Case 352: Gregory Smart

New Hampshire couple Pamela and Gregory Smart had only recently married when their lives took a shocking turn. Gregory was murdered in their home in what appeared to be a burglary gone wrong. As Pamela navigated life in the public eye as a newly grieving widow, an anonymous phone call to police unraveled a complex web of secrets that no one could predict. --- Narration – Anonymous Host https://www.instagram.com/caseys.snaps/ Research & writing – Milly Raso Production & music – Mike Migas http://mikemigas.com/ Audio editing – Anthony Telfer Sign up for Casefile Premium: Apple Premium https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/casefile-true-crime/id998568017?ign-itscg=30200S&ign-itsct=casefile_podcastsSpotify Premium https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/9gSwcv7USsbPatreon https://www.patreon.com/casefileFor all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-352-gregory-smart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  On the night of Tuesday, May 1, 1990, a group of family and friends gathered at a home on Misty Morning Drive in the town of Derry, New Hampshire. At around 10:00 PM, as they broke out into a joyful rendition of Happy Birthday, their celebration was abruptly cut short by a blood-curdling screen. Fred Lombardi, the host of the party, rushed outside to see what was going on. Disturbances were rare on the quiet cul-de-sac, which was largely made up of condominiums occupied by young couples. As Fred stepped into the street, he almost collided with his 22-year-old neighbour, Pamela Smart.

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  Pamela had been running away from the unit she rented with her 24-year-old husband, Gregory. "What is it? What's the matter? What's happened?" Fred asked. Pamela frantically replied, "It's my husband. He's been killed. He's dead."

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  As Fred began moving toward the Smart residence, Pamela grabbed him and yelled, "No, don't go in there. It wouldn't do any good. He's dead. I know it." Fred persisted, saying he wanted to help, but Pamela begged him not to. "Please," she said, "don't go in there. Just call the police."

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  The first officer to arrive on scene observed Pamela Smart kneeling on the stoop of a neighbouring home, sobbing. Onlookers directed him to the Smart's unit. Inside, the foyer light illuminated Gregory Smart, dressed in grey pants and a matching sports coat. He was lying face down, with his feet on the tiled foyer floor and the rest of his body on the carpet in the adjoining dining area. A small amount of blood had pooled beneath his nose.

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  As the officer went to roll Gregory over to begin CPR, he noticed a large fatal wound on the upper-left side of his head. No one else was found inside the residence, which had been ransacked. CDs were scattered everywhere, a VCR was overturned on the floor, and stereo speakers were placed by the back door along with the small television. It appeared that a burglar had been piling their loot there in preparation to flee when they were interrupted by Gregory arriving home. He was shot once in the head at close range, killing him instantly.

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  The main bedroom upstairs was also in disarray. Drawers had been pulled out, clothing was tossed about, and an empty jewellery box was found in the bathroom sink. Given the upstairs area was less messy than downstairs, investigators surmised that at least two people were involved in the crime, one less haphazard than the other. Pillow stuffing was found throughout the unit, and several sofa pillows were missing, suggesting they had been emptied and used as bags to carry stolen goods. The Smart's small pet dog, which usually roamed freely throughout the residence, was found locked in the cellar. Behind the condominium was a grassy hill leading to parkland,

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  commonly used as a shortcut to a nearby shopping plaza. About 100 yards from the Smart's condo, in a moat area, police found a carving knife embedded in the ground along with paper towels, a plastic jewellery box, and parts of a cardboard jewellery box, all of which had come from the Smart residence. During an interview with police that night, Pamela Smart stated she worked as a media coordinator for school administrative unit 21, which oversourced several school districts across the state. Her office building was across from Wintercunnet High School, just under an hour's drive from her home. Gregory worked as a salesman for his father's insurance firm

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  and left home that day at 9:00 AM. Pamela left at about 9:45, slightly later than usual because she was attending a school board meeting that evening. When she returned home at around 10:10 PM, Gregory's pickup truck was parked outside, but the internal house lights were off and the front door was locked. Upon entering the unit, Pamela turned on the foyer light and discovered Gregory's lifeless body.

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  There was no sign of forced entry around the unit, but Pamela suggested the rear French doors might have been left unlocked after a recent gathering. Investigators also found the bulkhead leading to the cellar unsecured. Given that the Smart's didn't usually leave lights on when they were away, Gregory likely entered the dark unit without sensing any danger. Pamela was cooperative with investigators and willing to assist them in any way. However, they noted that she was unusually composed for someone who had just found her husband brutally murdered. She didn't cry during questioning and appeared more anxious than distressed.

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  Her eyes frequently moved around the room, and she seemed tense.

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  Investigators spoke with Pamela again the following day. She was just as calm and collected as the night before. They assured her that they meant no offence, but they needed to know if she and Gregory were experiencing any problems, such as financial difficulties, drug or alcohol issues, or infidelity. Pamela said no. She and Gregory had only been married for a year, and both had been doing well. She had just received a $26,000 pay rise and was enjoying her work, viewing it as a stepping stone toward a career in broadcasting. Gregory had recently co-won a Rookie Salesman of the Year award.

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  Outgoing and sociable, he had no known enemies and was widely described as the kind of person who would give someone the shirt off his back.

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  The pair had met in 1986 at a New Year's Eve party Gregory was hosting. He was a long-haired, good-looking metalhead, contrasting with Pamela's image as a petite, popular cheerleader. But she had a hidden edge. She enjoyed the same type of music as Gregory, and the two quickly hit it off and went on several dates. Pamela quickly developed strong feelings for Gregory, but at the time, he wasn't ready to commit to a serious relationship. The two remained in contact after Pamela left for college, and months later, she visited Gregory and discovered he was casually seeing someone else.

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  Pamela forced him to choose between her and the other woman. To her surprise and disappointment, Gregory ended their relationship on the spot, still unwilling to commit. That summer, they crossed paths again during a vacation with mutual friends. Their romance rekindled, and Gregory began having serious feelings about Pamela. She was thrilled when he finally agreed to move in together and get engaged.

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  The wedding was an extravagant event, attended by more than 200 guests. By all accounts, it went perfectly. Yet, those who knew Gregory well were surprised at his decision to marry at a young age. He had typically been the life of the party, and not someone who appeared eager to settle down. By that point, Gregory had cut off his long hair, replaced his band t-shirts with a suit and tie, and was preparing to enter the corporate world. Even so, the newly wedded couple appeared happy when they left for their honeymoon. But, once they returned, the critical side of Pamela's personality started to cause friction in the marriage.

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  As a wedding present, her family had given the couple substantial amounts of cash and expensive items. Pamela was annoyed that Gregory's family had contributed comparatively little, in some cases barely enough to cover the cost of their meal. Unlike Pamela, who had a more distant relationship with her family, Gregory was very close to his own. He grew irritated by her complaints, and eventually told her he'd heard enough. But, she wouldn't let the matter go.

