Army Chopper Crash . After a lengthy investigation, authorities said Pamela Smart, who worked at a high school, was having an affair with Billy Flynn, 16, and convinced him to kill her husband. She wasn't so 'smart': Pamela Smart seduced teen, convinced him to kill The prosecution portrayed Pamela Smart as the cold-blooded mastermind who controlled her underaged sex partner. ABC News interviewed Flynn in 1995 and asked him what he would ask Pamela Smart if he had the chance. Stay the trial while the publicity abates. Like any other wild animals, they'd chew off their own arm if they were caught in a trap, Sisti said during Smarts trial, referring to the four teens who cooperated with the prosecution. Prosecutors portrayed her as a seductress who coerced Mr. Flynn into killing Mr. Smart. Smart's story made national headlines in the 1990s when she went to trial on charges she coerced her teenaged lover Billy Flynn into a plot to kill her 24-year-old husband Gregg Smart. Pamela Ann Smart (ne Wojas) (born August 16, 1967) is an American woman who was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, witness tampering and accomplice to first degree murder. Whether or not she really ever loved me, Flynn said at the time. William "Billy" Flynn was just 16 years old when he killed Gregg Smart with the . Ms. Smart was a high school media coordinator when she began an affair with Billy Flynn, a 15-year-old student who later shot and killed her husband, Gregg Smart, in 1990. The Flynns married while Billy was in prison. The affair began with orange juice. Pamela Smart: Killer Teacher Sent Lesbian Lover After Mother-In-Law You can read the court decision in full here. Prosecutors said Pamela Smart convinced her teenage lover, Billy Flynn, to gun down her spouse. Smart, then aged 22, had conspired with her underaged boyfriend, then 15-year-old William "Billy" Flynn, and three of his friends to have Greggory (24 . In 2021, the case was featured on Dateline, Season 5, Episode 1, titled Deadly Secret. By every standard, these disparities cry out for fairness.". WARREN, MaineWilliam Flynn has a wife and teenage stepdaughter, is a member of the Jaycees and likes to play softball. Smart, now age 52, has spent the last 29 years incarcerated and is currently at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Westchester County, New York. As Smarts marriage began to founder, she repeatedly used overtures of love and threats of rejection to manipulate Flynn into killing her husband, a 24-year-old insurance agent whose newly adopted yuppie lifestyle she abhorred, according to testimony, the Boston Globe reported on May 23, 1991, following Smarts trial. It has become the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for correctional professionals nationwide. Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Moreover, his relationship with a 23-year-old, Pamela Smart, had even caused more controversy. The Sensational Smart Case - Medium In July 1990, Pierce wore a police-monitored body wire that recorded Pamela Smart's apparently telling Pierce to lie to investigators. While Randall with one hand held Gregorys head down and with the other hand held a knife in front of his face, Flynn shot him once in the head. After a 14-day trial that culminated on March 22, 1991, in the Rockingham County Superior Court, Smart was found guilty of being an accomplice to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and witness tampering. He told 20/20 in a new interview that most of it was over-the-top drama.. Dean Smart left Flynn with a final message. Prosecutors in the murder case painted Pamela Smart as a woman who valued her dog, house and furniture over the life of her husband. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). Pamela Smart was all the news in 1990. Smart was convicted in 1991 at age 22 of persuading her teenage lover, Billy Flynn, to kill her husband. "More: Portions of News 9's 2010 interview with Pamela SmartParole Board member Donna Sytek called Flynn's incarceration remarkable, noting that he has earned a college degree and has been a model inmate during his time in prison. William Flynn, 17, looks at state police photo of Gregory Smart, during his testimony in Exeter, N.H., March 12, 1991. And that's what I had to do to be with Pame, he said. 19. [15], Smart argued that the media had influenced her trial and conviction, as she explained in the 2014 HBO documentary Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart. On March 22, 1991, Pamela Smart was found guilty of accomplice to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and tampering with a witness and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Gregg was 24-year old insurance agent, and Pam was the director of media services at Winnacunnet High School in nearby Hampton. Corrections1 is revolutionizing the way in which the corrections community finds relevant news, By. Smart had high aspirations, according to a Boston Globe article from August 12, 1990. [21] While in prison, Smart has tutored other inmates and has completed two master's degrees with concentrations in literature and legal studies from Mercy College,[22][23] which were paid for with private funds from Mercy College. Smart was found guilty of the offence of conspiracy and murder of her husband Gregory Smart in May 1990. A former disc jockey who friends say dreamed of becoming the next Barbara Walters, Smart yesterday sat in a prison cell, her quest interrupted by