Connecticut native Putnam was 27 years old and just out of the FBI Academy when he found himself stationed in Pikeville, Kentucky, a small Appalachian town three hours from Lexington with a practically unsupervised two-agent outpost. Putnam, who resigned Friday, worked in Pikeville for about two years until his transfer to Miami in May 1989. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. However, the couple started to have a conflicted relationship, highly compromised by drug abuse. He chose to kill her period. Films based on a true story often take far too many liberties with the truth. Absolutely no consequences for that action. Ep67: the Killing or FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith is available everywhere now #fbi #pikeville #kentucky #pikevilleky #murder #holler #hillbilly #southernfriedtruecrime Its sad that you rob a bank Cat Eyes and you get nearly 60 years thanks to Susan Daniels Smith, But you murder a PREGNANT informant and you only do 10 years? 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. When he reached Kentucky, Smith contacted him about her pregnancy and told him the baby was his. He said he placed the body in the trunk of his rented car and dumped it the following evening off an old coal mine road about nine miles north of Pikeville. The two of them reportedly drove up to Peter Creek Mountain on June 8, 1989, where Smith informed Putnam that she was pregnant and asked for financial support. No Body No case! Listen to "67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith" on Spreaker. The move was based on the suggestion of Bert Hatfield the part-time cop who initially suggested Kenneth as an informant. It tells a mighty sad tale. He took a life. She prayed for a Prince Charming to come to her rescue, and when good-looking. She was the fifth of nine children (including her sister Shelby Ward). Smith was a local dealer in methamphetamine, PCP, and cocaine, hardly a model citizen. On June 8, 1989, Susan Daniels Smith was killed in the Pikeville area. A year later, apparently racked by guilt, he offered to lead authorities to her body. Im not white and I have to roll my eyes to that foolish question! Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Had he been a black FBI agent, there is a good chance he might have recouped as well as Putnam after serving his sentence. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. [7], Mark Steven Putnam (born July 4, 1959) is a criminologist and former FBI agent (1987-1990). He didnt just kill one. Its interesting how the movie Above Suspicion left out the part where it turned out Susan wasnt really pregnant afterall. She did not deserve to die over being insulted & upset. Claims self defense, but who doesnt. I remember when the story broke, being in the next town over, at the age of 12. The number one thing in this whole sad, sick story was Susans children and Marks children, they deserved better. Well, he was white and also an FBI agent, so he had that going for him too. Tim Putnam, an employee for the Connecticut Legislature, said that his mother talks to Mark about every two weeks, but that he has not heard from him since Christmas. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Putnam was the first FBI agent to be charged in a homicide.[4]. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. After local townsfolk threatened his family in connection with ongoing cases, Putnam was transferred to Miami, much to his relief. After Kenneth's parole officer informed Putnam he was "totally unreliable," Putnam approached Susan to be an informant. Im not saying Larry Miller should be prosecuted and Im not defending Mark Putnams disgusting actions, all Im saying that your comment about gee this wouldnt happen with anyone but a white guy is ridiculous. It took Putnam a year to admit that he was responsible for Smith's murder, and even then, it occurred after he failed a polygraph test. Even the polygraph test wasn't admissible in court. They get a conviction and her family got her body to bury. According to The NewYork Post, Putnam was so wracked with guilt that he felt compelled to confess. Geez. . Susans sister, Shelby Ward, reported her missing three days later. He killed someone and hes allowed to be free, remarry and have a wonderful life?!!! Hum I wonder why? Smith, a mother of two from Freeburn, had been working with the FBI as an informant with an agent named Mark Putnam. Putnam was to gather evidence to convict Lockhart. Thank you Irving, good read. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Might not have even been a manslaughter. Once an informant was approved, FBI agents were allotted $5,000 "to be distributed at the agent's discretion." Poole, who was transferred to Lexington, Ky., shortly before Putnams conviction, declined to comment on the case. 1994 . This story was originally published January 2, 2018, 8:38 PM. Immediately after the hearing, Putnam was handcuffed and taken into custody by Kentucky State Police officers. Putnam was a young FBI agent and the first to ever be convicted of homicide. May 10, 2021 7:20pm. Putnam would pay her thousands of dollars for tips, while she became increasingly enamored with her handler. 