2008 Woodie Awards
Family of Greg Smart must deal with the weight of tragedy
Patrick Crowley
Issue date: 4/20/06 Section: Justice in New Hampshire
The one person who would know the true tragedy of the Pam Smart murder trial can't say anything.
He won't be able to tell us about his reaction the night he came home from work and was shot in the head. He can't talk about his innocence in relation to the severity of the crime committed on him, and never will we hear from Greg Smart that this whole thing started when a young marriage began to fall apart.
Pam Smart, found guilty of planning her husband's death in 1991, now serves her life sentence without the possibility of parole at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford, N.Y.
With her sentence comes her family's ongoing battle to get her out of prison through appeals and a recent petition for pardon, heard by Governor John Lynch and the Executive Council last summer.
The petition was denied.
"I do not understand how someone can be allowed to state their own plea for a pardon when, in fact, a life sentence for what they did was a justifiable punishment," wrote William Smart, the father of the victim, in a written statement to Governor Lynch on January 15, 2005.
The statement was a part of the investigation regarding the pardon petition received by the governor.
It is likely the buzz around the case will live on for a long time, as can be seen in books, television specials and movies. But it is easy to lose sight in all the details that a young man, 24 years old, was killed as he came home from work. No appeals, petitions or pardons can change that.
William Smart will have to live with that hard fact. While attempts made by the Equinox to reach him for comment failed, his step-daughter, Kelley Reardon did respond through email, saying "please consider his feeling, for this has been a battle for the last 15 years and there are very few days when he isn't asked about it."
William Smart's emotional letter to the Governor from January, 2005 showed his pain and view of a very confusing crime.
"They say the hardest thing for a parent to do is bury a child. I will vouch for that and especially caused by a murderous conspiracy as senseless as what happened," wrote William Smart.
He won't be able to tell us about his reaction the night he came home from work and was shot in the head. He can't talk about his innocence in relation to the severity of the crime committed on him, and never will we hear from Greg Smart that this whole thing started when a young marriage began to fall apart.
Pam Smart, found guilty of planning her husband's death in 1991, now serves her life sentence without the possibility of parole at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford, N.Y.
With her sentence comes her family's ongoing battle to get her out of prison through appeals and a recent petition for pardon, heard by Governor John Lynch and the Executive Council last summer.
The petition was denied.
"I do not understand how someone can be allowed to state their own plea for a pardon when, in fact, a life sentence for what they did was a justifiable punishment," wrote William Smart, the father of the victim, in a written statement to Governor Lynch on January 15, 2005.
The statement was a part of the investigation regarding the pardon petition received by the governor.
It is likely the buzz around the case will live on for a long time, as can be seen in books, television specials and movies. But it is easy to lose sight in all the details that a young man, 24 years old, was killed as he came home from work. No appeals, petitions or pardons can change that.
William Smart will have to live with that hard fact. While attempts made by the Equinox to reach him for comment failed, his step-daughter, Kelley Reardon did respond through email, saying "please consider his feeling, for this has been a battle for the last 15 years and there are very few days when he isn't asked about it."
William Smart's emotional letter to the Governor from January, 2005 showed his pain and view of a very confusing crime.
"They say the hardest thing for a parent to do is bury a child. I will vouch for that and especially caused by a murderous conspiracy as senseless as what happened," wrote William Smart.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 9
nibseysgirl
nibseysgirl
posted 6/08/06 @ 12:57 AM EST
God Bless Mr. William Smart and his family. I too have buried a child and it is something that no parent should ever have to go thru especially at the hands of another. (Continued…)
crazy4hockey
posted 3/20/07 @ 7:16 PM EST
i pry for you all the time, and this tragedy that you have to go through. i hope that the ones invoved with doing this awful thing to your child NEVER gets out of prison. (Continued…)
mimiwade
posted 3/29/07 @ 4:46 PM EST
Mr. Smart, I was watching A&E today about the case of your son's murder. That woman (Pamela) is guilty , guilty , guilty. I think that having to bury a child is something that a parent isn't suppose to do, we are to go before our children and then to have this monster have your son killed to keep from losing personal belongings. (Continued…)
Heidi
posted 8/21/07 @ 1:35 PM EST
I went to school with Greg, I graduated with him. He was the silliest! The sweetest! I remember when I saw him just a few years later, when he said he was going to be getting married, I was introduced to Pam, and I think almost instantly I hated her. (Continued…)
Dining Room Furniture
posted 10/17/07 @ 8:14 AM EST
I remember him clearly. Not bad at all. :)
katie thompson
posted 12/30/07 @ 2:53 AM EST
I feel so sad for Gregs family. I used to date Greg in High school. He was so happy all the time and full of life. I miss his smiling face. He and I used to go to his house after school and hang out. (Continued…)
mari
posted 1/01/08 @ 4:11 PM EST
i live in the uk,and i just watched the movie on this tragedy.it was a terrible thing to happen to greg,i never knew him,but really felt for him.it is so hard to understand how people can plan to do these terrible things,i feel so sad for his parents and now finding out his mom passed away. (Continued…)
georgette
Georgette Massey
posted 7/31/08 @ 3:14 AM EST
My brother was murdered in NH and the murderer was pardoned. There was an awful book written about him and Like Greg, my brother could not speak for himself, he is gone forever. (Continued…)
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