Susans sister, Shelby Ward, reported her missing three days later. lame prosecution The blood shrank the glove. 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/. He was a model prisoner inside. on one of Susans bones? 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. By all accounts, Susan Smith fell head over heels for the FBI agent. That partnership, according to reports, soon became an affair. I used my instincts and shot first. She prayed for a Prince Charming to come to her rescue, and when good-looking. In the initial investigation of Susan Smith's disappearance, police focused on Kenneth Smith and his acquaintances. . Simpson is concerned, as sure as I am black and youre white, OJ is guilty.. Susan objected and began slapping him. Might not have even been a manslaughter. I saw an interview he did with Oprah in the late 80s or early 90s he was very candid and straightforward. Seriously he suggested taking away her child to be raised by his wealthy privileged wife that already had children by him. Those are the facts, regardless of the bullcrap people tend to spread. In addition to solving another bank robbery, Mark was responsible for closing down a stolen car shop. She said the child was his and threatened to expose him. It happens all the time. Yes, he killed her, but he was also a model inmate and had not once received any disciplinary incidents. The man had confessed to strangling his lover Susan Smith, who not only worked for him as an informant, but was said to be carrying his unborn child. . If, as he claimed, Putnam tried to reviver her, his efforts were unsuccessful. And after $18,000 in cash was stolen from a bank in Kentucky, Mark set his sights on the suspect, Carl Edwards "Cats Eyes" Lockhart, The New York Post writes. She wasnt pregnant. Years of struggles with alcohol had compromised her health. 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. But thats only part of the story. Eventually, Susan Daniels Smith became pregnant and Mark Putnam wanted to distance himself from Smith before the affair could ruin his marriage. They get a conviction and her family got her body to bury. Once an informant was approved, FBI agents were allotted $5,000 "to be distributed at the agent's discretion." Movie crew scouting central Kentucky for locations - WLKY I cant believe they bought into Johnny C.s phrase about the glove, If it doesnt fit, you must acquit. But strangely, Kathys parents always stuck by their former son-in-law. The movie does say she wasnt pregnant. So he did his time 2. https://twitter.com/LyndaKelly/status/708741300259037184. Mark Steven Putnam was born on July 4, 1959, in Coventry, Connecticut, to Barbara and Walter. 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. Roadside Attractions/Courtesy . Not one scintilla or shred of evidence to bring a charge or convict this man.. Her body was found last. 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. 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 . It doesnt matter if youre an upstanding citizen. When a good-looking, big city FBI agent named Mark Putnam entered her life, Susan thought her prayers had been answered. Well now. She was a poor drug-addicted mother of two, and he was an educated, decorated FBI agent. I dont care what color he is. What does that count for anything? 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. The new episode of "The Perfect Suspect," which airs at 9 p.m. Thursday on Investigation Discovery, focuses on the 1989 death of FBI informant Susan Daniels Smith in Pike County. [4][7] He moved to Georgia, remarried, and was working as a personal trainer in 2016. Susan Daniels Smith (1961-1989) Susan Smith was raised in Lonesome Hollow where the feud occurred. Its an old case that happened in 1989. Being an informant was a fairly common phenomenon in the area during this time although the pay was low and the risk was high. 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. Not one scintilla or shred of evidence to bring a charge or convict this man., 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.. Pretty much by the book. I didnt believe it was possible until I watched it happen regularly with my own eyes. Putnam was the first FBI agent to be charged in a homicide. Your email address will not be published. If he were a person of color, he wouldnt be out of prison in 10 years or at all for killing someone. Truly Shameful. In this case, the murderer wasnt a poor white man, and he was kind of an elite government employee. In this one they had nothing besides him failing the polygraph which is not admissible in court! Books and television programs were created using the story and that shock continues to cause ripples in different forms of media today. 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. It might have made Susan less sympathetic to some. 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. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. When he was declared not guilty, you wouldve thought Obama had been elected. Mark Putnam: The First FBI Agent Convicted Of Murder - Grunge 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. Mark Putnam was smart enough to realize that continuing to see Susan could be detrimental to his career and his marriage. No ifs or buts about it. He flew into West Virginia when he had business in Lexington, Jones said. Putnam, 30, of Sunrise, Fla., entered a guilty plea to one count of felony manslaughter in Ms. Smith's death. Huh???? I hope someone in prison tried to rape his a**. [4] The next day, he dumped Smith's body along an old coal mining road. This was also apparently the first time that an FBI agent was actually convicted of murder. In other words. It should be a felony to falsely claim that you are pregnant. Several of Smiths survivors, including ex-husband Kenneth Smith, have received money from Jones advance, and she said half the royalties also would go to the family. 