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. What type of person marries a man who admits to a murder? In his confession, Mark said that he pulled off on the side of the road to continue the discussion. 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. I see her in heaven with the baby. As a black person, I cheered for OJs acquittal for every Emmet Til who was lynched for looking at a white woman wrong, & for every black man wrongfully convicted, & for every Rodney King. Her body was found last. Description In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. Putnam put Smiths body in the trunk of the car, where it stayed for an entire day, until he dumped it into a roadside ravine the following night. Sometime in mid-1988, they began a sexual relationship. Wild Bill Hickok: Fortune Leaves Him in the Lurch, https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/white-people-s-war-on-western-civ/, Helene Knabe: Pioneering Doctor and Murder Victim, George Joseph Smith: Bridegroom Makes for Unusual Serial Killer, Annie Le: Insider Murder Ends a Promising Life, Frank Howard: Strange and Sensational Murder for Hire, Tony Baekeland: Odd Son, Troubled Mother, and Murder, Eric Witte: Mother Manipulates Boy to Commit Startling Murder, Lethal Lovers: Sensational Case of Love and Murder. Isnt it a shame it wasnt of one of your own he kindly murdered, whom you unseemly waited for the return of their body! Putnam, 30, of Sunrise, Fla., entered a guilty plea to one count of felony manslaughter in Ms. Smiths death. 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. Putnams confession was attached to an indictment returned Tuesday by the Pike County grand jury. Susan Daniels Smith was 27 and pregnant when FBI agent Mark Putnam strangled her to death on June 8, 1989, in Pike County. Every time something like this occurs, the color card is played. Nevertheless, the two married sometime in the late 1970s. It might have made Susan less sympathetic to some. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. The Inquisitr is a registered trademark. In the initial investigation of Susan Smith's disappearance, police focused on Kenneth Smith and his acquaintances. However, the history is too long of black men being wrongfully treated by the justice system. I remember Diane Downs, 1980s, the mother of three children who shot them because her new boyfriend wouldnt get serious with her because he didnt want to be involved with someone with kids. 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? His decision to confess likely wasn't just remorse; he appears to have realized that he'd finally been caught. This was also apparently the first time that an FBI agent was actually convicted of murder. Mark walked the yard and caused 0 problems. Website Intellectual takeout, receives funding from right wing groups, and the Koch brothers. "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. They met frequently to exchange information about Lockharts activities and plans. But he received a light sentence because the authorities had no case. And some sources claim that Smith got the full $5,000 from Putnam for her information and cooperation during the trial. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Then, on the other, I think she saw him and her as Bonnie and Clyde.. Cat Eyes chief virtues were gregariousness, loquaciousness and generosity, wrote Joe Sharkey in his book Above Suspicion. Qualities admirable in law-abiding citizens, but problematic in bank robbers.. Seriously he suggested taking away her child to be raised by his wealthy privileged wife that already had children by him. They had no evidence at all and a failed polygraph test. We dont need more division, we need people building bridges. 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. In this case, the murderer wasnt a poor white man, and he was kind of an elite government employee. Not one scintilla or shred of evidence to bring a charge or convict this man.. The majority of black inmates act like a slew of undisciplined children in grown-up bodies. According to Sharkeys book, a concerned Kathy warned her husband: Dont you ever get involved with this woman . Its called rehabilitation. In a signed confession, Mark Putnam said he choked Susan Daniels Smith, 27, on June 8, 1989, in an act of extreme rage while the couple arued over support of her expected child. He couldnt handle it, the brother said. He murdered a woman in cold blood with his bare hands and he only had to serve 10 years. Sheriffs deputy Bert Hatfield suggested to his friend, Susan, that she could earn extra money by becoming an informant. Ms. Smith kept telling me the baby was mine and that she was going to hang me over this. I think its much more credible to say that this was a case of poor meets authority rather than white vs. black. Theres a long history of killers with higher socioeconomic status than their victims getting softer sentences than what their crime alone deserved. Putnam, however, was aware his behavior