Simpson is concerned, as sure as I am black and youre white, OJ is guilty.. In addition to solving another bank robbery, Mark was responsible for closing down a stolen car shop. Mark Putnam was smart enough to realize that continuing to see Susan could be detrimental to his career and his marriage. [4] Putnam insisted he and his wife Kathy could adopt the baby but Smith refused. The partners approached Lockharts best friend, Kenneth Smith, and his 25-year-old ex-wife Susan Smith. I remember when the story broke, being in the next town over, at the age of 12. I started choking her and telling her to shut up. Putnam said he tried in vain to revive her. In exchange, he was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter.. We are all family, good and bad we are the same! Watching the movie it does seem like manslaughter, and if that was correct then 16 years is an appropriate sentence. It should be a felony to falsely claim that you are pregnant. But Mark consistently put in extra time and set his sights on becoming an FBI agent. People like him should be locked up for life,as the principles of his job he did not abide by If you take someones life not to ruin your career and marriage, you deserve to rot in hell regardless. 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." He was trained to deal with high stresses being an FBI agent and should be held to an even higher standard than anyone else because of this fact. 066: Jim Huggins - Mark Putnam, FBI Informant Murderer It may make better entertainment, but I walsy say if you want the real story, go to the book. We all know OJ did it! At least one book and a television movie about the case are in the works. Thats exactly it. He killed someone and hes allowed to be free, remarry and have a wonderful life?!!! She was strangled by her handler and lover, FBI agent Mark Putnam. The Girl From Lonesome Holler - Joe Sharkey I agree with you. Its part of our culture now. For Christmas, she bought Putnam expensive running shoes and a Nike shirt a big no-no for an FBI informant. I feel like Kathy and Susan were both victimized by Putnam, I saw an interview of him at the end of the movie and found it unsettling and down right creepy how he smiled when talking about Susan. . [2], Putnam was released from prison in 2000, at age 41. Shortly after her birth, her family relocated to Freeburn, Kentucky. We dont want to make a secret about it, but we prefer not to bring it out, he said. 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. I cant believe they bought into Johnny C.s phrase about the glove, If it doesnt fit, you must acquit. His wife, Kathy, died years ago at the age of 38 from heart problems. . He didnt just kill one. ", Mark Putnam: The First FBI Agent Convicted Of Murder, daughter of a wealthy real estate developer. Initially, Mark Putnam was assigned to the Louisville office in Kentucky, and Kathy Putnam had already started looking for houses in the area. Two years ago, Putnam's wife, Kathy, who. Ep67: the Killing or FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith is available everywhere now #fbi #pikeville #kentucky #pikevilleky #murder #holler #hillbilly #southernfriedtruecrime What does that count for anything? Her body went limp, and the agent realized she was dead. Putnam would pay her thousands of dollars for tips, while she became increasingly enamored with her handler. Nevertheless, the two married sometime in the late 1970s. 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. [3] His aim was to arrest a famous 32-year-old ex-convict and bank robber, Carl Edward "Cat Eyes" Lockhart. The 1989 murder of Susan Daniels Smith at the hands of FBI - Reddit Simpson acquittal. So, he cut a deal. . The family rarely talks about the case publicly, Tim Putnam said. 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. All rights reserved. However, the couple started to have a conflicted relationship, highly compromised by drug abuse. . . Idk what black friend told you that but it sounds like bs to me. He now reportedly works as a physical trainer and has remarried. During his time in college, Putnam mentioned to his soccer coach that he dreamed of being an FBI agent. No Body No case! It took a year, but suspicion slowly focused on Mark Putnam. He still took a life .. no way anyone should anyone be allowed a life of freedom after taking one. Putnam appeared tense during his 20-minute appearance in Pike County Circuit Court. In the statement, he recalled a bitter, violent argument with Ms. Smith about her pregnancy. In "Above Suspicion," Jack Huston plays real-life FBI Agent Mark Putnam and Emilia Clarke plays Susan Smith, the woman he murdered. In the initial investigation of Susan Smith's disappearance, police focused on Kenneth Smith and his acquaintances. lol right. We have enough social justice warriors in the world. Plus I believe his conscience was eating at him. Putnam claims the pair made love five times over a two-week period, just in that vehicle, and then he called the relationship quits. 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith - Spotify LoL. She wasnt exactly a model citizen but she didnt deserve to die although she was blackmailing him pretty much. