Richard
11-30-2004, 06:15 PM
Betty Fran Gladden Smith
Missing since October 4, 1991 from West Windsor Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.
Classification: Endangered Missing
The Doe Network: Case File 293DFNJ
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: August 4, 1942
Age at Time of Disappearance: 49 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'2; 100 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Blonde hair; blue eyes. Her nickname is "Fran." Fran has a scar on her left knee and a hysterectomy scar on her abdomen. She has a pin in her right hip. There is no bone in the little toe of her right foot. Her front teeth were replaced by temporary caps, which were slightly yellowed at the time of her disappearance. She has breast implants.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Betty was married to John David Smith III at the time of her 1991 disappearance. The couple met in Florida in 1990 and moved to New Jersey shortly after their wedding the same year.
John David Smith
Betty's family told authorities that John had seemed to be mild-mannered prior to Betty's disappearance, but they later learned he was abusive towards his wife. Betty called her daughter at approximately 8:30 AM on October 4, 1991 from the couple's West Windsor Township, New Jersey residence. Betty gave no indication that anything was amiss and did not mention any travel plans. She was recovering from a broken hip at the time, which would have made traveling difficult. Betty has never been seen or heard from again.
John told Betty's family that he believed she went on an impromptu trip. Her relatives did not believe this claim and began to investigate her disappearance themselves. They learned that John had previously been married to Janice Hartman Smith in the 1970's, while he initially told Betty's family that their marriage was his first.
Janice vanished from Ohio in 1974, three days after her divorce from John had been finalized. John reported Janice as a missing person two days later. Janice's case remained unsolved until 2000.
John was never charged in connection with either of his wives' disappearances in the 1990's and moved to California after Betty vanished. He married for a third time in 1998.
Janice's remains were located in an Indiana roadside ditch in 1980, six years after she was last seen. She was not identified until 2000. Janice's legs had been cut off below the knees. John was charged with Janice's murder in the fall of 2000 and is currently in an Ohio prison. He has since been convicted of Janice's murder and is serving a term of 15 years to life. He is eligible for parole in 2010.
Foul play is suspected in Betty's disappearance due to the circumstances involved. John is not charged in her case and she has never been located.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning Smith's whereabouts, please contact:
West Windsor Township Police Department 609-799-1212
OR
Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) 202-324-3000
You may remain anonymous when submitting information to any agency.
NCIC Number: M-520039204
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.
Source Information:
Nation's Missing Children Organization and Center For Missing Adults
ABC News On-Line
link to The Doe Network: Case File 293DFNJ:
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/293dfnj.html
Link to John David Smith III, Ohio Department of Corrections:
http://aolsearch.aol.com/aol/redir?src=websearch&requestId=eaef03fe83d01ae6&clickedItemRank=2&userQuery=Ohio+Department+of+corrections&clickedItemURN=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drc.state.oh.us%2F search2.htm
Missing since October 4, 1991 from West Windsor Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.
Classification: Endangered Missing
The Doe Network: Case File 293DFNJ
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: August 4, 1942
Age at Time of Disappearance: 49 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'2; 100 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Blonde hair; blue eyes. Her nickname is "Fran." Fran has a scar on her left knee and a hysterectomy scar on her abdomen. She has a pin in her right hip. There is no bone in the little toe of her right foot. Her front teeth were replaced by temporary caps, which were slightly yellowed at the time of her disappearance. She has breast implants.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Betty was married to John David Smith III at the time of her 1991 disappearance. The couple met in Florida in 1990 and moved to New Jersey shortly after their wedding the same year.
John David Smith
Betty's family told authorities that John had seemed to be mild-mannered prior to Betty's disappearance, but they later learned he was abusive towards his wife. Betty called her daughter at approximately 8:30 AM on October 4, 1991 from the couple's West Windsor Township, New Jersey residence. Betty gave no indication that anything was amiss and did not mention any travel plans. She was recovering from a broken hip at the time, which would have made traveling difficult. Betty has never been seen or heard from again.
John told Betty's family that he believed she went on an impromptu trip. Her relatives did not believe this claim and began to investigate her disappearance themselves. They learned that John had previously been married to Janice Hartman Smith in the 1970's, while he initially told Betty's family that their marriage was his first.
Janice vanished from Ohio in 1974, three days after her divorce from John had been finalized. John reported Janice as a missing person two days later. Janice's case remained unsolved until 2000.
John was never charged in connection with either of his wives' disappearances in the 1990's and moved to California after Betty vanished. He married for a third time in 1998.
Janice's remains were located in an Indiana roadside ditch in 1980, six years after she was last seen. She was not identified until 2000. Janice's legs had been cut off below the knees. John was charged with Janice's murder in the fall of 2000 and is currently in an Ohio prison. He has since been convicted of Janice's murder and is serving a term of 15 years to life. He is eligible for parole in 2010.
Foul play is suspected in Betty's disappearance due to the circumstances involved. John is not charged in her case and she has never been located.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning Smith's whereabouts, please contact:
West Windsor Township Police Department 609-799-1212
OR
Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) 202-324-3000
You may remain anonymous when submitting information to any agency.
NCIC Number: M-520039204
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.
Source Information:
Nation's Missing Children Organization and Center For Missing Adults
ABC News On-Line
link to The Doe Network: Case File 293DFNJ:
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/293dfnj.html
Link to John David Smith III, Ohio Department of Corrections:
http://aolsearch.aol.com/aol/redir?src=websearch&requestId=eaef03fe83d01ae6&clickedItemRank=2&userQuery=Ohio+Department+of+corrections&clickedItemURN=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drc.state.oh.us%2F search2.htm