Originally posted May 12th, 2013.
On February 12th of this year, Bothell, Washington resident Susann Smith didn’t show up for work. She was found bludgeoned to death–and stabbed– in the bathtub of her home. This murder set the community on edge and to date a suspect has not been arrested.
Smith had primary custody of her three and six year-old children. Her estranged husband, Allan Smith, saw them on evenings and weekends. They were getting a divorce and Susann had allegedly threatened to take the children back to her native Germany.
Allan has been named as a person of interest and the media has reported that he’d done an online search about countries without extradition treaties. The police are also investigating purchases he made including a bicycle that might have been used in the murder. To put it bluntly, all signs are pointing to the estranged ex-husband, who lived just two miles away.
The ferocity of the attack that was clearly designed to make sure Susann Smith was dead reeks of domestic violence. I could imagine it being committed by someone who desperately wanted her to know that he had power over her life and was in control of her final moments. This is someone who could walk away from a brutal homicide and go back to work without batting an eyelash because he felt it was justifiable.
A couple of weeks ago the local media reported an intensely disturbing development in this case– Allan Smith was moving Susann’s belongings out of the house and doing some repairs so he could move in. He has since moved back into the house where she was killed and is going to pursue custody of their children, who are currently under the care of Child Protective Services.
The house was a crime scene and the police served a search warrant there at the end of February, so I’m assuming they felt confident enough in their evidence gathering for Allan to remove Susann’s vehicle, have her blood scrubbed up, and remove sheetrock, which is what the Bothell Reporter said they did. They also noted that a memorial to her had been pushed to one side of the driveway.
The Bothell Reporter also shared the following information. Please note that I’ve seen Smith’s name spelled both Allan and Alan:
A woman claiming to be Alan Smith’s ex-girlfriend advised police that they had dated for two to three months in fall of 2012. She knew at the time that he was going through a divorce and custody battle. She told police that Alan Smith asked her in October how “someone could could make somebody disappear without anyone knowing.” A few days later the woman received a call from him “ranting and ranting,” and said “I just want her to be done with,” she told detectives.
On another night the woman joked that “he could use potassium chloride into the rectum to kill someone and it would be difficult to detect.”
“She said that Alan stopped and looked at her for a really long time and she felt he was thinking about it,” the court documents continued.
Allan Smith has not been officially named as a suspect and the Bothell Police might be trying to create an airtight case before arresting him. But many people are concerned about his being allowed to continue on with his life as if nothing happened, including some neighbors.
When a suspect is still on the loose, it’s logical for community members to wonder if this is an isolated incident, if there is a serial killer on the loose, to wonder if themselves and their own families are in danger, and simply have a lot of questions in general. Sometimes the police could do a better job of rumor control and PR while a case is under investigation.
Initially the police asked for the public to share information and are still welcoming that, but inviting input without much output can make people reluctant to respond. I realize there may be excellent reasons for not sharing more about the case, but they have been fairly open about what evidence has been found so far, so I’m as curious about this as Smith’s neighbors are.
Hearing that the person of interest was moving back into a homicide victim’s house reminded me that some killers feel a great sense of power and satisfaction when they return to the scene of a crime. This is common in serial arsonists, who like to return to their crime scenes to feel the rush they get from viewing their own work.
This also reminds me that killers sometimes like to have trophies and mementos from their victims so that they can relive the crime and relish the sick satisfaction they got from taking a life. It’s like a man conquering a mountain and then standing there proudly next to the flag he just planted at the summit.
In a domestic violence case, it’s likely that a suspect moving back into a residence he used to share with the victim could be his way of gaining back something he thought was taken from him unfairly. It sounds like Allan Smith felt like he was having to work too hard to pay for too many of his estranged ex-wife’s bills and for child support.
Seattle-area news reporters have already asked the obvious question– will this be a repeat of the Powell case? Josh Powell was suspected of murdering his ex-wife but gained visitation with their two boys, who he tried to brutally murder (but failed) seconds before he burned the house down with them in it. See https://wildninja.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/3084/.
It has always boggled my mind that men suspected of murdering their children’s mothers are allowed to have visitation or even custody of those children while they’re being investigated. Seattle attorney Anne Bremner and others told the world that Josh Powell would murder his two sons before it happened, but those two innocent little boys were slaughtered anyway. Susan Powell is still missing and Josh Powell’s creep of a father, who’s currently in prison, won’t talk.
I don’t know the details of how or if Allan Smith could get custody of his and Susann’s children. I’d imagine that if an arrest is not made soon or if he’s not arrested at all it could happen. Even if he’s completely innocent, those children should not be living in the home were the traumatic event of their mother’s murder happened. They shouldn’t have to use the same bathroom or even bathe in the same bathtub she was hacked to death in. Update: please note the comment below that claims her body was moved to the bathtub.
That Allan Smith would even consider bringing the children back to that home shows a shocking lack of sensitivity for the children’s well-being. That is typical of many domestic violence cases– the perpetrator’s actions are not about what’s in the best interest of the children, but about power and control. Allan attended Susann’s memorial service, and while he’s innocent until proven guilty, that is another classic move of spouse killers. Also, what parent is going to let their own kids go over to that house to play with the Smith children?
At least one of Allan Smith’s family members has said that Susann was contentious and verbally abusive. If she was, does that justify any abuse or murder? Does her behavior– if that’s true– absolve her estranged ex-husband of any criminal actions? If she had any mental issues, were they a result of chronic stress and abuse? From personal experience I know that outsiders are so quick to judge when they lack empathy for what a victim might be going through. They attribute stress and emotion to the victim rather than what might be happening to the victim.