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  Pamela was known to make sharp or cutting remarks that left others feeling hurt, in order to elevate herself by comparison. Some believed this behaviour stemmed from deep-seated insecurities, despite Pamela being widely regarded as physically attractive, popular, and successful. These traits also made her competitive and possessive, with others describing her as someone who harbored a simmering anger beneath the surface. Gregory took amusement in provoking his wife with passive-aggressive acts, including deliberately mispronouncing her name, and making suggestive comments about other women. Whenever Pamela tried to confront Gregory or draw him into an argument,

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  he dismissed her frustrations with a simple “whatever”, which only infuriated her further.

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  The couple's strong, ego-driven personalities often clashed, as did their differences. Pamela was ambitious, determined, and highly organised, always planning for the future. Gregory was laid-back, carefree, and content to spend his time kicking back with friends. Pamela also grew unhappy that Gregory, who had flexible work hours, was often away from home in the evenings. Gregory told a friend that Pamela wanted him to quit his job, but he refused, as he enjoyed his work and the income it provided. Given that much of his free time was spent with friends pursuing hobbies such as playing cards, golfing, and off-roading,

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  activities Pamela had little interest in, the couple spent relatively little of their leisure time together. Pamela focused on her own interests, including taking courses related to media and public relations, and reading upwards of six newspapers a day. She had dreams of becoming a nationally-recognised reporter, just like the anchor women and journalists she admired.

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  Many people in the Smart's social circle were completely unaware of any serious issues in the marriage. For the most part, the couple presented themselves as coping fine and capable of recovering from their disagreements. They would regularly go out for dinner or drinks with friends, host gatherings at their home, and were planning a vacation together. Gregory had even mentioned that he was preparing a celebration for their one-year wedding anniversary.

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  Yet, there were some who still believed the marriage was doomed to fail. Both Gregory and Pamela had confided in others about fundamental issues and differing expectations for the future. Gregory wanted to buy a house and have children, but Pamela wasn't interested. While venting with a friend about the problems they had with their respective partners, Pamela asked: “Why can't they just die and make our life easier? No divorce, no nothing, just disappear.”

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  Gregory's murder occurred just days shy of his and Pamela's one-year wedding anniversary. The only moment Pamela's stoic demeanour shifted during her early conversations with police was when they advised her not to speak to the press. She became noticeably defensive, saying: “Don't talk bad about them, I'm one of them too.”

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  Investigators found it odd that she seemed more upset by their comments about the media than by her own husband's brutal and untimely death.

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  Pamela's behaviour raised further suspicion once police had finished processing the crime scene. As they prepared to leave the unit, she was allowed inside to collect clothing for Gregory's funeral. A towel had been placed over the bloodstain in the dining room to spare her from seeing it, and she stepped across it nonchalantly. She also re-remanded an officer for closing the rear doors against the drapes and complained about fingerprint powder on the sofa, demanding to know who would clean it up. When she went upstairs to select the clothes Gregory would be buried in, she moved quickly and without hesitation, opening drawers and grabbing whatever was there.

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  She took no time to pause, mourn, or reflect. Nothing she selected even matched. It was only after she stepped outside that she finally broke down in the presence of Gregory's parents.

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  Investigators spoke to the Smart's neighbours, and only one recalled hearing anything unusual on the night that Gregory was killed. He had heard Gregory arrive home at around 9pm, followed by the pitter-patter of feet across the floor, and then two loud thuds, which came several minutes apart, and sounded like doors slamming. The decision to target the Smart's unit was strange. Breaking into a densely-populated condominium complex at night, when most residents were likely to be home, was reckless. Such risky behaviour was more commonly associated with amateur opportunistic offenders, who were typically unarmed.

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  Those who did bring guns rarely used them, let alone to deliberately execute an innocent person in cold blood. They were also the type to steal small, easily-pocketed items that they could immediately use, sell, or discard, such as wallets, keys, and jewellery, rather than large, bulky electronics. But Gregory's diamond and gold wedding ring was found underneath his body, and his wallet and car keys were left between his legs. There was no cash in the wallet, but all of his credit cards were inside. If more experienced offenders were responsible for Gregory's murder, investigators questioned why they abandoned the job and left behind much of the property they had gathered to steal.

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  As for suspects, there were few obvious leads. Gregory enjoyed taking trips to Atlantic City with friends and family, where he gambled. Investigators wondered whether he could have accumulated debts with the wrong people. Neighbours also reported an increase in parties and get-togethers at the Smart's unit in recent weeks, with a variety of people coming and going from the residence. Some were noted as looking suspicious. This prompted speculation that drugs might be involved.

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  The theory gained some traction when a cannabis cigarette was found in Gregory's pickup truck. However, no other illicit substances were discovered in his vehicle, unit, or anywhere else on the property, and he had no prior history of major drug use or interactions with the police. Whatever the explanation, investigators increasingly suspected they were dealing with something more than a burglary gone wrong.

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  Against investigators’ advice, Pamela Smart spoke to the press about her husband’s case. She said she wanted to dispel the growing rumours that the killing was drug-related, insisting that she simply wanted the truth to be known. While details of the crime were being kept under wraps to protect the integrity of the investigation, Pamela openly disclosed some of the confidential information during a filmed media interview. She described the crime scene in considerable detail, revealing that the unit had been ransacked, that stereospeakers had been left by the back door, and that $300 worth of jewellery was missing. She also referred to the theory that the killing was a botched burglary,

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  and stated that there were no witnesses.

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  The interview took place on the day of Gregory’s wake. At the event, Pamela received an outpouring of support from those in attendance. She also announced that she had established a memorial fund in Gregory’s name to purchase equipment for a mass media course at Wimmercunnit High School.

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  The class was a recent addition to the school, having been approved during the board meeting held on the night Gregory was murdered, the same meeting Pamela had attended. Notably, she had been selected to teach the course. Pamela explained that she wanted something positive to come from the tragedy and for Gregory to remain a part of her daily life.

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  During the wake, three students from Wimmercunnit High School arrived with a guidance counsellor. Having heard about Gregory’s tragic death, the counsellor believed it would be appropriate for the students to pay their respects as they were all well acquainted with Pamela. The students were 15-year-old Cecilia Pearce, 16-year-old Billy Flynn, and 17-year-old Vance Laddamy Jr. Cecilia was a student intern in the media centre who worked directly with Pamela, while Billy had recently received assistance from Pamela for a videotape competition at school. Vance was less familiar with Pamela than the other two, but still closer to her than most.

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  Pamela appeared surprised to see the three teenagers, whose presence at the wake drew some attention, but she thanked them for attending. She introduced them to several people and spent a short time speaking with them.

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  At one point, Billy and Vance approached Gregory’s casket and knelt beside it. The group remained at the wake for less than 15 minutes before leaving.

