an old coal mining road the following evening. He told me that the day that it happened- and he didnt know this at the time, but afterwards he knew- the day it happened Mark Putnam actually came to Post 9 with the woman in the trunk of his car dead, Harris said. According to The NewYork Post, Putnam was so wracked with guilt that he felt compelled to confess. The prosecutor, assistant prosecutor, FBI management and every law enforcement officer in the case knew that was true. Shelby Ward told investigators that when she last spoke to her sister, Smith was waiting for Putnam to drive her home, The Mountain Eaglereports. Another book written about the case, Above Suspicion (also released in 1992) was written by Joe Sharkey. She said the child was his and threatened to expose him. 1994 . Smith, a mother of two from Freeburn, had been working with the FBI as an informant with an agent named Mark Putnam. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. Putnam, now 41, has completed a 10-year prison sentence for killing Susan Daniels Smith, his informant and lover while he was stationed in Kentucky. "Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty To Slaying Kentucky Woman", "$5,000 in 1987 2017 | Inflation Calculator", "Victim's Sister Haunted by Slaying a Year After FBI Agent Confessed: Crime: Susan Smith's family, believing her death was motivated by more than an unwanted pregnancy, is pursuing further investigation", "Former Kentucky FBI agent relives notorious case as movie consultant", "Susan Daniels Smith, Mark Putnam: FBI, 'Above Suspicion' Pikeville Killer Today", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Susan_Smith&oldid=1151691126, Deaths by strangulation in the United States, Federal Bureau of Investigation misconduct, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents convicted of crimes, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, first FBI agent to be convicted for murder, This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 16:35. The marijuana would have had a street value of $2.27 million, officials said. [4] The next day, he dumped Smith's body along an old coal mining road. At autopsy, they discovered they werent pregnant. Putnam was the first FBI agent to be charged in a homicide. We've received your submission. 066: Jim Huggins - Mark Putnam, FBI Informant Murderer I read a number of comments that he got off light and probably so. 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. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. 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. Susan Daniels Smith was born in 1961 in Matewan, West Virginia, to Sidney "Sid" Daniels, an unemployed former coal miner, and Tracy Daniels, a housekeeper. The old feud was part of Susan, as she was a descendant of both clans. Susan Smith. Watch the trailer here. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. . Susan Daniels Smith (1961-1989) Susan Smith was raised in Lonesome Hollow where the feud occurred. Putnam, who resigned Friday, worked in Pikeville for about two years until his transfer to Miami in May 1989. He claims he told her he would get a paternity test once the baby was born, and that he and Kathy would adopt the child. This isnt a black/white issue? Putnam claims the pair made love five times over a two-week period, just in that vehicle, and then he called the relationship quits. Mark Putnam was smart enough to realize that continuing to see Susan could be detrimental to his career and his marriage. Required fields are marked *. He spent time in prison but was released in 2000 after serving 10 years. Susan Daniels Smith Murder, The Genre. People like him should be locked up for life,as the principles of his job he did not abide by She said she would tell the FBI, my family and the newspapers, Putnams statement said. In his later confession, Putnam claimed they only had quickies in his car. Her parents moved to Freeburn, Kentucky when Susan was an infant. He is adjusting. Susan Daniels Smith grew up poor in an area on the border of Kentucky and West Virginia, the fifth of nine children. Recall that in 1987, Agent Mark Putnam was just beginning his investigation of Cat Eyes Lockhart. I guess he told them that when that happened he was at the movies, but he wasnt at the movies obviously, she said. Absolutely no consequences for that action. r/TrueCrimeDiscussion - Murder of Susan Daniels Smith at the hands of . [4] Early life AGENT WHO KILLED LOVER ENDS SENTENCE - Hartford Courant An affair that eventually ended when Putnam strangled Smith. This raises the question of whether or not Smith was ever pregnant, or if there would be any reason for others to try to disprove her pregnancy. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? Immediately after the hearing, Putnam was handcuffed and taken into custody by Kentucky State Police officers. I dont care what color he is. lol right. This was also apparently the first time that an FBI agent was actually convicted of murder. Susan Smith 's former cellmates and a prison guard who had sex with her are speaking out about the infamous woman's checkered time behind bars . Copyright 2023 The Inquisitr. What happened to his children? Thank you Irving, good read. Isnt it a shame it wasnt of one of your own he kindly murdered, whom you unseemly waited for the return of their body! See how the race baiting works? He just chose the wrong man and got what he deserved. Susan Daniels Smith went missing in 1989 at the age of 28. FBI Killer/The - Aphrodite Jones - Google Books The Old Crime is New Again newsletter is a monthly email covering a topic that has not appeared in the blog. Release Date. Although Mark Putnam claimed that he murdered Susan Smith because she threatened to tell his wife about their affair and her pregnancy, Smith's sister Shelby Ward remains convinced that this wasn't the only reason she was murdered. [Photo by Ed Reinke/AP File]Trouble Comes Back To Town. According to Lexington Herald-Leader, he is possibly working in the Georgia area as a personal trainer. If he were a person of color, he wouldnt be out of prison in 10 years or at all for killing someone. It's not clear exactly when Smith and Putnam's relationship went from professional to sexual, but sometime in 1988, they started sleeping together. Prosecutor John Paul Runyon was flabbergasted. He pleads to a lesser crime. Simpson is concerned, as sure as I am black and youre white, OJ is guilty.. At the time, Susan was addicted to recreational pills, and with two children under 7 years old to take care of, she definitely needed the extra cash that Putnam was offering, Carol Anne Davis writes in "Masking Evil.". The case may have been over, but Susan and Mark continued to meet. Putnam had returned to Pikeville for several days to work a car theft case he had investigated. An affair that eventually ended when Putnam strangled Smith. She was strangled by her handler and lover, FBI agent Mark Putnam. First Degree Manslaughter? 