Now Putnam had a dead body on his hands. I think its much more credible to say that this was a case of poor meets authority rather than white vs. black. She was strangled by her handler and lover, FBI agent Mark Putnam. I didnt even know dude was a undercover cop. Then keep that good deed all to yourself instead of trying to bank on social points. 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. Huggins was hired as a technical advisor for Above Suspicion, the feature film based on the non-fiction book of the same name that depicts the tragic saga of Mark Putnam . Susan Smith (ne Daniels 1961 [3] - June 8, 1989) was an American FBI informant. And afterward, Kathy Putnam gave birth to the pair's first child, Danielle. By all accounts, Susan Smith fell head over heels for the FBI agent. She will get pregnant, and she will ruin you.. He said he strangled Smith, who had earlier told him she was pregnant, when she confronted him at a hotel in Pikeville, slapping him and threatening to expose their affair. But, still, most people at the theater Wednesday said they are committing to giving the film a shot. 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/. That will never be erased but yes being white made all the difference for him and his future + current success story. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. She wasnt exactly a model citizen but she didnt deserve to die although she was blackmailing him pretty much. [1] They married in the late 1970s, and soon after Kenneth was arrested on November 27, 1979. 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. 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. Dont miss out! But before long, Mark Putnam started to look more and more like a potential suspect, according to Monsters & Critics. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. Recall that in 1987, Agent Mark Putnam was just beginning his investigation of Cat Eyes Lockhart. I wonder if he would have done more time if he killed a man. It's one of the poorest places in the U.S. Simpson acquittal. He took a life. If he was black with good behavior, they would do the same thing also. . I see her in heaven with the baby. While they were driving on an isolated country road on June 8, she told him she was pregnant. Sad, but true. His marriage strained, Putnam took Susan on a drive through the mountains a week before Christmas, and they had sex in his car. The race thing rears its ugly head yet again. I couldnt even make it to the. Its not as if there are any similar cases regarding black FBI agents. The FBI assigned newly-minted agent Putnam to Pikeville, Kentucky for his first case, bank robber Carl Cat Eyes Lockhart. But according to "Fatal Deceptions" by Joe Sharkey, Smith claimed that their affair lasted two years and wasn't limited to simply getting busy in the back seat. Blog - Frank F. Weber, Author Susan Daniels Smith was 27 and pregnant when FBI agent Mark Putnam strangled her to death on June 8, 1989, in Pike County. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. What does that count for anything? Mark Putnam: Love and Murder in Appalachia - George Pallas Because of Shelby Wards persistence--and the wrongful-death suit the family has filed against Putnam--Susan Daniels Smiths body was exhumed in May and the autopsy on her resumed, two years after she was killed. I agree with you Its becoming so ridiculous to keep throwing the race card in. Fbi Agent Killed Informant Turned Lover, Woman Says I think the reason he doesnt call me, I think hes embarrassed, said Tim, 30. 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.. Putnam admitted killing his informant girlfriend, Susan Daniels Smith, in 1989 in Pike County. Updated. She died of a heart attack at age 38 in 1998. 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. The old feud was part of Susan, as she was a descendant of both clans. 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. He soon met a girl from the nearby holler who worked as an informant. We have enough social justice warriors in the world. He still did quite a bit of time considering Compared to many cops for instance..who never serve time at all for murder! To satisfy your wondering question he could be Green it doesnt matter. Susan Daniels Smith lived a life of poverty, violence and misery. It seems like it wont go away, Ward said of the case. But he received a light sentence because the authorities had no case. Locals believe keeping the story alive is important, but some are suspicious of how the story will come across through the Hollywood gaze. After failing a polygraph examination, Putnam confessed and led authorities to where hed dumped Susans body. Simpson is concerned, as sure as I am black and youre white, OJ is guilty.. ", Mark Putnam: The First FBI Agent Convicted Of Murder, daughter of a wealthy real estate developer. [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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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. Putnam appeared tense during his 20-minute appearance in Pike County Circuit Court. Smith was a local dealer in methamphetamine, PCP, and cocaine, hardly a model citizen. 