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  More than 200 people attended Gregory’s funeral. Among them were investigators, keeping watch for anyone who might appear suspicious. But once again, it was Pamela who drew their attention. During the service, she asked Gregory’s father whether he had requested a full or half-mass. He didn’t understand what she meant, prompting Pamela to explain that she had instructed the priest to “make it short”. As she left the church, where members of the media had gathered outside, Pamela appeared more openly grief-stricken. Before being driven away, she rolled down her car window and tearfully told reporters:

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  “I’d just like to say Gregory was the kindest person I ever knew. He was a really good friend of mine, and he didn’t deserve this.” At the burial, Pamela placed a single rose on Gregory’s coffin. Inside, a framed photograph of the young couple on their wedding day rested in his hands.

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  Pamela continued to assist the police investigation by providing any requested information, including names of individuals Gregory was associated with. She was overly eager to help, often oversupplying irrelevant details that police hadn’t asked for, which only served to muddy their work. Furthermore, Pamela’s continued willingness to speak to the press and disclose sensitive information was an ongoing issue. One investigator even contacted Pamela’s father and asked him to speak with her about her behaviour. Eventually, they decided to stop updating Pamela on the case altogether.

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  Reporters frequently contacted Pamela for comment, and she never declined the opportunity to be interviewed. Each time, she emphasised that Gregory’s death was the result of him interrupting a burglary. She also maintained that Gregory didn’t have any enemies, and described his killer as a “drug-addict person looking for a quick $10”. “If she knew who it was,” Pamela said, “it would have been the first name she gave to the police.”

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  While some thought Pamela’s unusual behaviour was simply an irrational response to grief, others suspected she couldn’t resist the attention, having always been drawn to the spotlight. Reporters noted that Pamela showed little visible emotion when speaking about her husband or his murder. Her interactions with them also felt controlled, with observers suggesting she was drawing on her media training to manage her public image. On what would have been the Smart’s one-year wedding anniversary, an article about the case was published in The Telegraph, under the headline: “But Pamela Smart: Life Must Go On”.

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  In it, Pamela maintained that she and Gregory had been happy, with no problems, and that they simply wanted to be together. She said Gregory was the kind of person who would reassure her that things would always work out, and that she was now drawing on that sentiment as a way to cope and move on with her life.

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  Pamela delivered Gregory’s personal belongings to his parents’ home, without ceremony. Among the items was a piece of wedding cake the couple had stored in their freezer for a later occasion, which she handed over, saying: “Here, you take this. I don’t like cake, anyway.” She then invited friends over to her unit and began giving away the rest of Gregory’s things. She served lunch and spoke joyfully within steps of the bloodstain in the dining room, which still hadn’t been cleaned. Pamela then began looking for a new car, intending to use part of Gregory’s $140,000 life insurance payout to purchase it.

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  Within weeks of the murder, she went out drinking with friends, who were surprised by how happy she seemed. One night, while watching a band she liked, Pamela got up on stage to sing with an ex-boyfriend. Afterwards, she gave him her number and urged him to visit.

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  She was also witness to dancing up against other men, and, in a flippant, matter-of-fact manner, told other revelers that her husband had been murdered.

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  Meanwhile, investigators distributed flyers featuring images of the jewellery stolen from the Smart’s to pawn shops. They pursued a range of leads, including a criminal group posing as police officers to gain entry to homes, and a former, jilted lover of Gregory’s. But none of these leads went anywhere. A significant development finally emerged on Monday, May 14, two weeks after Gregory Smart’s murder. That night, the Derry Police Department received an anonymous phone call.

• 27:47Speaker 00

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  If you've ever sent a cold email, you know how it goes. Figuring out who to email, where their contact info is, and what messaging will land. It takes time, and sometimes dozens of tabs. I've been there. That's why I use Apollo. Apollo is an all-in-one system for data enrichment, sequencing, automated messaging, and intelligence powered by AI that helps do the work, so you can do everything from finding prospects to closing deals, all in one place. Head to Apollo.io and sign up for free. That's Apollo.io.

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• 31:20Speaker 00

  The caller was a nervous-sounding woman. While she said she didn't want to get involved, she felt compelled to pass on information she had heard, even if it was just hearsay. Speaking of Gregory Smart's murder, the woman stated, "His wife planned him to be killed." She claimed Pamela Smart had been putting on a wonderful performance since, with the motive being Gregory's life insurance money. The tipster admitted that she had obtained the information secondhand from a minor, eventually revealing it had come from a 15-year-old girl. While she refused to name the girl at first, after some gentle probing from the detective,

• 32:03Speaker 00

  the woman said the girl was named Cecilia Pearce. She said Cecilia was friends with Pamela, and she had attended Gregory's funeral. She then hung up. Investigators discovered Cecilia Pearce was a student at Wimmercunnet High School. She had worked with Pamela Smart as a student intern in the media centre and had attended Gregory's wake. Further inquiries showed that Cecilia had also visited Pamela at her condo the week before Gregory's murder, a meeting Pamela didn't initially disclose to the police. Cecilia's name was also notably absent from the list of acquaintances that Pamela initially provided to investigators.

• 32:47Speaker 00

  It appeared only later, about a week after the murder, in a separate list of friends of Pamela's that she didn't share with Gregory. Talkative and friendly, Cecilia Pearce first introduced herself to Pamela Smart at school. Cecilia wanted to be a reporter, but was somewhat of an outcast among her peers for being overweight, living in a rough area, and having a difficult home life. Her parents were divorced, and her mother struggled to support Cecilia and her younger sister. Cecilia viewed 22-year-old Pamela Smart as the kind of person she aspired to be: good-looking, successful, and confident.

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  When Cecilia mentioned an interest in journalism, Pamela suggested she work in the school's media centre as her intern. Cecilia gratefully accepted and began visiting Pamela's office for two periods a day, receiving credit for assisting with tasks such as writing the school board newsletter. She became increasingly comfortable in the role and came to value Pamela's attention and friendship. Pamela had a tendency to make others feel wanted and heard, which Cecilia appreciated. After a disagreement, she was surprised when Pamela apologized and hugged her, as Cecilia wasn't used to being treated with basic kindness.

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  She began to confide in Pamela and viewed her as a role model and older sister figure. One day, Cecilia noticed a flyer on Pamela's desk advertising a high school video competition for students. The task was to make a commercial promoting the nutritional value of orange juice, with prizes including a trip to Disney World. Cecilia asked some other students if they wanted to help submit a video. 15-year-old Billy Flynn wasn't very interested at first, but ultimately agreed to help out, mostly behind the camera. Billy came from the same rough area as Cecilia, and also had a difficult home life.

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  His father was abusive, and as the oldest of three boys, Billy was treated the harshest from an early age. When his parents eventually divorced, his mother moved him from California, which he found difficult to adjust to. Not long after Billy enrolled at Wimmercunnet High School, his father died in a car crash. This had a strong emotional impact on him, and he became more withdrawn. Even though he seemed like a defiant rabble, with his long hair, leather jacket, ear-piercing, love of metal music, and rough group of friends, Billy was regarded as quiet and unassuming. He kept to himself at school and didn't cause trouble.

