My father was a deputy in Pikeville during this time. 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. I read a number of comments that he got off light and probably so. I hear you Erin. Then keep that good deed all to yourself instead of trying to bank on social points. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. To hell with that. 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. TheFBI has been responsible for the deaths of countless people since its inception, including noted Black activistFred Hampton. Once an informant was approved, FBI agents were allotted $5,000 "to be distributed at the agent's discretion." There were no winners in this case. Susan and Kenneth eventually divorced, although they kept sharing their home with each other and their children. Susan Smith (ne Daniels 1961[3] June 8, 1989) was an American FBI informant. And.. things that my sister told me.. Probably, i dont know why he wouldnt start over again if he was a different color, I was about to come to the conclusion that things were all fine between the races until the O.J. 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. . And there are plenty of people of all colors who get out of jail early for good behavior. 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." Its true that on average, the average black man wouldnt be treated as well as the average white man. The victims family expressed outrage they were not consulted in the drafting of Putnams plea bargain. Huh???? Your out of touch. The case received nationwide attention. He was 22 at the time, she was 15. The FBI arrested Cat Eyes Lockhart in December 1987. Despite no longer being married, they still lived together. Dont miss out! However, Smith insisted on continuing their relationship, and by mid-1988, they had begun an active sexual relationship. The network says the episode includes interviews with Bert Hartsfield, a sheriffs deputy in Pike County; retired FBI supervisor Jim Huggins, and Joe Sharkey, who wrote a book about the crime called Above Suspicion.. 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. Why does the race card have to be thrown into every situation? But poor white men are treated no better! Mark Putnam initially approached Kenneth about being an informant. Putnam had become cool in his attitude toward her, something that worried Susan greatly as she desperately tried to hold onto him. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. But after getting a divorce, Susan and Kenneth continued living together. Susan Daniels Smith grew up poor in an area on the border of Kentucky and West Virginia, the fifth of nine children. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. He now reportedly works as a physical trainer and has remarried. Since on average most black men arent rich, they do fare the worst in the injustice system. What a great (in)justice system we have. This story has been shared 402,023 times. Putnam was given a polygraph test, which is also known as a lie detector test. But thats where this weeks case takes us. Susan and Kenneth married in the late 1970s and would have two children together before divorcing. I wonder if he would have done more time if he killed a man. Not saying its a fair trade off for taking a life, but he did serve above the norms. Who also broke so many codes of conduct in his line of work.. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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Mark Putnams guilty plea on June 12, 1990, was unlike any an American courtroom had seen before. He didnt even confess until after a year, after being a suspect and after a failed polygraph test. 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. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Watch the trailer here. He chose to kill her period. Susan dropped out of school in seventh grade due to her family's financial difficulties. The affair was hot, heavy, and extremely passionate. Yupp. [4] The next day, he dumped Smith's body along an old coal mining road. Susan Daniels Smith grew up poor in an area on the border of Kentucky and West Virginia, the fifth of nine children. Putnam admitted killing his informant girlfriend, Susan Daniels Smith, in 1989 in Pike County. 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. Those are the facts, regardless of the bullcrap people tend to spread. Putnam had returned to Pikeville for several days to work a car theft case he had investigated. We are all family, good and bad we are the same! That will never be erased but yes being white made all the difference for him and his future + current success story. 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. . People like him should be locked up for life,as the principles of his job he did not abide by 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.. 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. Susan Daniels Smithwas born in the West Virginia town of Matewan in 1961. It seems like it wont go away, Ward said of the case. It should be a felony to falsely claim that you are pregnant. Shes telling me in the dream not to worry about her, that she was doing fine.. Immediately after the hearing, Putnam was handcuffed and taken into custody by Kentucky State Police officers. He said that he and his wife would adopt the baby. After college, he attended the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Sheriffs deputy Bert Hatfield suggested to his friend, Susan, that she could earn extra money by becoming an informant. Thanks for contacting us. 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. Seriously he suggested taking away her child to be raised by his wealthy privileged wife that already had children by him. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. His attorney, Pat Molloy of Lexington, said she and the children visit him regularly at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minn. Well, he was white and also an FBI agent, so he had that going for him too. Whether or not these claims played into the decision, Mark was transferred to Miami, Florida in 1989. [5] He is the first FBI agent convicted of murder. The girl is kind of forlorn sometimes, she said. This was truly a sad story, FBI agent Mark Putnam was taught better. 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." I mean if he was latino maybe he would be a landscaper? Description In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. Putnams confession was attached to an indictment returned Tuesday by the Pike County grand jury. 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. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an. In this one they had nothing besides him failing the polygraph which is not admissible in court! In other words. Her parents moved to Freeburn, Kentucky, when Susan was an infant. May 10, 2021 7:20pm. [4] Early life According to what Susan told friends, they met in motels for sex. Sometime in mid-1988, they began a sexual relationship. They get a conviction and her family got her body to bury. It may make better entertainment, but I walsy say if you want the real story, go to the book. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Good read, Irving! 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. He pleads to a lesser crime. If you take someones life not to ruin your career and marriage, you deserve to rot in hell regardless. 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. Update: The movie about the case was released in 2020 and is available on demand. . However, mid-1989 saw him back in Kentucky to wrap up a car theft investigation. His battles with the church arent over, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, U.S. says 20,000 Russians killed in Ukraine war since December, Speaker Kevin McCarthy addresses Knesset amid fraught U.S.-Israel ties, First Republic: Cheap, interest-only jumbo mortgages to Silicon Valleys elite fueled the banks failure, SpaceX used wildlife preserve as dumping ground for space waste, lawsuit alleges, Judge blocks Missouri rule that would limit transgender care. https://twitter.com/LyndaKelly/status/708741300259037184. We dont want to make a secret about it, but we prefer not to bring it out, he said. He could of walked out interviews and been a free man. 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. Putnam was sentenced to 16 years in prison, but was released after 10 years, early in 2000, on good behavior. I saw an interview he did with Oprah in the late 80s or early 90s he was very candid and straightforward. Ten years is pathetic and a slap to the victims family. Putnam, who resigned Friday, worked in Pikeville for about two years until his transfer to Miami in May 1989. A year later, apparently racked by guilt, he offered to lead authorities to her body. So, he cut a deal. The FBI assigned newly-minted agent Putnam to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first case, bank robber Carl Cat Eyes Lockhart. What would you do if someone were banging your head in the concrete and you had a weapon? Putnam said he and his wife would adopt the child but Ms. Smith refused, and began slapping Putnam. Neighbors in Freeburn, Ky., say the children appear to be living happily with their father. It took a year, but suspicion slowly focused on Mark Putnam. And if a black man murders the governors white daughter, u still think its 10 for him? Ward said FBI Agent Ron Poole, who was Putnams superior and knew about the pregnancy, had talked with her about Putnam. The case received nationwide attention. It is believed that the affair broke her heart. 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. Theres no integrity anymore, and all morals are lost. Ya know the criminal justice system is messed up when someone does just 10 years for murder. In "The FBI Encyclopedia," Michael Newton writes that Putnam graduated from the University of Tampa as a B-average student majoring in criminology. Since her sisters death, Ward has been taking sedatives and seeing an analyst once a month. In exchange, he was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter.. Listen to "67: The Killing of FBI Informant Susan Daniels Smith" on Spreaker. Putnam was the first FBI agent to be charged in a homicide. But he received a light sentence because the authorities had no case. Jolene thats an interesting point. An affair that eventually ended when Putnam strangled Smith. With his plea deal, Putnam was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for murder. In truth, its about class and poor men of any race get the worst defense lawyer and therefore the worst sentences and treatment. All Rights Reserved. Maj Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Your email address will not be published. And according to "Above Suspicion," there was a lot of money to be given out to informants. Putnam claims the pair made love five times over a two-week period, just in that vehicle, and then he called the relationship quits. This is insane! It's one of the poorest places in the U.S. 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. Not one scintilla or shred of evidence to bring a charge or convict this man." Thats exactly it. I remember when the story broke, being in the next town over, at the age of 12. Its disgusting to hear people defend this mans release. Although the marriage produced two children, its hardly surprising that there were problems. Probable killer of 2, convicted robber, African American- plays golf and smirks for the camera. "Susan, too [] There's a lot of things I've not told the press things that my sister told me. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. 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. But according to "Above Suspicion," Kenneth came into the meeting with a list of demands for Putnam, asking for a weekly salary in addition to being given protective custody and having his probation removed. Besides the nonstop phone calls, Susan cut her hair short to look like Kathys. 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. Copyright 2021 WYMT. But now he can be found at the movies- or in one. #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 isnt a black/white issue? Eastern Kentucky is about as far from the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas and Hollywood as you can get. His decision to confess likely wasn't just remorse; he appears to have realized that he'd finally been caught. This case leaves a lot to be desired! Sentenced to 16 years in prison, he served 10. I started choking her and telling her to shut up. Putnam said he tried in vain to revive her. I wonder if hed be a remarried personal trainer if he were anything other than white? I work in the system and between race and class, it makes all the difference. The family rarely talks about the case publicly, Tim Putnam said. I just wish it would all die down. All this talk about his skin color determining the amount of time he had to serve is absurd! LoL. But the sister of Susan Daniels Smith--the woman Putnam strangled, the woman whose body he hid for 12 months while her family agonized over her disappearance--is not. That is what every vocal or keyboard social-justice-warriors can do that actually helps the world instead trying to look pious. Prosecutor John Paul Runyon, the Pike County commonwealths attorney, said that without Putnams June 4 confession, we had absolutely no evidence. He couldnt handle it, the brother said. He just chose the wrong man and got what he deserved. 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. Idk what black friend told you that but it sounds like bs to me. Susan met Kenneth Smith in 1977 when she was just 15 and he was 22. Jim Huggins says that Above Suspicion, Wall Street Journal reporter Joe Sharkey's book on the Mark Putnam murder case, is an accurate account of the events that resulted in the murder of Susan Smith, Putnam's pregnant informant. lame prosecution The blood shrank the glove. . Theres a lot of things Ive not told the press . 