charges that if she is convicted of them could keep her behind bars for life, the article said. William Billy Flynn testified at Pamela Smarts murder trial in the death of Gregg Smart, saying he did it so they could be together, according to a Boston Globe article published March 23, 1991 following the trial. Pamela Smart, 23, stands trial on charges of being an accomplice to first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder at the Rockingham Superior County Court in Exeter, N.H., March 11, 1991. [15] The conviction was largely the result of the testimony of her co-conspirators and secretly taped conversations in which Smart appeared to contradict her claims of having wanted to reconcile with her husband and of having no knowledge of the boys' plot. Chris Sununu's decision to deny her a commutation hearing. After school ended on May 1, 1990, the defendant drove Flynn, Randall and Lattime to pick up Lattimes grandmothers car in Massachusetts. The failure to recognize her own culpability was what convinced me to vote against the hearing. Smart was convicted in 1991 at age 22 of persuading her teenage lover, Billy Flynn, to kill her husband. Flynn, Randall and Lattime picked up Fowler and drove to the defendants residence. 2016 Billy Flynn/Spouse. Pamela Ann Smart is an American citizen presently serving a life sentence being convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, accomplice to first degree murder and witness tampering in the murder case of her husband, Greggory Smart. They set it up to make it look like a burglary. [1] She is currently serving a life sentence at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, a maximum security prison in Westchester County, New York. Smart recognized him, having spoken to him on at least six other occasions. Pamela Smart & Billy Flynn: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. READ NEXT: Gregg Smarts Murder: How Did Pamela Smarts Husband Die? Prosecutors said the crime was orchestrated by Gregg Smart's wife, Pamela Smart, who is serving a sentence of life in prison without parole for being an accomplice to first-degree murder. I was struck by the letters of support. Pamela Smart seeks 'mercy' in bid for clemency - Yahoo! Smart's trial was both sensational and historic, marking the first time a court case was . His parole plan is that he will live in Maine with his wife, Kelly, whom he married while serving his sentence.Pamela Smart continues to deny she had any role in planning the killing. He told them that the defendant had agreed to pay them five hundred dollars each for committing the murder. Pamela took a job as a media coordinator at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, New Hampshire,[6] where she met sophomore student William "Billy" Flynn at Project Self-Esteem, a school drug awareness program where both were volunteers. A teary Flynn testified that he shot Gregory Smart in the head as Randall held a knife to his throat. It wasn't, you know, gonna work like this forever. One of Van Halens most popular songs was Hot for Teacher, which includes a music video that appears to show a teacher seducing her student. [5] Seven months into their marriage, the couple began having difficulties in their relationship. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered - What happened to Greggory Smart? "He is one of the few people that could actually get me out of here, by coming forward and telling the truth, but he's never gonna do that," said Smart. [31], While serving her sentence, Smart took part in a writer's workshop, which was facilitated by playwright Eve Ensler. During the trial, Flynn took the stand and emotionally recounted how hed been convinced that he and Smart could only be together if we killed Gregg. You know, I wanted to be with Pame. The next day, Lattime replaced the gun among the rest of his fathers collection. Pamela Smart's teen lover William Flynn paroled after nearly 25 years William "Billy" Flynn, sits in Rockingham Superior Court in Brentwood, N.H. on January 25, 2008. With all her appeals exhausted, she said it's difficult to hope she'll ever leave prison alive. William Flynn, who was just 16 at the time of the murder, was the triggerman who shot Gregg Smart in the head, killing him. But I can't tell you that she didn't legitimately love him.. I loved him and I also had developed feelings for Bill, and I knew that I couldn't continue like this, Smart said. The workshop and Smart's writing were exhibited in the 2003 PBS documentary What I Want My Words to Do to You. Smart admitted to "20/20" that her relationship with Flynn was totally wrong., It was actually very difficult because I had feelings for my husband. [4], Pamela met Greggory Smart while she visited New Hampshire over Christmas break in 1986. Billy Flynn, who married while in prison, was paroled on his 41st birthday, March 12, 2015. . Because she cant divorce him.. She was 22 when her husband was killed.Watch more on the reaction to the decision.Eleanor Pam, a spokeswoman for Pamela Smart, released a statement saying the process has been unfair. