Putnam had become involved in a risque sexual affair with Susan Daniels Smith, who by all accounts was from the rough side of town. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Im sorry but theres something terribly wrong with that picture. Episode 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith The race thing rears its ugly head yet again. Do the research. 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. "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. But he received a light sentence because the authorities had no case. To watch this riveting story, catch Betrayed, which premieres just after IDs The Perfect Murder, tonight at 9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery. He used Ms. Smith as an informant in a bank robbery and car theft case. 10 - The Murder of Susan Daniels Smith - Beyond Contempt True Crime May 10, 2021 7:20pm. But in 1990, Special Agent Mark Putnam became the very first FBI agent to be charged with and convicted of murder. . . 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. 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. Susan Smith (ne Daniels 1961 [3] - June 8, 1989) was an American FBI informant. Nevertheless, the two married sometime in the late 1970s. The affair with Susan Smith ruined his marriage. Furthermore, this has nothing to do with OJ getting under anyones skin or the color of ones skin. 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. By the mid-1980s, Susan had given birth to two children. 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 . There is a wikipedia entry named "Murder of Susan Smith" about her case. Putnam had become cool in his attitude toward her, something that worried Susan greatly as she desperately tried to hold onto him. Whether or not these claims played into the decision, Mark was transferred to Miami, Florida in 1989. According to what Susan told friends, they met in motels for sex. [3], In 1987, an FBI agent named Mark Putnam began his first investigation in Pikeville, Kentucky. Simpson is concerned, as sure as I am black and youre white, OJ is guilty.. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an. 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. 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. 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. 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. The 1989 murder of Susan Daniels Smith at the hands of FBI - Reddit It doesnt matter if youre an upstanding citizen. Mark Putnam was smart enough to realize that continuing to see Susan could be detrimental to his career and his marriage. 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. Claims self defense, but who doesnt. 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. 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. We are all family, good and bad we are the same! Shelby Ward told investigators that when she last spoke to her sister, Smith was waiting for Putnam to drive her home, The Mountain Eaglereports. ", Mark Putnam: The First FBI Agent Convicted Of Murder, daughter of a wealthy real estate developer. 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. lol right. Mark Putnam, who had a wife and children, lived his life as a happy family man but was steaming up the sheets with Sue Smith in hotels whenever he had the chance. Susan Smith (ne Daniels 1961[3] June 8, 1989) was an American FBI informant. She was poor and uneducated but for Gods sake, she could have gotten help and tried to change. I believe he behaved while in prison, thats why he only served 10 years, not because hes white. For a whole year, Susan Daniels Smith (Sue Smith), who was four months pregnant, was missing. Putnams confession was attached to an indictment returned Tuesday by the Pike County grand jury. I wonder if hed be a remarried personal trainer if he were anything other than white? And according to "Above Suspicion," there was a lot of money to be given out to informants. ", By the time Mark and Kathy moved to Pikeville, she was pregnant with their second child. The FBI arrested Cat Eyes Lockhart in December 1987. Im not white and I have to roll my eyes to that foolish question! #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. 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. Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty To Slaying Kentucky Woman He subsequently confessed, pleaded guilty to strangling Smith,[4] and told authorities where to find her body. He could of walked out interviews and been a free man. He moved there in 1987 with his wife Kathy and their two young children. The partners approached Lockharts best friend, Kenneth Smith, and his 25-year-old ex-wife Susan Smith. Stop that racism stuff. No Body No case! How nice for him. Putnam, who resigned Friday, worked in Pikeville for about two years until his transfer to Miami in May 1989. That film was finally released during the pandemic. Later, the medical examiner found that Kathy died due to a combination of pancreatitis and hepatic steatosis, according to the Journal Inquirer. He just chose the wrong man and got what he deserved. They get a conviction and her family got her body to bury. Two years prior, Putnams wife Kathy died of organ failure likely from heavy drinking at age 38. 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. The marijuana would have had a street value of $2.27 million, officials said. Poole, who was transferred to Lexington, Ky., shortly before Putnams conviction, declined to comment on the case. He couldnt handle it, the brother said. 67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith from Southern Victim's Sister Haunted by Slaying a Year After FBI Agent Confessed You know, how many FBI killers do we know? asked Riverfill 10 Manager Cathy Harris. What type of person marries a man who admits to a murder? 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. That is what every vocal or keyboard social-justice-warriors can do that actually helps the world instead trying to look pious. Ward said she would be paid $50,000 for helping with the movie. He chose to kill her period. Yes, that is interesting. Not one scintilla or shred of evidence to bring a charge or convict this man." 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. Besides the nonstop phone calls, Susan cut her hair short to look like Kathys. 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.. In an effort to get transferred, Mark also claimed that he and his family had received bomb threats. News Chant reports that Putnam put Smith's body in the trunk of his car. Its part of our culture now. The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith Southern Fried True Why is everyone talking about race? Plus I believe his conscience was eating at him. I saw an interview he did with Oprah in the late 80s or early 90s he was very candid and straightforward. But when he wasn't playing sports, Putnam became more introverted and was "extremely shy and private.". According to The NewYork Post, Putnam was so wracked with guilt that he felt compelled to confess. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, US to lift most federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates next week, Multiple fatalities on Illinois highway during a blinding windstorm, U.N. envoy says Sudans warring sides agree to negotiate, Yellen says U.S. could hit debt ceiling as soon as June 1. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. Putnam was to gather evidence to convict Lockhart. Hum I wonder why? He said he knew some things on Mark Putnam that was awful . In the early 1990s, writer Joe Sharkey penned Above Suspicion, a book about the case, which he recently revised and updated. Roadside Attractions/Courtesy . I dont care if they have a record or not. He murdered a woman in cold blood with his bare hands and he only had to serve 10 years. Even the polygraph test wasn't admissible in court. Major Source: Above Suspicion by . Its a woman who lost her life. Today, Putnam is remarried and lives in Georgia. They jumped up whooping and dancing around as if everyone of them had won the lottery. Also, lets talk about Larry Miller, president of Nike Air Jordan. 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. . Two years ago, Putnam's wife, Kathy, who. They met frequently to exchange information about Lockharts activities and plans. She was strangled at age 28 by her handler and lover, a FBI Agent. He still did quite a bit of time considering Compared to many cops for instance..who never serve time at all for murder! 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. I agree with you. At autopsy, they discovered they werent pregnant. He married Kathy Ponticelli, the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer, shortly after graduating. He is adjusting. It is unlikely it will die down soon. Betrayed by Love (1994) - Turner Classic Movies Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. After failing a polygraph examination, Putnam confessed and led authorities to where hed dumped Susans body. 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. Theres a long history of killers with higher socioeconomic status than their victims getting softer sentences than what their crime alone deserved. 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. 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.". Susan Daniels Smith l The victims sister, Shelby Ward of Freeburn, was cited for trying to conceal a .38-caliber handgun in the courtroom by Kentucky State Police, and was released. What would you do if someone were banging your head in the concrete and you had a weapon? And afterward, Kathy Putnam gave birth to the pair's first child, Danielle. 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. Putnam was released in 2000 after serving 10 years in prison. Who also broke so many codes of conduct in his line of work.. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? Smith and Putnam's verbal argument turned physical, and he ended up strangling her. And in August 1982, Putnam got one step closer to his goal when he became a clerk at the FBI's Connecticut headquarters office. When Putnam arrived in 1987, Lockhart was being released from prison after serving seven years out of his 18-year sentence. An affair that eventually ended when Putnam strangled Smith. But according to Sharkey, while Putnam was away, Susan began fabricating a more involved two-year relationship between them and shouting about it from the rooftops. 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. 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. On June 8, 1989, Susan Daniels Smith was killed in the Pikeville area. Theres a lot of things Ive not told the press . Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. The old feud was part of Susan, as she was a descendant of both clans. All Rights Reserved. Listen to this episode from Southern Fried True Crime on Spotify. Runyon, the Pike County commonwealth's attorney at the time, added that in his almost 30 years as a prosecutor, this was the first time that they encountered someone who wanted to confess to a homicide while the prosecution had absolutely no evidence. Susan did not once put her children first nor did Mark. He told the Associated Press that we had absolutely no evidence. Susan Daniels was born in Matewan, West Virginia in 1961. There are various accounts as to whether he approached her first or she approached him first. 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. Susan Smith's Drug Use, Sex with Guards Explored on 'Cellmate - People He didnt even confess until after a year, after being a suspect and after a failed polygraph test. Three days later, Smith was reported missing by her sister, Shelby Ward. Ep67: the Killing or FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith is available everywhere now #fbi #pikeville #kentucky #pikevilleky #murder #holler #hillbilly #southernfriedtruecrime After Kenneth's parole officer informed Putnam he was "totally unreliable," Putnam approached Susan to be an informant. 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. PerAssociated Press,prosecutor John Paul Runyon said thatwithout Putnam's confession, Pike County prosecutors had "absolutely no evidence. 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. Blog - Frank F. Weber, Author furnishing informants with guns and drugs--Susan, too, she said. Kenneth was a drug dealer when the two of them met, and soon they were using drugs together. Mark Putnam: The First FBI Agent Convicted Of Murder - Grunge 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. So he did his time 2. People may remember it especially since a movie was made about it in the 1990s titled Betrayed By Love. However, the history is too long of black men being wrongfully treated by the justice system. He pleads to a lesser crime. She did not deserve to die over being insulted & upset. Putnam and Susan met in the spring of 1987. Susan objected and began slapping him. I wonder if he would have done more time if he killed a man. Thanks for contacting us. If you take someones life not to ruin your career and marriage, you deserve to rot in hell regardless. I felt sorry everyones children. Despite no longer being married, they still lived together. This case leaves a lot to be desired! Investigation Discoverys Betrayed is produced by Trigger Street Productions, All3Media America, and Giant Pirates Entertainment, according to Broadway World. Had he just been an average black dude, things probably wouldnt have worked out as rosy. His inappropriate affect seemed the dead give away of a sociopath..perhaps even a psychopath. While visiting Pikeville to wrap up a case, Putnam took Smith on a drive to Peter Creek Mountain one night. And by his own admission, Putnam is the only person responsible for that. In his confession, Mark said that he pulled off on the side of the road to continue the discussion. But strangely, Kathys parents always stuck by their former son-in-law. I didnt believe it was possible until I watched it happen regularly with my own eyes. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Two points to touch on. 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.". 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.. Jim Huggins - Mark Putnam, FBI Informant Murderer I loved Game of Thrones, you know. [1] They married in the late 1970s, and soon after Kenneth was arrested on November 27, 1979. Susan began calling Putnams home constantly, and his wife Kathy would pick up the phone and play the role of therapist for hours on end. For Christmas, she bought Putnam expensive running shoes and a Nike shirt a big no-no for an FBI informant. [4] Putnam insisted he and his wife Kathy could adopt the baby but Smith refused. Lockhart was apprehended in December 1987 and the next year sentenced to 57 years in federal prison on charges of robbery. On the one hand, she seemed to have the idea that it was like a regular job, and Mark was her boss, Kathy says in Sharkeys book. What would you do if someones trying to snatch your weapon away from you?