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  Recognizing that Billy was another vulnerable teen in need of positive guidance, Pamela also took him under her wing. He helped her with tasks around the school and began regularly visiting her office to assist with administrative work. With the video competition underway, Pamela helped the students brainstorm ideas and to choose a concept. They met after school a few times each week, and on Saturdays, to work on the project. Whenever they started losing interest, Pamela encouraged them and helped them stay on track until they completed the video. She drove them to filming locations and even agreed to appear in a scene as a cave woman.

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  She raised eyebrows when she changed into her costume, a leopard-print outfit described as skimpy. Billy recorded Pamela as she pretended to gather wood and wash clothes in a stream. The finished video ran for approximately two and a half minutes. It didn't win any prizes. By this point, Pamela had developed a close friendship with Billy Flynn, who had started visiting her office on a regular basis, often by himself. Pamela encouraged the visits and provided Billy with passes that excused him from class.

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  On one occasion, Billy mentioned that a neighbour of his owned a photo-development store, and he could obtain discounted rates. Pamela gave him several rolls of undeveloped film and asked him to have them processed. The resulting photographs showed Pamela posing seductively on a bed in a bikini. When Billy returned to the photos, Pamela commented that she was unhappy with them. She said she intended to throw them away, before suggesting that Billy keep them instead. After this, Pamela asked Cecilia Pearce to come to her office. During a private conversation, Pamela told Cecilia that she believed she had developed

• 37:53Speaker 00

  romantic feelings for 15-year-old Billy Flynn. Cecilia thought it was a joke, but Pamela insisted that she was serious. She asked Cecilia to bring Billy to her office so that she could speak with him. When Billy arrived, Pamela struggled to tell him what she wanted to say. The following day, Pamela still appeared nervous and reluctant to discuss the matter. When Billy pressed her for an explanation, she finally revealed to him that she thought about him frequently and was struggling with her feelings because she was married. Stunned, Billy went back to class.

• 38:37Speaker 00

  Things were awkward for a period afterwards, but Pamela continued to meet with Billy regularly. Their conversations became increasingly focused on Pamela's marriage, which she described as unhappy. She stated that she had married Gregory largely because many of their friends were getting married at the time. She would call Gregory and deliberately provoke him into arguments, putting him on speakerphones so Billy could secretly listen to their heated exchanges. She also told Billy that Gregory was verbally and physically abusive, showing a bruise that she claimed he had caused. She described multiple instances in which Gregory was reportedly unkind to her.

• 39:21Speaker 00

  Billy had no independent way of verifying these claims. However, because he trusted Pamela and had developed a close relationship with her, he largely accepted what she told him. He came to feel sorry for Pamela, while growing to hate her husband. It was around this time that Billy began reflecting on comments Pamela had made to him in the past. She had once asked whether he knew anyone she could hire to kill her secretary, so that a friend could take the woman's job. The question had seemed so blunt and implausible that Billy assumed it was a joke, but after

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  Pamela confessed her feelings for him, she admitted that her earlier remarks hadn't been entirely made in jest. Pamela told Billy that she didn't actually want her secretary harmed. Instead, the person she wished were dead was her husband, Gregory. Even after hearing this, Billy didn't believe Pamela was seriously proposing that anyone should be killed. He interpreted the comments as expressions of frustration and anger, rather than genuine intentions.

• 40:38Speaker 00

  Pamela continued to raise the subject with Billy. She said she wanted to be with him rather than Gregory, but divorce wasn't a viable option. She said Gregory wouldn't willingly let the marriage end and would make it difficult for her to move on with her life. She also expressed concerns about the financial consequences of a divorce. Pamela claimed that Gregory would end up with most of their possessions, including their dog, while she would be left with very little. She said her salary wasn't enough to afford an apartment and that she didn't want to move back in with her parents. She told Billy that she envisioned the two of them living together somewhere along the coast.

• 41:24Speaker 00

  To Billy, Pamela seemed like a decent person, even if her comments about Gregory confused him. He told her he didn't know anyone who could be hired to kill her husband and presumed that would be the end of the discussion. Pamela then began making her relationship with Billy increasingly personal and spending more time with him outside of school. She even visited Billy at his house when no one else was home. In his room, she lay on his bed and asked if he was going to kiss her. When Billy didn't act, Pamela asked, “Do I have to come over there and rape you?” She proceeded to sexually assault him.

• 42:09Speaker 00

  Billy told several of his friends about what Pamela did, but they didn't believe him at first. It wasn't until they witnessed her kissing him goodbye after dropping him off that they realized he was telling the truth. Even then, they struggled to understand the situation. They found it difficult to comprehend why a 22-year-old married woman would pursue a relationship with a 15-year-old high school boy. Billy wasn't the type of teenager who looked older, acted more mature, or seemed wiser than his years. Some suspected that Pamela must have had ulterior motives.

• 42:50Speaker 00

  On Valentine's Day in 1990, while Gregory was away on a ski trip, Pamela invited Billy to spend the evening at her home. She also invited Cecilia Pearce in order to avoid drawing attention to the fact that she was spending time alone with an underage student. Cecilia had also heard of Pamela's complaints about Gregory and their marriage. Pamela went so far as to tell her that she saw only two ways to resolve the situation: divorce Gregory, or kill him. When Cecilia suggested that divorce was the better option, Pamela wasn't convinced.

• 43:33Speaker 00

  As she had with Billy, she argued that Gregory would end up with most of their assets while she would be left with barely anything. Later that evening, after watching an inappropriate movie with the two teenagers, Pamela took Billy upstairs to her bedroom and raped him multiple times.

• 43:54Speaker 00

  She drove the teens home the next day, dropping Cecilia off first. She lamented to Billy that it might be the last time they saw each other in this way because Gregory didn't go away often. But she insisted that she wanted to be with the teenager, overwhelming him with her emotions. By the time they arrived at Billy's house, he was sobbing. He said he felt the same way about Pamela and wanted their relationship to continue. Pamela repeated that she felt she had no option. The only way they could be together was if Gregory was dead.

• 44:37Speaker 00

  Over the following weeks, Pamela continued arranging opportunities to meet with Billy in private to assault him. She occasionally told Cecilia about these meetings, but was otherwise careful to keep the illicit relationship hidden from the other people in her life. One time, Billy was a passenger in Pamela's car when it was struck from behind by another vehicle that left the scene. When completing the accident report, Pamela was required to identify everyone who had been in the vehicle at the time. She intentionally left out Billy's name.

• 45:14Speaker 00

  Billy was far less discreet. He boasted to many of his friends about his illicit relationship with Pamela, having been so thoroughly manipulated that he failed to fully grasp that what she was doing to him was immoral, unethical, and illegal. Still thinking the situation was too absurd to be true, Billy's friends continued to believe he was exaggerating or joking, even after he showed them sexually explicit letters she had written to him.

• 45:44Speaker 00

  One friend asked Billy if he was in love with Pamela. He replied that he wasn't sure. An adult acquaintance noticed Billy was in a particularly good mood one day and asked why. Billy replied that he was dating an older woman. When asked how old she was, he revealed that she was 22. “That's not old,” Billy, the man replied casually, to which Billy responded, “It's old when you're 15.”