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. Two points to touch on. I used my instincts and shot first. It may make better entertainment, but I walsy say if you want the real story, go to the book. I cant believe they bought into Johnny C.s phrase about the glove, If it doesnt fit, you must acquit. Why is everyone talking about race? He said he knew some things on Mark Putnam that was awful . Susan and Kenneth married in the late 1970s and would have two children together before divorcing. Putnam, 30, of Sunrise, Fla., entered a guilty plea to one count of felony manslaughter in Ms. Smiths death. Putnam underwent a polygraph exam, which he failed. Those are the facts, regardless of the bullcrap people tend to spread. Lawyer suggests hell be exonerated, Updated: Victim of deadly Lexington shooting was 18 years old, coroner says, Former ISIL recruiter charged with attempted murder in a Kentucky prison, Officer critically injured in Louisville bank shooting is now able to open his eyes, Kentucky police charge a Texas man in a murder case thats been open 8 years. How nice for him. They jumped up whooping and dancing around as if everyone of them had won the lottery. Putnam and Susan met during this visit to Kentucky. Police file/Family photo The story of slain FBI informant Susan. They were in love, she said, and she was pregnant with his child. I thought he was some white dude trying to scare me with a pistol. But he received a light sentence because the authorities had no case. Three days later, Smith was reported missing by her sister, Shelby Ward. I saw an interview he did with Oprah in the late 80s or early 90s he was very candid and straightforward. According to Joe Sharkey, during his time in prison, Mark was described as a "model inmate.". We finally showed white America how it feels when the justice system gets it wrong. [7], Mark Steven Putnam (born July 4, 1959) is a criminologist and former FBI agent (1987-1990). We have enough social justice warriors in the world. It seems like it wont go away, Ward said of the case. By the mid-1980s, Susan had given birth to two children. Bringing race into this is like saying 6% of the population (black males) are responsible for 48% of all violent crimes: Source: Department of Justice Statistics year in year out. His decision to confess likely wasn't just remorse; he appears to have realized that he'd finally been caught. Ep67: the Killing or FBI - Southern Fried True Crime - Facebook And there are plenty of people of all colors who get out of jail early for good behavior. Susan Daniels Smith was 27 and pregnant when FBI agent Mark Putnam strangled her to death on June 8, 1989, in Pike County. 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. Irving, I just read the article you linked to and wow was it enlightening. I dream that I go and see her at a hospital and shes still alive and Im talking to her, she said. He confessed because of a guilty conscience which caused him health problems. The FBI Killer: Jones, Aphrodite: 9780786010394: Amazon.com: Books Well, if he were any other color they wouldnt have even charged him. Plus I believe his conscience was eating at him. Investigation Discovery says The Perfect Suspect is a psychological thriller, dissecting every deep, dark secret and looking into each suspect until they ultimately find a killer.. That will never be erased but yes being white made all the difference for him and his future + current success story. Susan dropped out of school in seventh grade due to her family's financial difficulties. On June 8, 1989, Putnam took Smith in his rental car to a clearing, and after a brief discussion and threats by both sides, they began to fight. ", By the time Mark and Kathy moved to Pikeville, she was pregnant with their second child. Sentenced to 16 years in prison, he served 10. And by early 1989, Mark started to pull away from Smith and stopped using her as an informant. When Putnam arrived in 1987, Lockhart was being released from prison after serving seven years out of his 18-year sentence. It appears there was ample evidence to proffer First Degree Murder Premeditation and Deliberation which might have been deliberately or inadvertently destroyed. 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. Still, in mid-1989 he had to return to complete an unrelated investigation. . But Mark, far from being deterred, instead put all of his energy into his new position, convinced that the best way to get a promotion was to "compile an impressive arrest record.". Mark Putnam had met Susan Smith while she was a police informant regarding some of the drug and bank robbing activities going on in Kentucky. Mark Putnam: The First FBI Agent Convicted Of Murder - Grunge Racism equals hate. The reason Treyvon Martin was killed was because he did not have sense enough to ask, why are you following me? Trayvon, in typical thug style, tried to give an innocent man a beat down. Mark Putnam was born on Independence Day in 1959 and studied criminology at the University of Tampa. For her assistance in the case, Susan received $5,000 (nearly $12,000 in 2021 dollars). Yeah tongue in cheek. In the statement, he recalled a bitter, violent argument with Ms. Smith about her pregnancy. Have you got friend together to paint or repair a him? . Investigation Discoverys Betrayed is produced by Trigger Street Productions, All3Media America, and Giant Pirates Entertainment, according to Broadway World. Yupp. (Susan's mother was a McCoy; her father's family descended from the Hatfields.) The move was based on the suggestion of Bert Hatfield the part-time cop who initially suggested Kenneth as an informant. In this case, the murderer wasnt a poor white man, and he was kind of an elite government employee. 