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Based . "Most importantly, Gregg should have been holding his mother's hand as she took her last breath. Pamela Smart and William Billy Flynn met in school. Flynn, Randall, Lattime Jr. and Raymond Fowler eventually confessed to their roles in the murder and pleaded guilty to various charges. Pamela Smart Murder Case Update. In February 2018, Smarts legal team submitted a petition for her sentence to be commuted, including testimonials from people she knew in prison. Wojas also believes her daughter did not receive a fair trial. Flynn did so with the help of friends Patrick "Pete" Randall, Vance "J.R." Lattime, Jr., and Raymond Fowler. Video Teen who had sex with Pamela Smart testifies against - ABC News Pamela Ann Smart (ne Wojas; born August 16, 1967) is an American woman who was convicted of being an accomplice to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and witness tampering in the death of her husband, Greggory Smart, in 1990. Flynn, who is taller and appears physically stronger than in photos, was released on lifetime parole on June 4, 2015. [15], In March 2023, the New Hampshire Supreme Court dismissed Pamela Smart's chance of freedom. This happened in a small New England town and it seemed like the whole Salem witch trial thing all over again, Smart said. . There's only two people -- three -- that know the truth: me, him and God., I was a woman. Remember Pamela Smart? 'To Die For' Convict Now Seeks Mercy. Randall testified that he asked her to go over the plan ahead of Gregg Smarts murder. Hes avoided the limelight and kept a very private life, the outlet wrote. Billy Flynn's current whereabouts are still under review at the moment. Pamela Smart's former teenage lover was today released from prison after serving nearly 25 years behind bars for killing her husband. Subscribe to WMUR on YouTube now: bit.ly/1lOjX9C Get more Manchester news: wmur.com/ Like us: facebook.com/wmur9 Follow us: twitter.com/WMUR9 Google+: plus.google.com/+wmur, Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says. Investigators soon learned that Pamela had been having an affair with an underage student, William "Billy" Flynn. Eventually, in February or March of 1990, the defendant and Flynn became sexually involved, the court decision said. After his release, he moved to Maine in an upscale home on 3 acres with his wife Kelly, who he married while in prison, New Hampshire Magazine reported. (Cheryl Senter . William Flynn was 16 and known as "Billy" in 1990 when he and three friends participated in what prosecutors said was Smart's plot to kill her husband in Derry, New Hampshire. "Flynn has confessed to killing Gregg Smart in cold blood and with premeditation. The two inmates beat Smart after they accused her of snitching on them about their prison relationship. While she had accrued 22 disciplinary reports, all but two of them were for minor offenses. "I know that nothing I can say here today will be of comfort to the Smart family, but at the very least, I sincerely hope that this will be the last time they have to be publicly reminded of their grief, and I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused them," Flynn said.On May 1, 1990, Flynn forced Gregg Smart to kneel down in the hallway of his Derry apartment, put a gun to his head and shot him to death.Gregg Smart's cousin spoke about a life that was unfulfilled. Pamela Smart & Billy Flynn: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Sisti argued at Smarts trial that the prosecution made a deal with the devil.. The story of 22-year-old Pamela Smart and her seduction of 15-year-old William "Billy" Flynn is one of the most scandalous tales of a teacher having an affair with her student. Just months into her marriage, Pam Smart was bedeviled by a wandering eye. The friendship quickly turned to love, and love turned to murder. According to the plan devised by the defendant, she would leave open the bulkhead door to the basement of her home to provide entry for Flynn and the others before Gregory returned home. They became friends when Flynn was producing a commercial. How do I trust someone who hasn't even come to terms with her own responsibility for the death of her husband?. "I know that nothing I can say here today will be of comfort to the Smart family, but at the very least, I sincerely hope that this will be the last time they have to be publicly reminded of their grief, and I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused them," Flynn said. Bettmann/Getty Images Pamela Smart in court for the murder of her husband Gregory Smart in 1991. On his first attempt, on his 41st birthday in March, the board granted him parole, and he was released from . According to the prosecution, Smart, who was eager to get out of an unhappy marriage, lured Flynn with sex in return for the slaying and $140,000 in life insurance policies. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, Ill. CO charged in fatal nightclub shooting, Former S.C. CO's sworn statement leads to 16-year early release of convicted murderer, 4 Miss. [2], Pamela Smart was born Pamela Wojas in Coral Gables, Florida, on August 16, 1967, the daughter of John and Linda Wojas. [16] She could have been charged with capital murder, but the prosecution decided against it. On that day, Flynn and three of his friends planned and executed . I have been portrayed as [an] ice princess, a black widow, a killer, and none of those things could be further from the truth, Smart told 20/20 in a new interview. Pamela Smart and Billy Flynn met when Smart was a 22-year-old teacher and Flynn was her 15-year-old student at a New Hampshire high school. Smart says that her attorney had even warned her not to trust Pierce before this conversation took place. [12], Smart's trial was widely watched and garnered considerable media attention, partly because it was one of the first in the U.S. to allow TV cameras in the courtroom. All rights reserved. Shocked perhaps at the allegation that his wife decided to kill him because she had fallen in love with a 16-year-old student, the Globe went on to say. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? In her testimony, Smart acknowledged that she had what she termed an "affair" with the underaged boy, but claimed that the murder of her husband was solely the doing of Flynn and his friends as a reaction to her telling Flynn that she wished to end their "relationship" and repair her marriage. "I will try to do something with my life that matters and makes a difference.". Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Police officials said the crime scene looked like a disrupted burglary. Deputy Compact Administrator Denise Heath claimed that at the time, there were fears that the State Prison for Women was not suitable for a high-profile inmate like Smart, and that it would be too easy for someone to break her out. She met Flynn, then a student, through her work in a New Hampshire school district. Police were investigating the case for six weeks before they got their first break. You know, I wanted to be with Pame. Gregg and Pam Smart married in 1989 and lived in a condominium in Derry, NH. The perpetrators were to park their car in a shopping center behind the residence and change into dark clothes before approaching the apartment. It was at the high school that Pam met and seduced 15-year old student Billy Flynn. In 1996, she was beaten by two inmates who left her with injuries so severe that she needed a metal plate to be inserted into the side of her face. The jury was not sequestered and the venue was not changed. [38][39] Randall was granted parole by the New Hampshire Parole Board after a hearing on April 9, 2015. Menu. Pamela Smart/Age. They became friends when Flynn was producing a juice commercial for a contest. Eleanor Pam, a spokeswoman for Pamela Smart, released a statement saying the process has been unfair. [27], In 2003, photos of a scantily clad Smart were published in the National Enquirer. The prosecution's case relied heavily on testimony from Smart's teenaged co-conspirators, who had secured their own plea bargains before her trial began.[13]. Both Randall and Flynn were sentenced to 28 years to life inprison. Flynn pleaded guilty to second-degree . Pamela Smart remains in prison, however, with a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. "There are a lot of should-have-beens that Gregg was not here for," said his cousin, Val Fryatt. "No matter how hard we fight, no one can change what happened that night and no one can bring Gregg back, because you decided to take his life away," he said.Dean Smart left Flynn with a final message. He said hed want to know, Whether or not she really ever loved me. I keep thinking of how afraid he must have been and how senseless this whole tragedy was. C ecelia Pierce decided when she was 15 that she wanted to become a reporter, so she signed on as an intern with media coordinator Pamela Smart at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton.. Pierce, known now by her married name, Cecelia Blake, hasn't spoken publicly in two decades about the trial in which Smart was found guilty of orchestrating the murder of her husband, Gregg Smart, though she . Billy Flynn on the stand with the murder weapon. The Murder for Hire of Gregg Smart | by Lori Johnston | Medium After this unsuccessful attempt, Flynn recruited Randall and Lattime to help execute the plan. She said she also works as a liaison between inmates and the prison superintendent. This came after asking the Supreme Court to reverse Gov. William Flynn was 16-year-old "Billy" in 1990 when he and three . Instead of divorcing her husband of less than one year, she conspired with 16-year-old Billy Flynn to murder Gregg Smart because she did not want him to take her dog, townhouse and furniture through divorce proceedings, according to a Boston Globe article from August 12, 1990. In hindsight, that might not seem like a very big deal to most people, but knowing that she had me do this and that I did go through with it and that she never really loved me would probably kill me., In a separate interview with Sawyer in 1995, Smart told her, Yes I think I did really love him., I loved him, she told 20/20. I cared for him. The Executive Council Wednesday voted unanimously, 5-0, against reducing Smart's sentence. After nearly three decades behind bars for plotting to kill her husband, Pamela Smart is still proclaiming her innocence. Flynn was 15 when they met and 16 at the time of the murder. He comes home to his family in June," Pam said in the statement. Smart told the teens they could take whatever they wanted from the house as payment, and Flynn told his friends she would pay them each $500. I meet Pame Smart and she's beautiful, she's intelligent, you know, she's an adultand she likes me, Flynn told police. The Smart family opposed the request. "Well, Pam," Pelletier said in the recording, "I have some good news and I have some bad news. The trial inspired the Joyce Maynard novel "To Die For," which was made into the movie starring Kidman. ", Kelly Clarkson's Home Collection Is Up to 74% Off During Way Day Deals, The Best Wayfair Way Day Deals 2023 Starting at $30, Wayfair's Way Day Sale Includes Up to 60% Off Outdoor Furniture Here's What to Shop ASAP, Amazon Has So Many