1. On June 16, Smith's sister Shelby Ward filed a missing person report after failing to find Smith. Shelby Ward told investigators that when she last spoke to her sister, Smith was waiting for Putnam to drive her home, The Mountain Eaglereports. Pike Co. informant's killing featured on Investigation Discovery (Susan's mother was a McCoy; her father's family descended from the Hatfields.) I remember Diane Downs, 1980s, the mother of three children who shot them because her new boyfriend wouldnt get serious with her because he didnt want to be involved with someone with kids. Smith also built up a relationship with Kathy Putnam, and the two of them often spoke on the phone for hours on end. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. It should be a felony to falsely claim that you are pregnant. . Putnam was the oldest of three children, and while Barbara worked taking care of the children, Walter worked as a truck driver for Sears, according to "The FBI Killer" by Aphrodite Jones. Is 'Above Suspicion' (2019) Movie Based On A True Story? Susan was the 5th of 9 children. Prosecutor John Paul Runyon, the Pike County commonwealths attorney, said that without Putnams June 4 confession, we had absolutely no evidence. "Tricorner" is a place where the states of West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia meet. Smith and Putnam's verbal argument turned physical, and he ended up strangling her. At least one book and a television movie about the case are in the works. But I had pleaded guilty to murder in 2001 of a Chicago police man and got out 2012 for good model. As far as Michael Brown, that gentle giant, the only way his DNA and blood splatter couldve gotten on the inside of the police cruiser was he was sticking his hand in there trying to get the officers weapon. In early 1989, he requested and received a transfer to Miami, Florida (Kathy had hated Pikeville anyway). Susan and Kenneth married in the late 1970s and would have two children together before divorcing. Susan Daniels Smith went missing in 1989 at the age of 28. 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) And Susan Daniels Smith didnt hold out on the details with her sister. But after getting a divorce, Susan and Kenneth continued living together. Being an informant was a fairly common phenomenon in the area during this time although the pay was low and the risk was high. It doesnt matter if youre an upstanding citizen. Once an informant was approved, FBI agents were allotted $5,000 "to be distributed at the agent's discretion." If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. . A few months earlier, a robber had stolen $18,000 in cash from a bank in nearby Meta, Kentucky, and it was up to the local agents to identify and catch the thief. 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. Putnam was the first FBI agent to be charged in a homicide. By the way, if you can get your hands on the movie Betrayed By Love, youre in for a tearjerker. She was strangled by her handler and lover, FBI agent Mark Putnam. 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. He pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree manslaughter in 1990 in connection with Smiths death. 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. A year later, apparently racked by guilt, he offered to lead authorities to her body. Furthermore, this has nothing to do with OJ getting under anyones skin or the color of ones skin. 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. 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. ", 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. Two points to touch on. What a weird thing to say in this situation. 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. Afterfailing, he confessed to Smith's murder on June 4, 1990, and told police where to find her body. In other words. This is the story of Mark Putnam: The first FBI agent convicted of murder. This coward took away a young mother from young kids over a lie + his temper. And then she met Mark Putnam and became obsessed. Theres a long history of killers with higher socioeconomic status than their victims getting softer sentences than what their crime alone deserved. We finally showed white America how it feels when the justice system gets it wrong. In addition to the old 1994 movie about the case, there is also another movie that is in the works. Why is everyone talking about race? The strange situation became more unhealthy and desperate. The number one thing in this whole sad, sick story was Susans children and Marks children, they deserved better. I agree with you. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We are all family, good and bad we are the same! Film crews were in Harlan County in 2016, recording a movie called Above Suspicion. Listen to this episode from Southern Fried True Crime on Spotify. It might have made Susan less sympathetic to some. He said that he and his wife would adopt the baby. 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.