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. Putnam, 30, of Sunrise, Fla., entered a guilty plea to one count of felony manslaughter in Ms. Smith's death. The FBI assigned newly-minted agent Putnam to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first case, bank robber Carl Cat Eyes Lockhart. Blog - Frank F. Weber, Author I mean if he was latino maybe he would be a landscaper? Because of Shelby Wards persistence--and the wrongful-death suit the family has filed against Putnam--Susan Daniels Smiths body was exhumed in May and the autopsy on her resumed, two years after she was killed. The majority of black inmates act like a slew of undisciplined children in grown-up bodies. Its true that on average, the average black man wouldnt be treated as well as the average white man. The old feud was part of Susan, as she was a descendant of both clans. Susan Daniels was born in Matewan, West Virginia in 1961. Her body was exhumed but it was too dehydrated to get an answer. Huh???? 7.8K views 9 months ago In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. Susan Smith's Drug Use, Sex with Guards Explored on 'Cellmate - People They had no evidence at all and a failed polygraph test. They had wanted him to stand trial for murder. Shortly after her birth, her family relocated to Freeburn, Kentucky. Putnam was to gather evidence to convict Lockhart. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. Blog - Frank F. Weber, Author After some false leads, they focused in on Carl Edward Cat Eyes Lockhart, a local eccentric and repeat offender who had a pesky habit of wildly spending his loot. The story of slain FBI informant Susan Smith of Pikeville will be featured on an episode of the new series The Perfect Suspect, which airs at 9 p.m. Thursday on Investigation Discovery. Besides the nonstop phone calls, Susan cut her hair short to look like Kathys. After local townsfolk threatened his family in connection with ongoing cases, Putnam was transferred to Miami, much to his relief. On June 8, 1989, Susan Daniels Smith was killed in the Pikeville area. Growing up, Putnam was described as an overachiever, and when it came to sports, he was "highly competitive" and would stop at nothing to win the game. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Southern Fried True Crime: 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan "It's part of our culture now. And although he was still on probation for robbing a bank, Putnam believed that Lockhart immediately went back to his old profession upon being released from prison. He told the Associated Press that we had absolutely no evidence. 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. Susan Smith, 28 years old when she was killed in 1989, was a coal-miner's daughter from one of the most desperately poor places in America, the rolling, environmentally ravaged mountains of eastern Kentucky, and specifically the narrow Tug Valley, along which the Tug Fork river runs and forms a border with West Virginia. The partners approached Lockharts best friend, Kenneth Smith, and his 25-year-old ex-wife Susan Smith. Soon Susan Smith was dead. If he was black with good behavior, they would do the same thing also. Claims self defense, but who doesnt. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. If they admit to having an affair with the first wife, Id cross him off. Although the marriage produced two children, its hardly surprising that there were problems. Susan Daniels Smith was born in 1961 in Matewan, West Virginia, to Sidney "Sid" Daniels, an unemployed and former coal miner, and Tracy Daniels,[1] a housekeeper. on one of Susans bones? And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. Its not as if there are any similar cases regarding black FBI agents. . A black person would have been given life to death sentence in the 1980s /90s. How nice for him. The familys been through a lot this past year.. Years of struggles with alcohol had compromised her health. Harris said she remembers the events unfolding and her husband, a former Kentucky State Police Post 9 dispatcher, shared some of his experiences with her. Her body was found last. 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? They had to be very young when their mum died. Dirt poor, divorced, the mother of two young children, Susan Daniels Smith, 27, prayed for a handsome Prince Charming who would take her away from the squalor of her rural Kentucky community to live in romance and luxury. He still did quite a bit of time considering Compared to many cops for instance..who never serve time at all for murder! Susan grew up and attended school there until the 7th grade, when she was forced to drop out due to her family's financial insecurity, according to The Cinemaholic. Putnam would later claim that they only had sex five times over a two-week period and only in his car. I started choking her and telling her to shut up. Putnam said he tried in vain to revive her. And afterward, Kathy Putnam gave birth to the pair's first child, Danielle. Putnams confession was attached to an indictment returned Tuesday by the Pike County grand jury. Within five years of dropping out of school, at the age of 15, she met 22-year old Kenneth Smith, and the two of them began dating. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. For a whole year, Susan Daniels Smith (Sue Smith), who was four months pregnant, was missing. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery.
Office Of Regulatory Services Georgia, Advantages Of A Traverse Stage, Wv Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission, Are Dylan And Dean Mcdermott Related, Chorley Man Dies Coronavirus, Articles I