Good Mother's Day Gifts on Sale Right Now. Pamela Smart, who goes by Pame, worked at a local high school as a media and journalism coordinator while her husband went into the insurance business with his father. Thanks to . He said: I know that nothing I can say here today will be of comfort to the Smart family, but at the very least, I sincerely hope that this will be the last time they have to be publicly reminded of their grief, and I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused them. She met and befriended William Flynn and Cecelia Pierce, two fifteen-year-old high school students from Seabrook, and they and other students worked together after school hours to produce an orange juice commercial for a contest. Investigation Discovery Premieres Explosive Three-Part Special Event "(Pamela) Smart has consistently denied any role in the murder. Smart is telling her story to ABCs 20/20 on Friday, January 10, 2020. Pamela Smart: Woman who had teen lover kill husband refused - 9News [40] He was released on June 4, 2015, on lifetime parole, the same day as co-conspirator Flynn's release and a few days past the 25th anniversary of Gregg Smart's death. "Flynn has confessed to killing Gregg Smart in cold blood and with premeditation. The shocking claims from terrified Judith Smart showed that monstrous Pamela was determined to make life hell for her dead husband's family despite the high school teacher being put behind bars for life after convincing her teen . I was very much in love with my husband, Smart told 20/20. I thought that Gregg and I, that we would have a fulfilling future. Pamela Smart on Dateline NBC. Billy Flynn Pamela Smart Married Rumors: Murder Case Update Pamela Smart, a former US high school employee convicted of recruiting her teenage lover to kill her husband, was denied a sentence reduction hearing today, more than 30 . Lifetime looks at a Notorious B.I.G. I loved her, and she told me that was the only way we could be together.. [29][30] On November 5, 2009, a U.S. District Court Judge approved a $23,875 judgment to Smart from the State of New York. Pamela Smart continues to deny she had any role in planning the killing. [34] He also apologized to Gregg Smart's family for murdering him. Flynn said he knows what he did was wrong and realizes how many people he has affected. Instead, the teens ambushed Smart, and Flynn and Randall beat him and forced him to his knees. He said he heard the boys discuss how Lattime Jr., Randall, and two other boys, Raymond Fowler and Billy Flynn were there that night. She faced life in prison if convicted. Gregg Smarts Murder: How Did Pamela Smarts Husband Die. Flynn said he knows what he did was wrong and realizes how many people he has affected. People act like I just used him and went lurking through the school looking for somebody to manipulate. ET on ABC. She admitted to seducing Flynn but insisted she didn't plan her husband's murder. [43][44] He was paroled again in June 2005.[45]. "[11] Smart was then handcuffed and arraigned at the Derry District Court and jailed at the New Hampshire State Prison for Women, which was in Goffstown at the time. Self: Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart. A hundred years, it seemed, and I said God forgive me. [Then] I pulled the trigger, Flynn said. "There are a lot of should-have-beens that Gregg was not here for," said his cousin, Val Fryatt. 30 years after sentencing, Pamela Smart's team still hopes for - WMUR You can read more about the brutal murder of Gregg Smart here. Flynn, Lattime, Randall and another teen, Raymond Fowler, had plotted to kill Gregg Smart earlier, but when they saw Gregg Smarts truck in the driveway, indicating he was already home, they abandoned the plan. Watch more on the reaction to the decision. In an interview with ABC News, Smart indicated she is afraid of growing old and dying in prison and would rather have been given the death penalty.[33]. [41] In 2005, his minimum sentence was reduced by three years, and he was paroled that same year, 15 years after Gregg Smart's death. Pamela Smart was a teacher and media services director at Winnacunnet Regional High School in Hampton, New Hampshire, where William Billy Flynn was a student. On June 10, Ralph Welch, a friend of Lattime, told Lattimes parents that Randall and Lattime had admitted to him their participation in the murder. Meanwhile, Fowler and Lattime Jr., the latter of whom was driving the getaway car, were waiting in the car outside. Lattime Jr. served 15 years in prison and was paroled in August 2005. However, New Hampshire has never had a formal transfer agreement with New York; Heath believed the transfer was a "commissioner to commissioner" arrangement. And thats what I had to do to be with Pame. On May 1, 1990, Smart said she came home from work to find her husband dead from a gunshot wound to the head inside their condominium. Billy Flynn Today: Where Is Pamela Smarts Teen Lover Now? Till Death: Why Pamela Smart Is the Only One Still in Prison - Yahoo In March 1991, Pamela Smart was convicted of witness tampering, conspiracy to commit murder and being an accomplice to first-degree murder. Tom Landers/The Boston Globe via Getty Images, FILE. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "[18] Co-defendants William Flynn and Patrick Randall were also transferred out-of-state, in both cases to the Maine State Prison in Warren, Maine. Is there a chance Pamela Smart might be innocent? : r/newhampshire - Reddit