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. [3] His aim was to arrest a famous 32-year-old ex-convict and bank robber, Carl Edward "Cat Eyes" Lockhart. For Christmas, she bought Putnam expensive running shoes and a Nike shirt a big no-no for an FBI informant. lol right. Jolene thats an interesting point. We've received your submission. They had no evidence at all and a failed polygraph test. The movie also didnt show that Susan Smiths body was decomposing for a year before Putnam decided to tell where her bones could be found. Shortly after her birth, her family relocated to Freeburn, Kentucky. Mark Putnam was born on Independence Day in 1959 and studied criminology at the University of Tampa. Ya know the criminal justice system is messed up when someone does just 10 years for murder. Susan Smith's Drug Use, Sex with Guards Explored on 'Cellmate - People Kenneth was a drug dealer when the two of them met, and soon they were using drugs together. Sometimes you get the good people who believe in real justice, and sometimes you do get them racist tyrants. However, "The FBI Encyclopedia" notes that Smith remained on the FBI payroll even after Lockhart's trial. 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. Her parents moved to Freeburn, Kentucky, when Susan was an infant. We are all family, good and bad we are the same! Susan and Kenneth eventually divorced, although they kept sharing their home with each other and their children. This system is so broken and twisted in this entire country. As a Black friend of mine said, Those boys were thugs and they deserved to die. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. However, the couple started to have a conflicted relationship, highly compromised by drug abuse. He spent time in prison but was released in 2000 after serving 10 years. Although Lockhart managed to spend all of the $300,000 over the course of a "wild three-month spree" with his friend, they were arrested after returning home when their money ran out. Discovery (@wbd) August 23, 2016. Smith was a local dealer in methamphetamine, PCP, and cocaine, hardly a model citizen. For her assistance in the case, Susan received $5,000 (nearly $12,000 in 2021 dollars). Listen to this episode from Southern Fried True Crime on Spotify. I would like to read something written about that. 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. This story was originally published January 2, 2018, 8:38 PM. However, mid-1989 saw him back in Kentucky to wrap up a car theft investigation. Have you paid for someone elses groceries when its obvious they are struggling? The case received nationwide attention. #Betrayed Series Premiere: Mom Becomes FBI Informant To Protect Kids From Abusive Partner https://t.co/zaH1JTj8h1 pic.twitter.com/3DITRy835G, Investigation Discovery (@DiscoveryID) August 24, 2016, FBI Agents Sex Affair With Informant: He Made Her Fall In Love, Then Dumped Her Literally. Had he just been an average black dude, things probably wouldnt have worked out as rosy. In 1990, the investigation into Smith's death became an FBI matter, as Putnam was under suspicion for her disappearance. Smith was a local dealer in methamphetamine, PCP, and cocaine, hardly a model citizen. Major Source: Above Suspicion by . He took a life. His marriage strained, Putnam took Susan on a drive through the mountains a week before Christmas, and they had sex in his car. "It's part of our culture now. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed.Written, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyEdited by Chaes GrayOriginal Graphic Art by Coley HornerOriginal Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma RadioSources at https://www.southernfriedtruecrime.com/67-the-killing-of-fbi-informant-susan-daniels-smithhttps://southernfriedtruecrime.comhttps://www.facebook.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://www.patreon.com/southernfriedtruecrimehttps://whatamaneuver.net/collections/southern-fried-true-crime (merch shop)@southfriedtruth and @kericak (Twitter) | @southernfriedtruecrime (Insta) 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. They had to be very young when their mum died. 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.". . Absolutely no consequences for that action. 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. All rights reserved. Besides the nonstop phone calls, Susan cut her hair short to look like Kathys. 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. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Susan Smith (ne Daniels 1961 [3] - June 8, 1989) was an American FBI informant. Victim's Sister Haunted by Slaying a Year After FBI Agent Confessed In the statement, he recalled a bitter, violent argument with Ms. Smith about her pregnancy. I felt sorry everyones children. Susan Smith. But Katheryn Sizemore, Kenneth Smiths landlady and a neighbor, said it is obvious they miss their mother. I work in the system and between race and class, it makes all the difference. Ive read all of the court paperwork. 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith - Spreaker His attorney, Pat Molloy of Lexington, said she and the children visit him regularly at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minn. Putnam had become cool in his attitude toward her, something that worried Susan greatly as she desperately tried to hold onto him. [4] Early life 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. Today, Putnam is remarried and lives in Georgia. 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 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. And now to, you know, see her in a movie, you know, about my hometown-even though it was a dark part of our towns history, said local man and Riverfill 10 employee Jonathan Collins. 