PA PA - Judy Smith, 50, Philadelphia, 10 April 1997

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Regarding her luggage and the flight that she "missed": her husband could have gone ahead and checked her luggage with him, perhaps to make it easier for her to get home, get her ID, and get back for her rescheduled flight. Just a thought... :)
 
I just sat here and read all of the posted articles etc....this is a really strange case. Her husband seems like he is telling the truth most of the time. There are things he throws in that just don't make since. I also thought it was odd that he said "we just fell in love, I guess." Just seems strange to me.

How are you guys finding info. on this case? I tried to google it, but everything that comes up is about someone else. Did I read on here that a website was set up for her? Does anyone know if it's still there, and if so what is the link?
 
http://www.unsolved.com/ajaxfiles/une_judy_smith.htm


The above web site is a good overview. The Cityview articles are the best overall coverage. The case is a real mystery. I believe she took a "vacation from her marriage" and ran into a killer in the mountains of NC. In my earlier post, I argued that she probably made it to Philadelphia safely and her husband was not involved with her death but he may have witheld information. How she made it to NC is a major mystery. The place where her body was found was somewhere that only a local would know about. My guess is that she made it to NC with the intention of doing some early season hiking and maybe seeing the Biltmore estate. Somehow she met up with a local who killed her and robbed her. Perhaps she met him on the trail.. perhaps she met him in Ashville and he offered to "show here the sights". I think she set out on her little adventure without telling anyone so there is in efffect, no trail.
I do wonder what Gary M. hilton was up to at that time.
 
“Our victim was a white female, probably in her late forties to mid-fifties. The pathologist report indicates that there were puncture wounds and cuts on the bra which could be consistent with stab wounds.”
 
What Judy left behind does make it look like death was caused by multiple stab wounds. It looks like where she lay is also the crime scene. Personally I don't think she was killed elsewhere and dumped. I think she was either lured there or was attacked while out alone and left where she was killed.

I've been thinking about Judy a lot lately but haven't bumped the thread because I really don't have anything to say except to rehash what has already been said. I made a futile attempt to locate her daughter and invite her to post here but as said - it was futile. I would love to have input from the family, preferably her children on what they think happened and how they feel about their step-father. With the lack of info and updates combined with the murder itself this case is enough to make a person a little nuts.
 
I think this is such a mystery, but I did want to comment on the medical examiner dating of the found skeleton. I had read about a case here in Florida of a young girl who vanished. Her body was found and tagged as a jane doe because the medical examiner determined a time of death that was way off from the girls disappearance. When they did DNA testing and found out it was her, they explained the error in dating time of death as a problem with the climate. They said very warm humid climates tend to degrade bones alot more quickly and that makes it more difficult to accurately say when the time of death was. So I would probably not pay alot of attention to the date of death being wrong in this case.
 
After re-reading this thread I reallly think that Judy "wanted" to get lost. For whatever reason - not happy with marriage, not happy with job, children, etc. Not that she didn't love them - just that she needed to be away from them for awhile. The grass is greener and all that nonsense.


Why I'm leaning towards that is simply from my personal experience. When I go somewhere alone, I am always leaving trails - even if it's a phone message to someone telling them exactly where I am and what time I'm there. If I take a three hour ride to my father's house I leave at least four or five messages. I do this in the event something happens and my family would have a pretty good idea from which point I went missing - rather than backtrack the whole trip. Reluctantly I had to admit that people just disappear (probably more often than I want to realize) and I thought some trail would help my family in the event it happened to me.

With Judy, no trails, no phone calls. In my mind that equals someone wanting to be alone. Her death of course is another matter but focusing on why she left might be taking time away from the investigation. Maybe it really was something as simple as wanting to be alone.

This is all just coming from me and my experience. I really do hope they find the person(s) responsible for her death.

Edit: Reading my post I can see the holes big enough to drive trucks through. I thought about this case and certainly the reason why she left could perhaps lead right to the killers trail.

The case is just baffling. I still believe she wanted to be alone - but even then, why not tell someone - maybe a trusted friend - where you're going in the event of something like this happening.

I'm thinking way too much about this.
 
Bumping.

This case is still as mysterious and unfortunately cold as ever.
 
1) Where did she get the clothes she was found in? Doesn't seem likely that she packed hiking clothes to go to a conference with her hubby in Philly...more like dressy casual and jeans/tshirts type clothing. Hiking clothes would have stuck out to her husband in suitcase and I don't think Philly would be cold enough in April to be wearing long undies (I'm about an 1 1/2 hr drive south, weather here at that time of year is windy and cold, but not cold enough for long underwear IMO)

2.) Her being on later flight doesn't seem to be disputed but would be helpful to see if she checked in at front desk of hotel. If I was meeting someone who checked in before me, I would have stopped by the front desk to get another key etc., even if I went to room immed. upon arrival. She would have to have a key as would he to accomodate their different schedules during the day. Any info from the hotel on this?
 
"As always, she carried her belongings in her trademark red backpack." re: leaving the hotel to go on Philly tour

“We found a blue and black backpack at the crime scene. I believe that it potentially belongs to our suspect. There was a pair of sunglasses there. We believe that these glasses did not belong to Judith and that they potentially belong to our suspect.” re: police findings at scene

--Snipped from Unsolved article


Where is red backpack? Was blue/black backpack a national brand or perhaps from a regional sporting goods store?

Also interested in eyewitnesses account of her in NC right after she vanished---any major discrepancies with her grooming etc.? New shorter hair cut or lots of makeup that wasn't her usual style?

Another point--did she have any contacts in that area? Perhaps internet friends or love interests? Robbery doesn't seem to be the motive as she had cash and diamond ring still on her. Seems more like a random attack.