• 46:17Speaker 00

  For Billy's 16th birthday, Pamela gifted him a subscription to a music magazine. She had intended to buy him a gold bracelet, but decided against it because she feared Gregory would question the $500 purchase. Despite Pamela's desire to keep her illicit relationship hidden, she brazenly had Billy visit her office at work almost every day and kept his letters professing his love for her in her desk. In addition to Pamela regularly driving Billy around, they went out for lunch together, she bought him alcohol, and occasionally hung out with him and his friends. Privately, they still questioned why she wanted to pursue a relationship with a teenager,

• 47:02Speaker 00

  especially the meek and ordinary Billy Flynn.

• 47:07Speaker 00

  Throughout this period, Pamela continued discussing Gregory's death and repeatedly raised the possibility of Billy killing him. She proposed making the crime appear to be a burglary gone wrong. Her plan called for Billy to wear dark clothing, park away from the condominium, and approach on foot. He would then enter through an unlocked rear door and wait inside for Gregory to return home before shooting him. She instructed Billy to wear gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and to ransack the apartment, saying he could keep any items of value. Pamela said she would establish an alibi by attending a school board meeting.

• 47:53Speaker 00

  Cecilia Pearce was also present for many of these discussions, although Pamela didn't assign her a direct role in the crime. Pamela would pull the two teens out of class just to plot the murder. She went into considerable detail about how the plan would be carried out, including locking her dog in the cellar to prevent it making noise.

• 48:17Speaker 00

  To Cecilia, it didn't seem likely that the murder would actually take place, largely because she knew Billy wasn't a violent person. She even told Pamela that she didn't think Billy would ever go through with it. Pamela nevertheless persisted and eventually began asking the teens if they knew anyone who owned a gun. Cecilia named an acquaintance who kept one in her car. Billy broke into the vehicle on two separate occasions, but didn't find the weapon.

• 48:50Speaker 00

  Toward the end of March 1990, Pamela surprised Billy by announcing that she wanted the murder to take place that very night. She said she felt ready, noting that she had a board meeting and that Gregory was expected home around 9:00 p.m. She would leave the rear door and cellar bulkhead unlocked, and once the act was completed, Billy was to call her at the media center.

• 49:18Speaker 00

  Billy agreed, but mentioned that he still didn't have a gun, a driver's license, or a car. Pamela urged him to obtain what was needed by that evening.

• 49:30Speaker 00

  Billy responded that he would try, but he didn't actually make any attempt to carry out any part of the plan. He was reluctant to proceed and believed Pamela wouldn't react all that strongly if he didn't.

• 49:45Speaker 00

  He called her after the agreed time, and she was disappointed to learn that he hadn't followed through. Billy apologized, explaining that he had been unable to obtain a gun or a car. Pamela's typically gentle, melancholic, and loving tone changed at this point. For the first time ever, she got angry at Billy. She accused him of not loving her while maintaining that killing Gregory was the only way they could be together. Before hanging up, she snapped at him: “It's over between us.”

• 50:23Speaker 00

  After the call, her heartbroken Billy avoided Pamela, fully believing their relationship was over. However, Pamela instructed Cecilia Pearce to bring Billy to her so she could speak with him. She apologised for her earlier reaction and told him not to worry, explaining that she had another board meeting scheduled for the following month, and that he could kill Gregory then.

• 50:50Speaker 00

  Recognising he was being given a second chance, and fearing Pamela would end their relationship for good if he failed her again, Billy resolved to take the plan more seriously. He approached two of his close friends, Patrick Randall and Vance Latimer Jr., and attempted to persuade them to take part in the murder. Billy told the pair that they could keep any items they took from the Smart unit, and that Pamela would also give them access to a new car she intended to purchase afterwards, as well as Gregory's pickup truck and four-wheeler. Both boys declined Billy's offer, saying they wanted no involvement.

• 51:33Speaker 00

  Billy then spoke to an older acquaintance from his neighbourhood. Eighteen-year-old Raymond Fowler was a high school dropout with a history of minor criminality related to motor vehicle offences. He had recently been released from county jail after a four-month stint for receiving stolen property and conspiracy to receive stolen property.

• 51:56Speaker 00

  Billy told him the murder would be straightforward because the victim's wife was in on it. He also offered him the opportunity to keep any items stolen from the unit, as well as a further $1,000 Pamela was willing to pay to ensure the murder went ahead.

• 52:14Speaker 00

  Raymond agreed to participate, but on one condition. He thought Billy would be easily linked to the crime due to his relationship with Pamela. He requested that Billy merely get him to the condo and act as a lookout. Raymond intended to carry out the murder by himself.

• 52:36Speaker 00

  Raymond's late father had owned a handgun, but the teens were unable to find it, unaware that it was stored at an uncle's home for safekeeping. They discussed the possibility of using a knife to slit Gregory's throat instead. But the lack of transportation remained an issue.

• 52:56Speaker 00

  Pamela ultimately agreed to provide the pair access to her car. She said she would leave it behind her office building with the keys in the ignition so it could be taken and later returned while she was at the meeting.

• 53:10Speaker 00

  That night, Pamela arrived at the school. As planned, she left her car parked behind her office building with the keys in the ignition. Billy and Raymond drove the car to Billy's house first to collect a duffel bag with the change of clothes, old shoes, and a knife.

• 53:30Speaker 00

  Then they stopped at a pharmacy to purchase some latex surgical gloves.

• 53:36Speaker 00

  As they continued on toward Misty Morning Drive, the realisation of what they were about to do dawned on Billy, and he began having second thoughts. Instead of directing Raymond to Pamela's condominium, Billy claimed that he was lost, hoping it would bring the plan to a swift end.

• 53:57Speaker 00

  Instead, Raymond stopped at a gas station and asked for directions, putting them back on course.

• 54:15Speaker 00

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• 55:30Speaker 00

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• 55:46Speaker 00

  It was nearing 10pm when the pair reached the condo. Gregory's pickup was parked out the front, and the upstairs bedroom light was on, confirming he was inside. This went against the plan, wherein Billy and Raymond would break into the house before Gregory arrived and lie in wait.

• 56:06Speaker 00

  Billy called Pamela from a payphone. By then, the school board meeting was over, and she was hiding in her office waiting to hear from them. Billy informed her that they couldn't carry out the murder because Gregory was already home.

• 56:22Speaker 00

  Pamela ordered the teens to hurry back to her office. When they got there, she wanted to know what went wrong. Billy remarked that they had gotten lost on the way, delaying their arrival long enough for Gregory to reach the condo before they did. Pamela was incredulous, as Billy had been to her unit before. She then asked to see the gun they were going to use in the crime.

• 56:50Speaker 00

  Billy admitted that they couldn't find one, and showed her the knife instead. She chastised them, saying a knife would have been far too messy. Raymond tried to placate her, saying it would have been less noisy, but Pamela remained unimpressed.