could damage his career and his family, and in early 1989, he signed a petition to be transferred from Kentucky to Florida, in order to focus on other cases. Susan Daniels Smith grew up poor in an area on the border of Kentucky and West Virginia, the fifth of nine children. FBI Special Killer Agent | Mark Putnam / Susan Daniels Smith Case Analysis Dr. Todd Grande 1.27M subscribers 149K views 11 months ago This video answers the question: Can I analyze the case. His inappropriate affect seemed the dead give away of a sociopath..perhaps even a psychopath. How many times have you actively helped an underprivileged community? Youre correct Jolene. Spoiler alert: FBI agent Mark Putnam, who had been having an affair with Smith, led authorities to a ravine in Pike County where her body was found. Two years ago, Putnam's wife, Kathy, who. While they were driving on an isolated country road on June 8, she told him she was pregnant. Glad to see race was brought up when it has nothing to do with this case. Recommended: Is Horror Movie 'Annabelle: Creation' (2017) Based On A True Story Or Not? Putnam, 30, of Sunrise, Fla., entered a guilty plea to one count of felony manslaughter in Ms. Smith's death. After college, he attended the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. If he were a person of color, he wouldnt be out of prison in 10 years or at all for killing someone. By the way, if you can get your hands on the movie Betrayed By Love, youre in for a tearjerker. For her assistance in the case, Susan received $5,000 (nearly $12,000 in 2021 dollars). Sad, but true. Copyright 2023 The Inquisitr. The couple was driving on a rural eastern Kentucky highway at the time and pulled off the road at Peter Creek Mountain. Dont miss out! Murder of Susan Daniels Smith at the hands of 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. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? I loved Game of Thrones, you know. They used her and they killed her and they dumped her out like a bag of garbage.. When he was declared not guilty, you wouldve thought Obama had been elected. Susan Daniels Smithwas born in the West Virginia town of Matewan in 1961. Simpson acquittal. Putnam appeared tense during his 20-minute appearance in Pike County Circuit Court. See how the race baiting works? Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. It may make better entertainment, but I walsy say if you want the real story, go to the book. People like him should be locked up for life,as the principles of his job he did not abide by Smith, a mother of two from Freeburn, had been working with the FBI as an informant with an agent named Mark Putnam. 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. The couple divorced in the mid-1980s. Putnam reportedly confessed because he got overwhelmed with the guilt. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. His wife, Kathy, died years ago at the age of 38 from heart problems. Karla Ward: 859-231-3314, @HLpublicsafety. If he was black with good behavior, they would do the same thing also. As a Black friend of mine said, Those boys were thugs and they deserved to die. There was motive to kill given that she was claiming to expose their relationship and pregnancy placing his career and family on the line. He married Kathy Ponticelli, the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer, shortly after graduating. The death of Smith is the subject of a new movie starring Emilia Clarke called Above Suspicion, out now. 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. 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. I didnt believe it was possible until I watched it happen regularly with my own eyes. Do you think thatd fly if the same situation involved a WHITE president of Nike? And it should. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. 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. It happens all the time. Published on July 9, 2021 11:53 AM. The case received nationwide attention. Susan objected and began slapping him. Its not as if there are any similar cases regarding black FBI agents. By all accounts, Susan Smith fell head over heels for the FBI agent. And according to " Above Suspicion ," there was a lot of money to be given out to informants. In other words. Once an informant was approved, FBI agents were allotted $5,000 "to be distributed at the agent's discretion." Mark married Kathy Ponticelli, who was the "daughter of a wealthy real estate developer." An affair that eventually ended when Putnam strangled Smith. 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. First Degree Manslaughter? She was poor and uneducated but for Gods sake, she could have gotten help and tried to change. Two years before Mark was released from prison, his wife Kathy Putnam died suddenly from organ failure at the age of 38. Why is everyone talking about race? 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 . You know, and rumors aside about anything, you know, you should always treat people with dignity, said Collins. OJ also goes on to write a book which he more or less admits to the killings. