John David Smith

Case record: John David Smith III

Background

Betty Fran Smith went by her middle name, Fran. Her last name prior to her 1990 marriage was Gladden. Betty had blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a scar on her left knee and a hysterectomy scar on her abdomen. Her upper front teeth had been replaced by temporary caps, which were slightly yellowed at the time of her 1991 disappearance. She had breast implants. Betty had broken her right hip in 1990, and a pin was implanted as a result. Betty did not have a bone in the right foot’s little toe. She had been recovering from the broken right hip at the time of her October 1991 disappearance.

John David Smith III was married to Betty Fran Smith at the time of her 1991 disappearance. The couple met in Betty’s native Niceville, Florida in 1990 and married that same year. John filed for divorce from Betty in January 1991. The couple reconciled in May and moved to New Jersey.

John had previously been married to Janice Hartman Smith from 1970 to 1974. John initially told Betty’s family that their marriage was his first, but family members later learned about his prior marriage. Janice vanished from Ohio in November 1974, just days after her divorce from John had been finalized. John reported Janice as a missing person two days later. Janice’s case remained unsolved until 2000. John moved to California after Betty vanished and married for a third time in 1998.

John’s third wife initially supported him, but filed for divorce and a restraining order shortly before his arrest. She learned about John’s abusive background and also cited the murder of his first wife and unsolved disappearance of his second spouse.

The offence

John was found guilty of Janice’s murder in 2001. The jury rejected the aggravated murder charge and convicted him of simple murder instead.

Foul play was suspected in Betty’s disappearance due to the circumstances involved. John was not charged in Betty’s case, but he was found liable for her wrongful death in a civil suit in 2002 and was ordered to pay $1 million to her family.

Investigation

Betty has never been seen or heard from again, and she has never been located.

John told Betty’s family that he believed she went on an impromptu trip, but Betty’s relatives did not believe this claim and began to investigate her disappearance themselves.

Betty’s family learned that John had previously been married to Janice Hartman Smith from 1970 to 1974, after John had initially told them their marriage was his first. In Janice’s case, her remains were located in an Indiana roadside ditch in 1980, six years after she was last seen. Her legs had been cut off below the knees. She was not identified until 2000.

The Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) attempted to identify two women pictured in photographs found in John’s collection at the time of his 2000 arrest. Investigators wanted to ascertain the women’s whereabouts, given John’s history.

Arrest

John was charged with aggravated murder in Janice’s case in the fall of 2000. He was arrested in 2000, and photographs found in his collection led investigators to attempt to identify two women pictured in those photographs.

Trial

In 2001, the jury found John guilty of Janice’s murder.

Sentencing

John was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in Ohio.

Appeals

No appeal information was stated.

Outcome

Betty:

• John was not charged in Betty’s case.
• Betty has never been located.

Janice:

• John was found guilty of Janice’s murder in 2001 after the jury rejected the aggravated murder charge and convicted him of simple murder instead.

Civil outcome (Betty’s wrongful death):

• In a civil suit in 2002, John was found liable for Betty’s wrongful death and was ordered to pay $1 million to her family.
• It was unlikely that Betty’s family would be able to collect on the civil action.

Aftermath

John moved to California after Betty vanished. He married for a third time in 1998.

Investigators continued efforts related to photographs found in John’s collection at the time of his 2000 arrest, attempting to identify two women pictured in those photographs and ascertain their whereabouts.

Other details

Betty’s daughter was called at approximately 8:30 a.m. on October 4, 1991 from the couple’s West Windsor Township, New Jersey residence. Betty gave no indication that anything was amiss and did not mention any travel plans. Betty was recovering from a broken hip at the time, which would have made traveling difficult.

John filed for divorce from Betty in January 1991, and the couple reconciled in May before moving to New Jersey.

Unidentified women were found in John’s photo collection. Janice Hartman Smith was depicted circa 1970’s. Betty Fran Smith was depicted circa 1991.