• 57:09Speaker 00

  She drove the boys home, dropping Raymond off first. Once he was out of the car, Pamela's angry side returned, and she snapped at Billy. "You knew the way. You got lost on purpose. If you loved me, you would do this because you would want to be with me."

• 57:29Speaker 00

  Upset that he had angered Pamela again, Billy assured her that he loved her. She questioned his commitment, saying she would end things then and there if he told her he didn't want to do the murder. Devastated, Billy replied, "No, I'll do it." Pamela told him of another school board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 1. "You have to do it then," she warned, adding that it was the last meeting of the year. "If you didn't do it that night, that's it," she said.

• 58:05Speaker 00

  It was around this time that Gregory Smart began to suspect there were serious problems in his marriage. He told friends that Pamela had become increasingly distant, often failing to return his messages, not being where she said she was going to be, and coming home late without explanation. One night, when Pamela said she would be working late, Gregory drove to her office with a friend and observed that her car wasn't in the parking lot. About 20 minutes later, Pamela arrived alone.

• 58:38Speaker 00

  When Gregory confronted her about where she had been, she was surprised to see him. Pamela became defensive, accusing Gregory of checking up on her, and asserting that he didn't need to know her movements, as she didn't know his.

• 58:54Speaker 00

  During a trip to Atlantic City in April with friends and family, Gregory appeared noticeably withdrawn. When asked what was wrong, he admitted things were screwed up between him and Pamela. He had confessed to Pamela that he had a one-night stand, that he suspected she had also been unfaithful, even though she wouldn't admit it. In another conversation around this time, Gregory said that he would likely be divorced by the summer. He began to feel uneasy in other ways. One night, he felt so unnerved when entering his dark, quiet unit that he chose to spend the night at his parents' instead.

• 59:39Speaker 00

  Meanwhile, Billy Flynn continued planning his second serious attempt on Gregory’s life. He eventually earned the support of his friends Patrick Randall and Vance Latimer Jr., despite their earlier refusals to be involved.

• 59:55Speaker 00

  Although Patrick and Vance had previously dismissed Billy’s plan, Raymond Fowler’s participation convinced them that it was real. Patrick later said he got involved out of concern that Billy might get caught if he didn’t have others helping him.

• 1:00:11Speaker 00

  He also wanted to make sure Gregory was killed the right way.

• 1:00:17Speaker 00

  Vance, too, was motivated by a sense of loyalty to Billy and desire to help him, but he later claimed that he was never fully convinced the plan would actually come to fruition.

• 1:00:28Speaker 00

  Still, he and Patrick demanded a payment, and Billy assured them that Pamela was willing to give them $1,000 each from Gregory’s life insurance payout.

• 1:00:39Speaker 00

  Billy, Raymond, Patrick and Vance met on at least twenty separate occasions to discuss the murder and several issues they faced. They still lacked both a car and a gun, and there was another problem: too many people knew something was going on. In addition to the four conspirators, Cecilia Pearce was aware of the plan, and several of the boys’ friends had also been told varying amounts about it. Separately, at least a dozen students also knew about Pamela’s illicit relationship with Billy.

• 1:01:15Speaker 00

  Despite this risk, the boys persevered.

• 1:01:20Speaker 00

  Eventually Vance, the only one with a driver’s licence, was able to secure access to his grandmother’s car. The murder weapon remained a hotly debated topic.

• 1:01:32Speaker 00

  Patrick had decided to stab Gregory, but Vance was able to obtain his father’s revolver as backup.

• 1:01:39Speaker 00

  As Pamela’s plan was coming closer to fruition, she made sure to keep the teens on side. While Gregory was away, she had Cecilia and Billy stay over, at one point taking them to the cinema. When they got back to her unit, she raped Billy again. She then took the pair on a drive, pointing out key areas Billy needed to be aware of when he killed Gregory, including the grassy hill that would lead him away from the crime scene without being sighted.

• 1:02:10Speaker 00

  During the day, on Tuesday, May 1, Pamela met with Billy Flynn, Patrick Randall and Vance Latimer Jr. She informed them that she had left her unit’s rear door and a bulkhead to the cellar unlocked, and told them where they could find jewellery they could keep as a reward. She also warned them not to turn on any lights before Gregory arrived home, describing him as a wimp who would become suspicious if anything seemed out of place.

• 1:02:40Speaker 00

  The teenagers showed Pamela the gun they had obtained, although Patrick wanted to know whether he could use a knife instead. Irritated, Pamela urged them to use the gun to avoid creating a mess. Billy assured her they would.

• 1:02:58Speaker 00

  Pamela also asked the group how she should react when she returned home and discovered Gregory’s body. She wondered whether she should scream. The boys advised her to just behave as naturally as possible.

• 1:03:14Speaker 00

  Later that day, Billy, Patrick and Vance picked up Raymond Fowler. It was still daylight when they arrived near Misty Morning Drive, so they spent time at a nearby shopping plaza waiting for darkness. Once the sun began to set, each of the boys changed into dark clothing and wrapped tape around their fingertips.

• 1:03:36Speaker 00

  Billy slipped the handgun in his jacket pocket. Raymond and Vance remained by the car as Billy and Patrick snuck to the condominium and entered through the cellar bulkhead. Gregory wasn’t home yet, so the pair began staging the burglary. They used pillowcases to carry the jewellery Pamela had told them to take.

• 1:03:59Speaker 00

  Despite her many objections, Patrick retrieved a knife from the kitchen, while Billy prepped the rear door to facilitate their escape. Concerned about leaving fingerprints, Patrick wrapped both his hands and the knife in paper towels.

• 1:04:16Speaker 00

  The pair then waited. Gregory’s pickup truck finally pulled up, and the boys listened as he approached the front door, unlocked it and entered. Unaware anyone else was inside, Gregory switched on the foyer light and called for his dog, who didn’t appear because she had already been locked in the cellar.

• 1:04:39Speaker 00

  Billy confronted Gregory first, punching him and forcing him against the wall as Patrick closed the front door and turned off the light. After taking a beating, Gregory was ordered onto his knees at knife point.

• 1:04:54Speaker 00

  He complied, pleading with the teens not to hurt him and asking what they wanted. Patrick told him to be quiet, but Gregory remained concerned about his dog. The boys assured him that the dog was unharmed.

• 1:05:10Speaker 00

  Maintaining the appearance of a burglary, they demanded that Gregory hand over his wedding ring.

• 1:05:17Speaker 00

  He refused, saying his wife would kill him if he did, but willingly surrendered his wallet. Billy removed the cash inside, which amounted to only a few dollars.

• 1:05:30Speaker 00

  By this point, the situation was unfolding differently than what either Billy or Patrick had anticipated. Gregory’s compliance, fear and the genuine concern he had over losing his wedding ring affected them. Patrick, who had previously talked about stabbing Gregory, found himself unable to act.

• 1:05:51Speaker 00

  He looked toward Billy and gestured to his jacket pocket.