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. This coward took away a young mother from young kids over a lie + his temper. But Kenneth proved unreliable, so Putnam picked Susan to be an informant instead. Susan Smith (ne Daniels 1961[3] June 8, 1989) was an American FBI informant. The true crime behind Emilia Clarke's 'Above Suspicion' - New York Post According to The NewYork Post, Putnam was so wracked with guilt that he felt compelled to confess. Susan Daniels Smith Murder, The Genre. What type of person marries a man who admits to a murder? Shes telling me in the dream not to worry about her, that she was doing fine.. It was a crime of passion.. Why does the race card have to be thrown into every situation? American FBI informant. "Susan, too [] There's a lot of things I've not told the press things that my sister told me. He killed two and stole a mother from four kids in all. A year later, apparently racked by guilt, he offered to lead authorities to her body. According to The Mountain Eagle, Mark's involvement in the raid of McRoberts' junkyard was well known to the residents of Letcher County. A local sheriff's deputy, Albert "Bert" Hartfield, recommended that his longtime friend Susan Smith visit Putnam to earn extra income and to help him with the case. Putnam admitted killing his informant girlfriend, Susan Daniels Smith, in 1989 in Pike County. I believe you are incorrect about that. The pay, however, for an FBI . 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. I remember when the story broke, being in the next town over, at the age of 12. Locals believe keeping the story alive is important, but some are suspicious of how the story will come across through the Hollywood gaze. Southern Fried True Crime: 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan This threw Smith into a violent rage. A year later, apparently racked by guilt, he offered to lead authorities to her body. Susan dropped out of school in seventh grade due to her family's financial difficulties. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. One day, Smith went looking for Putnam at the courthouse and flashed her breasts at the security guards, seemingly to make him jealous. Putnam was released in 2000 after serving 10 years in prison. The majority of black inmates act like a slew of undisciplined children in grown-up bodies. Once an informant was approved, FBI agents were allotted $5,000 "to be distributed at the agent's discretion." 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. You know, how many FBI killers do we know? asked Riverfill 10 Manager Cathy Harris. I dont care if they have a record or not. 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. Thriller. 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. [Photo by Ed Reinke/AP File]Trouble Comes Back To Town. He pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree manslaughter in 1990 in connection with Smiths death. The old feud was part of Susan, as she was a descendant of both clans. She was strangled by her handler and lover, FBI agent Mark Putnam. Murder of Susan Daniels Smith at the hands of FBI agent Mark Putnam I dont think this has anything to do with race? By the mid-1980s, Susan had given birth to two children. It may make better entertainment, but I walsy say if you want the real story, go to the book. 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. But he received a light sentence because the authorities had no case. 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. There is a wikipedia entry named "Murder of Susan Smith" about her case. [5] He is the first FBI agent convicted of murder. Erin is right. 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. His decision to confess likely wasn't just remorse; he appears to have realized that he'd finally been caught. He murdered a woman in cold blood with his bare hands and he only had to serve 10 years. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? [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". She was strangled by her handler and lover, FBI agent Mark Putnam. Susan did not once put her children first nor did Mark. Whatever justice was served, whether it was enough or not, will be served later by God and he has to live with himself. Putnam would pay her thousands of dollars for tips, while she became increasingly enamored with her handler. Prosecutor John Paul Runyon was flabbergasted. 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.. And in August 1982, Putnam got one step closer to his goal when he became a clerk at the FBI's Connecticut headquarters office. [1][5] Smith received $5,000 (equivalent to over $11,000 as of 2020) for her contribution to the case.[6]. Who also broke so many codes of conduct in his line of work.. Although the marriage produced two children, its hardly surprising that there were problems. ", According to the Los Angeles Times, medical examiners claimed that they were unable to find "any trace of a fetus" duringan autopsy on Smith, who was reportedly four months pregnant. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. See latest map, Fayette County schools not following law on gifted education, parents lawsuit claims, Transfer portal talk: Former Ivy League star with family ties to John Calipari in portal, Head-on crash leaves one person with life-threatening injuries, Lexington police say, After being drafted by Commanders, Chris Rodriguez knows his mom would be proud, Four people shot at prom after-party in Kentucky. All this talk about his skin color determining the amount of time he had to serve is absurd! [2] He studied at the University of Tampa, where he majored in criminology. Not saying its a fair trade off for taking a life, but he did serve above the norms.
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