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. She was the fifth of nine children (including her sister Shelby Ward). [2] He studied at the University of Tampa, where he majored in criminology. Her father said she told him, I sure wish my mommy had lived. . Youre correct Jolene. In an effort to get transferred, Mark also claimed that he and his family had received bomb threats. When Putnam arrived in 1987, Lockhart was being released from prison after serving seven years out of his 18-year sentence. Once an informant was approved, FBI agents were allotted $5,000 "to be distributed at the agent's discretion." Her parents moved to Freeburn, Kentucky when Susan was an infant. Might not have even been a manslaughter. In the initial investigation of Susan Smith's disappearance, police focused on Kenneth Smith and his acquaintances. When he reached Kentucky, Smith contacted him about her pregnancy and told him the baby was his. Shortly after her birth, her family relocated to Freeburn, Kentucky. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? As far as O.J. People may remember it especially since a movie was made about it in the 1990s titled Betrayed By Love. The following year saw him sentenced to 57 years in federal prison for robbery. 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.. Pretty much by the book. However, the history is too long of black men being wrongfully treated by the justice system. . 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. (Susan's mother was a McCoy; her father's family descended from the Hatfields.) Putnam left Kentucky and returned to his family in Florida. Mark Putnams wife, Kathy, has moved to Minnesota to be near her husband. Films based on a true story often take far too many liberties with the truth. At autopsy, they discovered they werent pregnant. I wonder if he would indeed have been doing this is he was black or would have resorted to reoffending. 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. No ifs or buts about it. This guy had zero criminal record prior and was considered a model prisoner while serving his sentence. He subsequently confessed, pleaded guilty to strangling Smith,[4] and told authorities where to find her body. Susans sister, Shelby Ward, reported her missing three days later. PerAssociated Press,prosecutor John Paul Runyon said thatwithout Putnam's confession, Pike County prosecutors had "absolutely no evidence. Why is everyone talking about race? If, as he claimed, Putnam tried to reviver her, his efforts were unsuccessful. 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. 8 to 30 years for a Class B felony. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. Yes, that is interesting. 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. I believe he behaved while in prison, thats why he only served 10 years, not because hes white. He plead guilty to felony manslaughter typically a 10-20 year term in KY sentenced to 16 and released in 10 on good behavior. The move was based on the suggestion of Bert Hatfield the part-time cop who initially suggested Kenneth as an informant. Putnam, 30, of Sunrise, Fla., entered a guilty plea to one count of felony manslaughter in Ms. Smiths death. The number one thing in this whole sad, sick story was Susans children and Marks children, they deserved better. Putnam and Susan met in the spring of 1987. Yes, he killed her, but he was also a model inmate and had not once received any disciplinary incidents. 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 was a man with a big secret. Whats your point ? Stop with the racism crap and look at the circumstances and why he was released. Susan Daniels Smith went missing in 1989 at the age of 28. Putnam would pay her thousands of dollars for tips, while she became increasingly enamored with her handler. First Degree Manslaughter? What is the point of stating this? His inappropriate affect seemed the dead give away of a sociopath..perhaps even a psychopath. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. We dont need more division, we need people building bridges. Mark Steven Putnam was born on July 4, 1959, in Coventry, Connecticut, to Barbara and Walter. [1] She studied at Freeburn grade school, but dropped out in 7th grade, because of financial problems within her family. 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. However, "The FBI Encyclopedia" notes that Smith remained on the FBI payroll even after Lockhart's trial. Two years ago, Putnam's wife, Kathy, who. Her body went limp, and the agent realized she was dead. Copyright 2023 The Inquisitr. 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. I loved Game of Thrones, you know. There are hundreds of stories like these. In his confession, Mark said that he pulled off on the side of the road to continue the discussion. According to The Cinemaholic, Putnam met up with Smith once more for what would be the last time. I dont care if they have a record or not. He laughed about it on TV in an interview even. Do you think thatd fly if the same situation involved a WHITE president of Nike? According to Sharkeys book, a concerned Kathy warned her husband: Dont you ever get involved with this woman . 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. It appears there was ample evidence to proffer First Degree Murder Premeditation and Deliberation which might have been deliberately or inadvertently destroyed. And afterward, Kathy Putnam gave birth to the pair's first child, Danielle. This is how the unlikely coupling of Mark and Susan started. This is how the unlikely coupling of Mark and Susan started. He ADMITS to killing an African American kid when he was 18. According to The New York Post, the cause was likelyfrom her alleged alcoholism. By the mid-1980s, Susan had given birth to two children. Initially, Mark Putnam didn't stand out at the FBI. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. Its likel that their father, Kenneth Smith, raised them but I dont know for sure. Mark Putnam reads, exercises, works in the prison hospice and chapel, and is talkative during calls to his family. That film was finally released during the pandemic. An affair that eventually ended when Putnam strangled Smith. Putnam and Susan met during this visit to Kentucky. 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. In 1987, an ambitious rookie FBI agent came to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first posting out of the academy. Based on a true story. A year later, apparently racked by guilt, he offered to lead authorities to her body. ", By the time Mark and Kathy moved to Pikeville, she was pregnant with their second child. Major Source: Above Suspicion by .
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