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0DZ0UtgTu0. The majority of black inmates act like a slew of undisciplined children in grown-up bodies. She was a poor drug-addicted mother of two, and he was an educated, decorated FBI agent. In such descriptive wording, upstanding citizen, a dirty FBI agent is upstanding, are they not? In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. According to Jones, "going from a clerical position to being a special agent is rare, but Putnam was determined to beat the odds.". Furthermore, this has nothing to do with OJ getting under anyones skin or the color of ones skin. And some sources claim that Smith got the full $5,000 from Putnam for her information and cooperation during the trial. The case received nationwide attention. In 1990, the investigation into Smith's death became an FBI matter, as Putnam was under suspicion for her disappearance. I hear you Erin. The Old Crime is New Again newsletter is a monthly email covering a topic that has not appeared in the blog. After Mark Putnam was able to gain Susan Smith's trust, they started meeting two to three times every week. Blog - Frank F. Weber, Author He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Although Mark Putnam was now based in Miami, Florida, he returned to Pikeville in the summer of 1989 to tie up a car theft case that he had been working on. Stop with trying to appear like youre helping a race or ANY underprivileged community and actually DO Something about it! That is what every vocal or keyboard social-justice-warriors can do that actually helps the world instead trying to look pious. 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith - Spreaker Susan and Kenneth married in the late 1970s and would have two children together before divorcing. 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. Look at the numbers. Sentenced to 16 years in prison, he served 10. I couldnt find any information related to this. Unfortunately shes correct. 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. She said the child was his and threatened to expose him. [1] They married in the late 1970s, and soon after Kenneth was arrested on November 27, 1979. Your email address will not be published. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. The strange situation became more unhealthy and desperate. Isnt it a shame it wasnt of one of your own he kindly murdered, whom you unseemly waited for the return of their body! Susan Smith. [1] She studied at Freeburn grade school, but dropped out in 7th grade, because of financial problems within her family. But I had pleaded guilty to murder in 2001 of a Chicago police man and got out 2012 for good model. The girl is kind of forlorn sometimes, she said. 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.. [1][5] Smith received $5,000 (equivalent to over $11,000 as of 2020) for her contribution to the case.[6]. He rented a car when he could have used an FBI vehicle. This threw Smith into a violent rage. "Tricorner" is a place where the states of West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia meet. Shelby Ward was so incensed that she tried to conceal and carry a .38-caliber handgun into the courtroom, though it's unclear if she in fact planned on murdering Putnam since she said sheforgot that she had the gun. But she never even tired and her children paid the ultimate price and so did Marks. . 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." He could of walked out interviews and been a free man. 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. I dont think this has anything to do with race? Although the marriage produced two children, its hardly surprising that there were problems. Theres no hiding from it. 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. He was a man with a big secret. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Kenneth was a drug dealer when the two of them met, and soon they were using drugs together. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Her parents moved to Freeburn, Kentucky, when Susan was an infant. But thats only part of the story. [3] That same year, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. You know, how many FBI killers do we know? asked Riverfill 10 Manager Cathy Harris. Not one scintilla or shred of evidence to bring a charge or convict this man.. They were not concerned about Justice being served; they only wanted the Black man to be found not guilty. 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. He did not know how to control himself and he paid the price. But he received a light sentence because the authorities had no case. Well now. I wonder if he would indeed have been doing this is he was black or would have resorted to reoffending. Listen to this episode from Southern Fried True Crime on Spotify. The movie theater announces its showtimes on itsFacebook page. "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. Listen to "67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith" on Spreaker. I just wish it would all die down. 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. Youre correct Jolene. Your email address will not be published. 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. Putnam was released in 2000 after serving 10 years in prison. 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/. 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. Putnam, who resigned Friday, worked in Pikeville for about two years until his transfer to Miami in May 1989. 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. She was the fifth of nine children (including her sister Shelby Ward). 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. The story is a tragic tale of how one mans ambition and another womans wild infatuation collided with deadly consequences. If he were a person of color, he wouldnt be out of prison in 10 years or at all for killing someone. Theres no integrity anymore, and all morals are lost. 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 his confession, Mark said that he pulled off on the side of the road to continue the discussion. It is unlikely it will die down soon. Years of struggles with alcohol had compromised her health. 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. Mark Steven Putnam was born on July 4, 1959, in Coventry, Connecticut, to Barbara and Walter. And according to " Above Suspicion ," there was a lot of money to be given out to informants. Susans collaboration with Putnam was successful. And getting just 16 years for murder is ridiculous and 10 is even more so. He just chose the wrong man and got what he deserved. In other words. Why?, She said she did not think Putnam wanted to kill Smith, but rather that he was pushed to it. They get a conviction and her family got her body to bury. 