Another idea is that maybe she was carjacked? Had rented a car in the area for the day in cash (don't know if this is possible) and was carjacked in another location then hiked to remote area and killed?
 
Hi West - thanks for your interest. There are so many inconsistencies and contradictions in Judy's case it is a little mind boggling. I have wondered many times if the ME did not get it wrong and they body they found was not Judy's at all. The clothing totally does not match, the location is whacky although I believe they did find her wedding ring. I need to go back and re-read the citypaper articles to refresh my memory.
Judy's belongings at the hotel were untouched. Eventhough she took a shower, according to her husband, there were no dirty clothes left behind and by all accounts the clothes she packed were not disturbed. Jeffrey said she wore the clothes she traveled in.

There were some eye-witness accts of her acting strangely but it has never been verified it was actually Judy. The most believable acct is by the shop-owner in NC who claims she had a conversation with a woman named Judy who said she had driven down from Boston and she was carrying a red backpack.
 
Could it be a possibility that the husband took her to NC before all of this ? This would explain the luggage being at the destination, he could have included it to make it seem she was there. The clothes she was found in could also be deceptive, not match Jeffrey's description to delay connection of the missing woman and the deceased.

He could have had an aquaintence that strongly resembled his wife and at a distance or glance could be said to be her. What would a stranger know for sure? The blue back pack also seems a ploy, because she was said to have a red one.
 
gaia227 said:
Bumping.

This case is still as mysterious and unfortunately cold as ever.
Click to expand...

I remember seeing this case on UM or one of the news shows. This was 'one of those cases' that continues to baffle me and I wish it could be solved.
 
Debbie Miller said:
Could it be a possibility that the husband took her to NC before all of this ? This would explain the luggage being at the destination, he could have included it to make it seem she was there. The clothes she was found in could also be deceptive, not match Jeffrey's description to delay connection of the missing woman and the deceased.

He could have had an aquaintence that strongly resembled his wife and at a distance or glance could be said to be her. What would a stranger know for sure? The blue back pack also seems a ploy, because she was said to have a red one.
Click to expand...


IIRC that was looked into and was pretty much ruled out because their kids saw Judy the night before they left for Boston so by all accounts Judy and Jeffrey are accounted for right up until they leave. Once they were actually in Boston the timeline was too tight for him to have made it to the meetings he had to attend if he had driven to NC. He has numerous alibis of people who saw him at the meetings.

There is something hinky about Judy supposedly leaving her plane ticket behind and Jeffrey having to go on ahead without her. That whole scenario just doesn't seem right and I think if he was involved that is when something happened to her. I think Judy went ahead and sent her luggage along with Jeffrey. There was a woman who boarded the next flight as Judy, if it was her or not we don't know.

One scenario I have wondered about is: Judy did pack her tickets, Jeffrey slipped them out when she wasn't looking knowing she would have to go back and get them. Jeffrey had arranged for someone to be at the house or in the car - the kids were staying with their grandparents so there would have been no one at the house - Judy was attacked and/or kidnapped by this person and taken to NC. Perhaps this person even forced Judy to make herself seen as to make it appear she left on her own and ultimately they killed her in NC. There is no evidence Judy was ever in Boston. Her luggage was there but untouched, the concierge does not recall seeing her, the only person who said they saw her was one of Jeffrey's friends and he saw her at a distance, she does not appear on any surveillance tapes. I have some serious doubts if she was ever in Boston.

On a side note I was watching Haunting Evidence on TruTV a few nights ago - the show with the two psychics - and they covered Judy's disappearence. They seem to believe she was in Boston and she went to NC of her own accord but was murdered in NC while hiking by a stranger who was from that area. Of course this all to be taken with a boulder of salt. It was still fun to watch though.
 
This is a real mystery. The links in the first post give a very good summation of the case. I'm so sure there will be a resolution however.
 
bumping because I was wondering if anything is new with this case. It's puzzling to say the least.
 
wow..i certainly didnt expect to see anyone else readin g this..i just happened to see the UM rerun. i am here in this town it happened in...and i had heard of this when it happend/found.. but our silly local paper the Asheville Citizen Times.. doenst do much reporting on anything except the local weirdos, the oddball shops and leaf season...
Sure wish we had more news. as it is..im scared to go sightseeing here. cuz we get ALL SORTS OF RIFF RAFF. it being a tourist town.. and being an interstate town... then of course ya have the back woods people.. and yes.. they are real live hillbillies

TRUST NOONE
 
I'm in the camp that the husband didn't have anything to do with it. But, to play devils advocate:

. It was the husband who produced the dental records.

. Who verified the wedding ring?

It would be an interesting exercise to see if when he was in NC (for the weight loss thing) correlated with how long the coroner thought the body was there, or if anybody else disappeared from the Boston area around the time that matches how long the coroner thought the body was there. Perhaps the body his not his wifes, but he is associated with it somehow?

This would be really reaching, but there isn't much about this case that makes sense.
 
Forgive me if this was mentioned earlier & I missed it, but I live about an hour's drive from Asheville, NC & I was thinking that Judy might have needed the long underwear if she was sleeping in the outdoors. Even right now, in May, today's temp was only in the 50s. One of the posts mentioned that she'd asked about sleeping in her car, so if she were staying outdoors or in her car overnight in the springtime it still could have been pretty cold.
Also I'm thinking this probably wasn't a robbery or else she wouldn't have still had her wedding band or the cash that was found.
Other than that, this whole thing is so weird that it is enough to really make you wonder whether this was Judy's remains at all or if there was a misidentification.
 
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