I wonder if there was any coverage in Boston on her disappearance and murder? Maybe there is some info from the Boston media. I'll take a look and see if anything is out there on her and her background.
PA PA - Judy Smith, 50, Philadelphia, 10 April 1997
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I wonder if there was any coverage in Boston on her disappearance and murder? Maybe there is some info from the Boston media. I'll take a look and see if anything is out there on her and her background.
Okay, I found this from a Philly paper:
http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-02/news/25540322_1_mystery-novel-camping-backpack
It appears Judy did have a flashlight!
http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-02/news/25540322_1_mystery-novel-camping-backpack
It appears Judy did have a flashlight!
Here is another link with some insight from the locals in NC:
http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-06/news/25537476_1_murder-mystery-summer-homes-probe
http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-06/news/25537476_1_murder-mystery-summer-homes-probe
According to this entry, there were blood stains on her clothes:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8635204
There is also a good picture of Judy.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8635204
There is also a good picture of Judy.
I apologize if this link has been already been posted:
http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-05/news/25540618_1_detectives-medical-examiner-crime-scene
There are some more tidbits in this article. Although, they conflict with some of the other articles out there.
http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-05/news/25540618_1_detectives-medical-examiner-crime-scene
There are some more tidbits in this article. Although, they conflict with some of the other articles out there.
Jeffrey Smith died 6 years ago. I wasn't aware of this.
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7883189.html
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7883189.html
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And a book to read!
JeannieC
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All this begs the question.............How did she get there and who killed her? She wasn't killed for money. He or She might have taken her jewelry. She might have had more money than that and they just didn't get it all. I never put all my cash I never keep all my cash in the same place and when I travel I only show a small amount. I wonder if she had more cash.
BUT if she had more money she could have afforded a motel room......remember she asked about sleeping her car. If that was her.
BUT if she had more money she could have afforded a motel room......remember she asked about sleeping her car. If that was her.
Interesting! There could be a lead here. She could have met someone, while taking care of a patient---maybe similar to the same way she met Jeffrey. They could have made plans in person, so there were no phone calls.
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I agree. She could have had that person meet her in Philly and drive her to NC. That could be the one who killed her too. Only hole in that is...Why would someone drive her all the way to NC and then kill her? From the list of items at the camp it appears she went alone just to read and relax.
So that puts us back to how did she get to NC and IF she was the one driving the car what happened to the car?
So maybe she met up with someone in NC. Again, how did she get to NC. lol
All I have are questions........no solutions!
So that puts us back to how did she get to NC and IF she was the one driving the car what happened to the car?
So maybe she met up with someone in NC. Again, how did she get to NC. lol
All I have are questions........no solutions!
I don't think they killed her over possessions or money. If I recall correctly, they did eventually find the rings. To me, it leads to 2 other reasons, they killed her because they had a screw loose or it was someone upset with her.
JMO, but it can change at any moment.
I thought that her husband wanted to make it as convoluted as possible, so LE wouldn't suspect or pin it on him. If her body was never found, then she simply disappeared without a trace, which means there is no proof a crime was committed. If her body was found far from where she disappeared and he had a solid alibi, then it would be very hard for LE to connect him to the act. However, he could have been not involved and completely innocent.
He was a smart man, so it is possible he thought the whole thing out. Maybe she told him she was leaving him at some point.
To me, she getting to NC is the biggest mystery. If we could figure that out, it may make it easier to find out why she was killed and by whom. LE couldn't connect her to a car, so someone must have driven her there. I'm sure LE checked out her credit card activity for a rental. I wonder if her husband had a car while in Philly?
It has been over 10 years since her death. I wonder what her kids think about what may have happened.
I just had another thought . . maybe this person was going to be in NC during the same time she was in Philly, so they hooked up in Philly. That person rented the car. In fact, that person could have even flown down with her on the same flight. Judy forgetting her ID, may have been a way to change her flight, so she could fly down with this person. I could be way off with this, but if the husband wasn't involved, there had to be a reason she was found with a book and flashlight in NC.
I could be way off base with this.
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I kinda skipped over that part but just suppose she knew one of them and that is how she got to NC. One of them could have been one of the two nurses she knew from NC.
I wonder how soon after Judith's death they moved.
Very possible. Judy could have had a secret life, she didn't share it with her husband or family. The women were just "friends," but there was really more to it. I hate to say it, but the lesbian scene kind of fits the "no cosmetics" found in the hotel room.
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That was something that bothered me. Her son said that was like his mom not to use makeup. In one article it said she carried them in her backpack but I don't remember them mentioning her having any in the backpack when they found her. Maybe she did but I think they would have said something about that.
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I didn't read anything that mentioned the children moving but in one interview with Jeff Smith a while after the murder he said something that lead me to believe he was alone.
Of course they were getting older and might have moved out or moved to live with their father.
I think the key to her disappearance is the later flight. She was an experienced traveler. Putting aside the new rule requiring a person to show their driver's license to purchase a ticket, she would have carried her license in order to cash a check, use a credit card out of town, rent a motel room and many other reasons.
I wonder if she delayed her flight in order to fly with someone else. She might have "staged" her own disappearance in order to be with this person. She could have gone to the hotel in Philly and left in a car with this other person the next morning.
I still wonder why they questioned her FIRST husband and could he have been involved. What happened to husband number two? Why wasn't he questioned.
I don't remember reading anything about the rings being located but I've read a lot and could have missed it.
Of course they were getting older and might have moved out or moved to live with their father.
I think the key to her disappearance is the later flight. She was an experienced traveler. Putting aside the new rule requiring a person to show their driver's license to purchase a ticket, she would have carried her license in order to cash a check, use a credit card out of town, rent a motel room and many other reasons.
I wonder if she delayed her flight in order to fly with someone else. She might have "staged" her own disappearance in order to be with this person. She could have gone to the hotel in Philly and left in a car with this other person the next morning.
I still wonder why they questioned her FIRST husband and could he have been involved. What happened to husband number two? Why wasn't he questioned.
I don't remember reading anything about the rings being located but I've read a lot and could have missed it.
I'm not sure. At first, when I read your post, I thought yes that's strange. After reflecting on it a while, I'm not so sure. Mr. Smith tried (or certainly appeared to try) to find her in Philly and continued his efforts while she was officially missing. Once the body was found, there was no further point in talking to LE. She was murdered, buried, and dug up by animals, and nothing was going to change that.
I suppose if it were me, I'd have gone to NC to see if there was any info I could share that would help local LE find the killer. But Smith may have figured he didn't have anything to offer. As for seeing where the person died, I don't know. I would want to visit the place, but I can understand that many people might not want to do so. Does every mother and father really want to go to Iraq or Afghanistan to see the exact spot their son died?
He may not have been able to face it.
In Smiths mind, the case may have been "over" at the point where he learns she's dead. His experience as a lawyer may have told him the probability of finding the killer was low. Finding the killer wouldn't bring her back anyway. I can understand him just giving up at that point.