• 1:05:56Speaker 00

  Billy drew the gun, but hesitated.

• 1:06:00Speaker 00

  For several moments, neither teenager moved.

• 1:06:04Speaker 00

  Finally, Billy pointed the weapon at Gregory’s head and said, “God forgive me,” before pulling the trigger.

• 1:06:17Speaker 00

  Billy and Patrick immediately fled through the rear door and ran up the grassy hill behind the condominium. In their haste, they dropped several items connected to the crime, including the kitchen knife, before reaching Raymond and Vance, who were waiting by the getaway car.

• 1:06:35Speaker 00

  Billy and Patrick told them that Gregory had been killed, and the four quickly drove away. As they left the area, Billy remarked that he couldn’t believe he had killed someone. The group discarded the clothing they had worn during the crime by throwing it from the moving car.

• 1:06:54Speaker 00

  The four teens reacted differently to what had happened. Billy appeared animated and spoke about the sense of power he felt. Patrick became quiet and irritable, while Vance was primarily concerned with successfully getting away. Raymond allowed the others to stay at his house.

• 1:07:15Speaker 00

  They cleaned the gun, and Vance later returned it to the place where he had originally found it. Upon examining the jewellery the teens had taken from the Smart’s unit, they were dismayed to realise it was all imitation gold with little monetary value. They threw it all into a river.

• 1:07:37Speaker 00

  The group decided to attend school the day after the murder, believing their absence would attract unwanted attention. But because Billy had spoken to so many peers about the plan beforehand, several students approached him to ask whether he had been involved in Gregory Smart’s death. He didn’t deny it.

• 1:07:57Speaker 00

  The teachers, unaware of the scheme, later informed Billy and Cecilia Pearce that the husband of their favourite teacher had been killed during the night. Both had to feign surprise.

• 1:08:11Speaker 00

  Pamela continued to meet with Billy after the murder. She didn’t want to know the details of the crime, but regularly updated him on what she was hearing about the police investigation. As far as she was concerned, they had successfully gotten away with it, as investigators were pursuing leads unrelated to them.

• 1:08:33Speaker 00

  Aware that this success depended on Billy and Cecilia remaining loyal to her, Pamela went to considerable lengths to keep them on her side. She continued to reassure Billy that they would eventually be together, and took Cecilia on a shopping spree, buying her anything she wanted.

• 1:08:52Speaker 00

  But tensions soon began to rise among the other teenagers involved when Pamela avoided paying them, despite having promised $1,000 for their participation in the murder.

• 1:09:04Speaker 00

  In their annoyance, they began disclosing what they had done to other friends and classmates.

• 1:09:11Speaker 00

  But with more and more people learning about the murder, the group came to realise that being caught was no longer a matter of if, but when.

• 1:09:21Speaker 00

  Pamela told Billy not to worry, insisting that because they were all juveniles, they wouldn’t face serious consequences. Despite her reassurances, the teenagers began making plans to run away together to avoid arrest.

• 1:09:39Speaker 00

  Meanwhile, Cecilia went to her job at a pizza shop, where she told a coworker named Cindy that her friend Pamela’s husband had been killed during a break-in. Cindy immediately recalled a conversation her and Cecilia had from about a month earlier. “Didn’t you tell me about a friend who wanted to have her husband killed?” she asked. “Oh shit,” Cecilia replied, realising that she had forgotten telling Cindy about it. Unsure what to do with the information, Cindy kept it to herself.

• 1:10:14Speaker 00

  Weeks later, while at a social gathering, she mentioned to friends that she knew of a woman from Derry whose husband had allegedly been killed for insurance money. One of the people who overheard the conversation was alarmed.

• 1:10:29Speaker 00

  After leaving the gathering, she went home and called the Derry Police Department anonymously to report what she had been told, leading investigators to begin looking into Cecilia Pearce.

• 1:10:43Speaker 00

  When questioned, Cecilia denied knowing anything about Gregory Smart’s murder. She also claimed to be unaware of any illicit relationship between Pamela Smart and Billy Flynn. Investigators noted that Cecilia appeared visibly stressed during the interview, but she refused to disclose what she knew. Privately, she struggled with the decision to cooperate with authorities, knowing that doing so would implicate her friend Billy and the other boys. She also feared being arrested herself and what punishments she might face for her involvement. After considerable deliberation, she ultimately decided to tell the police everything she knew.

• 1:11:30Speaker 00

  With Cecilia’s full cooperation, investigators attempted to elicit incriminating statements from Pamela Smart through covertly-recorded telephone and in-person conversations. During these exchanges with Cecilia, Pamela claimed that Billy Flynn was in love with her, but denied having an affair with him, despite Cecilia having witnessed their relationship firsthand, including one occasion when she inadvertently walked in on Pamela sexually assaulting Billy. Pamela expressed confidence that she would be implicated in Gregory’s murder because she was certain Billy wouldn’t testify against her and there was no evidence linking her to the crime.

• 1:12:13Speaker 00

  She insisted that she couldn’t be proven to have hired anyone to kill Gregory because she had never actually paid anyone to do so.

• 1:12:23Speaker 00

  When Cecilia claimed that police had obtained one of the love letters Pamela had written to Billy, she became noticeably quieter, before again denying any knowledge of the murder. She warned Cecilia that if she told police the truth, she could be charged as an accessory and end up in jail for the rest of her life. Pamela described herself as Cecilia’s “good friend” and insisted that sending her to jail would not solve Cecilia’s own problems. She maintained that Billy and the other boys were old enough to make their own decisions and that she hadn’t forced anyone to do anything. Pamela was confident that even if the boys confessed,

• 1:13:06Speaker 00

  that no one would take their word that her or Cecilia were involved.

• 1:13:13Speaker 00

  By now, Cecilia’s view of Pamela had changed dramatically. While Cecilia was facing serious consequences as a result of Pamela’s actions, Pamela was primarily concerned with protecting herself. She was willing to deny or distort the truth, even if it meant others would be punished in her place. It was clear she was no longer the kind and caring friend Cecilia had believed her to be.

• 1:13:42Speaker 00

  Cecilia ultimately reached the upsetting conclusion that if she were to die, Pamela would likely be relieved rather than devastated, as it would mean one fewer person who knew the truth.

• 1:13:55Speaker 00

  Pamela was similarly dismissive about the four boys involved in her scheme, telling Cecilia that because they were underage, they would likely serve no more than a year in youth detention before returning to their normal lives. In reality, all four boys were facing serious charges, including first-degree murder and life imprisonment without parole for Billy Flynn. In exchange for plea agreements that reduced their charges and potential sentences, Billy, Patrick Randall, Vance Latimer Jr. and Raymond Fowler all gave full admissions and agreed to testify for the prosecution in the case against Pamela Smart.

• 1:14:39Speaker 00

  Although Cecilia Pearce had prior knowledge of the murder plot, failed to report the conspiracy and initially lied to investigators, prosecutors ultimately decided not to pursue charges against her because of her full cooperation with the investigation, including her willingness to secretly record her conversations with Pamela Smart.