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. It is believed that the affair broke her heart. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? Despite no longer being married, they still lived together. Soon Susan Smith was dead. 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. 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. Its called rehabilitation. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. This guy had zero criminal record prior and was considered a model prisoner while serving his sentence. 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. Now Putnam had a dead body on his hands. Putnam said he and his wife would adopt the child but Ms. Smith refused, and began slapping Putnam. Three days later, Smith was reported missing by her sister, Shelby Ward. May 10, 2021 7:20pm. Shes telling me in the dream not to worry about her, that she was doing fine.. Mark Steven Putnam pled guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter (Susans autopsy determined she had not been pregnant). When Putnam arrived in 1987, Lockhart was being released from prison after serving seven years out of his 18-year sentence. When he was declared not guilty, you wouldve thought Obama had been elected. The race thing is a bunch of BS. The affair with Susan Smith ruined his marriage. And in 1980, Lockhart achieved his own dream after stealing $300,000 from a bank in Grundy, Virginia. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. . People may remember it especially since a movie was made about it in the 1990s titled Betrayed By Love. Susan Daniels Smithwas born in the West Virginia town of Matewan in 1961. He didnt even confess until after a year, after being a suspect and after a failed polygraph test. The number one thing in this whole sad, sick story was Susans children and Marks children, they deserved better. [8][9], The case was the subject of The FBI Killer (1992), a book by American investigator Aphrodite Jones. She prayed for a Prince Charming to come to her rescue, and when good-looking. I believe he behaved while in prison, thats why he only served 10 years, not because hes white. Not one scintilla or shred of evidence to bring a charge or convict this man." This story was originally published January 2, 2018, 8:38 PM. Regardless of where they met, the two continued their affair. Susan Smith (ne Daniels 1961 [3] - June 8, 1989) was an American FBI informant. The old feud was part of Susan, as she was a descendant of both clans. Even the polygraph test wasn't admissible in court. 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. furnishing informants with guns and drugs--Susan, too, she said. Should he have know better yes, but Susan had a role in it as well. 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. Susan objected and began slapping him. On June 13, 1990, Mark Putnam pled guilty to choking Susan Smith to death and told investigators where they could find her body almost exactly one year after her murder. [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. Two years prior, Putnams wife Kathy died of organ failure likely from heavy drinking at age 38. Discovery (@wbd) August 23, 2016. 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. 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. I didnt even know dude was a undercover cop. Eastern Kentucky is about as far from the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas and Hollywood as you can get. Have you got friend together to paint or repair a him? A movie by the same name was filmed in and around Lexington and Harlan in 2016 starring Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones as Smith. Putnam was given a polygraph test, which is also known as a lie detector test. According to Putnam, his contact with Smith became less frequent after Lockhart's case was closed. [7], Mark Steven Putnam (born July 4, 1959) is a criminologist and former FBI agent (1987-1990). It's not clear exactly when Smith and Putnam's relationship went from professional to sexual, but sometime in 1988, they started sleeping together. Although he wasn't often there, Smith built up a rapport with the officers in the probation and marshal's divisions, according to Joe Sharkey. Probable killer of 2, convicted robber, African American- plays golf and smirks for the camera. According to The Mountain Eagle, Mark's involvement in the raid of McRoberts' junkyard was well known to the residents of Letcher County. And this wasn't murder in the line of dutythis was a crime of passion. I work in the system and between race and class, it makes all the difference. Putnam left Kentucky and returned to his family in Florida. In "The FBI Encyclopedia," Michael Newton writes that Putnam graduated from the University of Tampa as a B-average student majoring in criminology. Investigation Discoverys Betrayed is produced by Trigger Street Productions, All3Media America, and Giant Pirates Entertainment, according to Broadway World. #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. This is how the unlikely coupling of Mark and Susan started. Im not white and I have to roll my eyes to that foolish question! According to Lexington Herald-Leader, he is possibly working in the Georgia area as a personal trainer. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Its a woman who lost her life. Published on July 9, 2021 11:53 AM. The affair was hot, heavy, and extremely passionate. The OJ case seems to always get under some folks skin. The couple was driving on a rural eastern Kentucky highway at the time and pulled off the road at Peter Creek Mountain.