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. Pretty much by the book. The case received nationwide attention. Susan Daniels Smith l Idk what black friend told you that but it sounds like bs to me. The old feud was part of Susan, as she was a descendant of both clans. This story has been shared 178,122 times. Whats your point ? He placed Susan in the trunk of his rental car. When Putnam arrived in 1987, Lockhart was being released from prison after serving seven years out of his 18-year sentence. While visiting Pikeville to wrap up a case, Putnam took Smith on a drive to Peter Creek Mountain one night. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. He rented a car when he could have used an FBI vehicle. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. things that my sister told me.. Later, the medical examiner found that Kathy died due to a combination of pancreatitis and hepatic steatosis, according to the Journal Inquirer. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. But Katheryn Sizemore, Kenneth Smiths landlady and a neighbor, said it is obvious they miss their mother. Listen to this episode from Southern Fried True Crime on Spotify. Did Goebbels help write this?? Putnam admitted killing his informant girlfriend, Susan Daniels Smith, in 1989 in Pike County. 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. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. Books and television programs were created using the story and that shock continues to cause ripples in different forms of media today. So, he cut a deal. What a great (in)justice system we have. Susan Daniels Smith was born in Matewan, West Virginia, in 1961, but soon after her birth, her family moved to Freeburn, Kentucky. He just chose the wrong man and got what he deserved. Hes a wonderful man, her mother Carol Ponticelli told the Hartford Courant when he was let out of prison. Being an informant was a fairly common phenomenon in the area during this time although the pay was low and the risk was high. There are various accounts as to whether he approached her first or she approached him first. He pleads to a lesser crime. And getting just 16 years for murder is ridiculous and 10 is even more so. . If anything he got off easy because she was poor & on drugs? Release Date. Susan did not once put her children first nor did Mark. I believe you are incorrect about that. But thats where this weeks case takes us. But now he can be found at the movies- or in one. 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. Stop with the racism crap and look at the circumstances and why he was released. Putnam and Susan met in the spring of 1987. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. This story has been shared 142,081 times. All Rights Reserved. He told the Associated Press that we had absolutely no evidence. Mark Putnams guilty plea on June 12, 1990, was unlike any an American courtroom had seen before. Required fields are marked *. But before long, Mark Putnam started to look more and more like a potential suspect, according to Monsters & Critics. Eastern Kentucky is about as far from the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas and Hollywood as you can get. [5] He is the first FBI agent convicted of murder. Furthermore, this has nothing to do with OJ getting under anyones skin or the color of ones skin. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Mark Putnam initially approached Kenneth about being an informant. The girl is kind of forlorn sometimes, she said. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Ward claimed that FBI Agent Ron Poole, Putnam's superior, not only knew about Smith's pregnancy but also disclosed to Smith information about Putnam's "alleged illicit activities." It was a crime of passion.. Because of Shelby Ward's persistence--and the wrongful-death suit the family has filed against Putnam--Susan Daniels Smith's body was exhumed in May and the autopsy on her resumed, two years. While Mark Putnam always wanted to be an FBI agent, Carl Edwards "Cats Eyes" Lockhart said that he wanted to be a bank robber ever since he was a child, Joe Sharkey writes in "Above Suspicion." [3] Smith and Putnam met in the spring of 1987, and they began to have frequent contact for the exchange of information about Lockhart's upcoming criminal plans. He said he strangled Smith, who had earlier told him she was pregnant, when she confronted him at a hotel in Pikeville, slapping him and threatening to expose their affair. That partnership, according to reports, soon became an affair. The marijuana would have had a street value of $2.27 million, officials said. Susan met Kenneth Smith in 1977 when she was just 15 and he was 22. With his plea deal, Putnam was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for murder. Some people have suggested that he confessed to the slaying to hide something worse from authorities, but his younger brother, Tim Putnam, said he believes that Mark just could not bear the guilt.
Stevie Awards Fake,
Cva 32 Cal Squirrel Rifle Parts,
Robert Labranche Obituary,
The Religion And Folklore Of Okinawa,
Articles I