• 1:15:03Speaker 00

  Pamela Smart was charged with accomplice to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering after she was recorded attempting to persuade Cecilia Pearce to lie to police. Her trial commenced in March 1991, a little under a year after Gregory’s murder. The prosecution’s case relied heavily on the testimony of the teenagers Pamela had enlisted to carry out the killing.

• 1:15:31Speaker 00

  Prosecutors portrayed them as naïve youths manipulated by Pamela, who they described as an evil woman bent on murder. Billy Flynn was the prosecution’s most significant witness. Soft-spoken and sometimes sobbing, he described how Pamela had groomed him before initiating a romantic relationship that escalated into sexual abuse. His testimony showed that Pamela’s abuse wasn’t driven solely by a sexual interest in Billy, but was also a means of manipulating him into murdering her husband. Collectively, the testimony of Billy and his friends portrayed Pamela as more than someone who merely knew about the crime,

• 1:16:15Speaker 00

  but the mastermind who conceived and encouraged the murder.

• 1:16:21Speaker 00

  The defense dismissed the teenagers’ portrayal of themselves as “innocent little manipulated boys”, as cock and bull.

• 1:16:30Speaker 00

  Instead, they painted Billy Flynn as an infatuated and crazed teenager who had become the ringleader of a group of obsessed thrill killers.

• 1:16:40Speaker 00

  They argued that Billy, the other teenagers and Cecilia Pearce had all implicated Pamela simply to “save their hides”. In the defense’s view, Pamela didn’t make anyone kill her husband, even if she had discussed it. As for the covert recordings, the defense urged the jury to view Pamela’s statements in the context of a confused young widow who had been excluded from the police investigation into her husband’s death.

• 1:17:11Speaker 00

  Pamela testified in her own defense. Although she finally admitted on the stand to her illicit affair with Billy Flynn, she attempted to use it to distance herself from Gregory’s murder. She claimed that she had ended things with Billy shortly before Gregory’s death because she wanted to repair her marriage and argued that Billy had killed Gregory in response to that rejection. She denied any prior knowledge of or involvement in the murder plot. The prosecution countered this account with the covert recordings investigators had obtained through Cecilia Pearce, in which Pamela expressed that she had no genuine intention of reconciling with or divorcing Gregory.

• 1:17:57Speaker 00

  They also demonstrated her intensive knowledge of the murder plot.

• 1:18:03Speaker 00

  The jury ultimately found Pamela Smart guilty on all charges and she was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

• 1:18:17Speaker 00

  Billy Flynn pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after 40 years. 12 years of the minimum sentence could be deferred if he maintained good behaviour.

• 1:18:33Speaker 00

  Behind bars, he earned his high school diploma, learnt the electrical trade and took part in charity work. He vowed to spend at least 16 years behind bars, as many as he did free. After reaching this milestone in 2007, he sought a sentence reduction. An apology to Gregory Smart’s family didn’t move them, as they opposed Billy’s request. It was ultimately denied, but his parole eligibility date was reduced by three to 25 years.

• 1:19:09Speaker 00

  In 2015, on the 25th anniversary of Gregory Smart’s murder, Billy Flynn was granted parole and released from prison at age 41.

• 1:19:20Speaker 00

  Patrick Randall also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received essentially the same sentence as Billy, with 12 years deferred, later reduced by a further three years. He was also paroled in 2015.

• 1:19:36Speaker 00

  Vance Latimer Jr. pleaded guilty as an accomplice to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after 30 years. He also had 12 years suspended, making him eligible for parole after 18 years. He was released in 2005.

• 1:19:56Speaker 00

  Raymond Fowler pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and attempted burglary. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment with parole eligibility after 15 years. He was first paroled in 2003, returned to prison after violating parole, and was released again in 2005. The young men involved in the case have largely kept a low profile since their release, avoiding media attention and making few, if any, public statements. Cecilia Pearce broke her silence in a 2016 interview with the New Hampshire magazine, saying she wished she had never met Pamela Smart.

• 1:20:40Speaker 00

  Reflecting on their relationship, Cecilia recalled the many kind things Pamela did for her and Billy, such as cooking them dinner and taking them sledding, but now realized those gestures were part of the greater goal she had in mind. Cecilia believed that people continued to doubt or dismiss the experiences of her and the other teenagers because Pamela was perceived as physically attractive. With Billy's case in particular, she highlighted that many people struggle to comprehend that a teenage boy could be the victim of sexual abuse by an older woman whom they considered, in their words, "to be hot." Cecilia also remembered leaving the courthouse after Pamela's trial while reporters and

• 1:21:25Speaker 00

  photographers chased her across the lawn, an experience she found frightening. The intense media scrutiny ultimately caused her to abandon her dream of becoming a reporter. In prison, Pamela Smart maintained her innocence, asserting that Billy Flynn was the only person who could clear her name by telling the truth, adding, "But he's never going to do that." Multiple attempts to appeal her conviction were unsuccessful. In June 2024, after serving 33 years in prison, 56-year-old Pamela saw a reduction of her sentence. As part of that effort, she stated that she had engaged in significant self-reflection

• 1:22:10Speaker 00

  and, for the first time, accepted responsibility for Gregory's death. Quote, "I had to acknowledge for the first time in my own mind and my own heart how responsible I was because I had deflected blame all the time, I think, almost as if it was a coping mechanism, because the truth of being so responsible was very difficult for me." Pamela's request was rejected, and she remains incarcerated under her original sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The Pamela Smart case had a lasting impact on popular culture and the media, becoming

• 1:22:52Speaker 00

  one of the most widely adapted true crime cases of the 1990s. It inspired numerous books, documentaries, true crime programs, a 1991 television movie, and the acclaimed fictionalized 1995 film To Die For, starring Nicole Kidman. Its influence also extended into mainstream entertainment, with references and parodies appearing in series such as Law and Order and Family Guy. Pamela Smart continues to divide public opinion. To her critics, her repeated attempts to secure a release from prison is further evidence of her manipulative nature, described as "sociopathic."

• 1:23:37Speaker 00

  State officials contend that because she hasn't demonstrated genuine accountability or remorse, she should not be granted clemency or compassion. Some supporters maintain that she is completely innocent, while others who accept her influence in the crime argue that she was nevertheless unfairly convicted. Some prominent US feminists have highlighted the disparity in sentencing, noting that the young men who actually committed the murder have all been released from prison, while Pamela remains incarcerated. When Pamela first arrived at the maximum-security women's correctional facility where she continues to serve her life sentence, she was required to surrender her wedding ring because its

• 1:24:22Speaker 00

  diamond setting violated prison regulations. She entrusted the ring to her mother for safekeeping. In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post from prison, Pamela said the ring remained deeply meaningful to her and that she wished she could keep it. "Why wouldn't I?" she asked.

• 1:24:44Speaker 00

  "I mean, I'm still married."

• 1:25:46Speaker 01

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