There are other questions. Could Susann have been threatening to go back to Germany to protect her children? Could Allan, who had accused Susann of sexually abusing their son, have killed her under the pretense that he was protecting their son? If arrested, how will the defense spin that? Is the defense going to claim that Allan Smith was already convicted in the public eye? It will be interesting to see how this plays out. This homicide was obviously premeditated and organized. It appears that the suspect was out for revenge and to regain a sense of control.
In conclusion, I’m very disappointed that this case has not gotten more news coverage. The Bothell Reporter has stayed on the case and reports updates as they get them, but where is the outcry and outrage over a local woman being murdered and the liberties the person of interest has taken? Are we so desensitized to murder because of video games and TV that we simply turn away and move on? Has Seattle-area society become the fabled priest and Levite in the tale of the Good Samaritan?
A woman is dead. Her possible killer might take legal action to force their children to live in the crime scene were she was murdered. Other people we know will be murdered in the same manner and by their partners and spouses because we turn a blind eye to domestic violence so often. This case should be a reminder that this can happen in every strata of society and it will only end when a majority decides not to tolerate the abuse and killings of their fellow human beings anymore.
See:
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/204131081.html
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/206347541.html
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/194405941.html
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Conviction is worthless until it converts itself into conduct. –Thomas Carlyle
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Truth, Justice, and All-American Allergen-Free Apple Pie 
From The Herald, Court upholds Bothell man’s conviction for murdering his wife, http://www.heraldnet.com/news/court-upholds-bothell-mans-conviction-for-murdering-his-wife/:
BOTHELL — A former Boeing engineer convicted of murdering his estranged wife wasn’t able to convince the state Court of Appeals that his confession to a former pastor should have been protected by the clergy-penitent privilege.
Alan Smith is serving a 28-year sentence for the 2013 beating and drowning death of his wife, Susann Smith. The 37-year-old mother of two was found face down in the bathtub in her Bothell home. She’d been repeatedly beaten and stabbed before she was dragged into the bathroom and drowned.
After a bench trial Smith was convicted of first-degree murder. The state Court of Appeals recently denied his bid for a new trial.
Prosecutors alleged that Smith was angry because his divorce wasn’t going the way he wanted. He had racked up a large debt and feared that his wife was going to take their children to her native Germany.
Evidence showed that the killer carefully tried to cover his tracks. Bothell detectives never found the murder weapon, believed to be a rubber mallet.
Smith was arrested four months after the killing. A man he met at church reported that Smith confessed to the murder. Smith had sought the man’s advice on how to handle his then-girlfriend, a mentally ill woman. She later committed suicide.
In his appeal, Smith argued that Snohomish County Superior Court Linda Krese shouldn’t have allowed the man’s testimony. Smith claimed that the man was acting as a member of the clergy, and therefore their conversation was privileged. The man reported Smith’s comments to police when he couldn’t convince him to surrender to police.
The man had been an associate pastor at a Tacoma church but left and joined another church, where he was part of the congregation, but not a member of the clergy.
The state Court of Appeals found that the situation didn’t meet the criteria to be privileged. The man wasn’t acting as a licensed minister. He had no authority to act on behalf of his former church without the pastor’s supervision. Additionally, the church he was attending didn’t have a confession practice and “its policies specified that any information revealed in counseling was not confidential,” the court wrote.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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Tomorrow the judge will issue a verdict, nearly two years from when Susann Smith was brutally murdered in a very personal and premeditated attack. Praying for clarity for the judge, for both families involved, and especially for the kind of justice that will hold great meaning to Susann’s family.
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http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2015/02/bothell-man-guilty-of-1st-degree-murder-in-wifes-2013-death/
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http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/290376451.html?mobile=true
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Thank you. I’ve also been posting links under the newer post, Justice for Susann Smith.
The verdict is next week. Praying for justice. This was such a vicious and cold-blooded premeditated murder.
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Just FYI. I’ve also started posting items of interest under my latest post, Justice for Susann Smith. You’re welcome to comment in either place.
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Sorry for the repost, didn’t see update when scrolling through on my phone.
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Update:
Judge to decide verdict in Bothell murder trial
SCOTT NORTH Bothell Reporter Herald writer
January 13, 2015 · 9:36 AM
A Bothell man accused of fatally beating, stabbing and drowning his estranged wife in 2013 has decided to let a judge decide his fate.
Jury selection for Alan Smith’s first-degree murder trial had been scheduled to begin this week. On Monday morning, his lawyer told Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Linda Krese that Smith instead wants a bench trial.
That means only the judge will weigh the evidence and reach a verdict in the case.Deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson said he still plans to present the same case, and he expects the trial will last roughly three weeks. Witnesses are scheduled to begin testifying Thursday.
Smith, 39, is accused of attacking his estranged wife, Susann Smith, 37, inside her Bothell house in February 2013.
Her body was found in the bathtub.Prosecutors allege a washcloth found under Susann Smith’s body contained the defendant’s DNA. Bloody footprints also reportedly were matched to his feet.The Smiths were getting divorced and battling for custody of their two young children.Although detectives found evidence they contend showed Smith carefully planned the killing, he reportedly buckled under the strain of the investigation. He was arrested after he allegedly told an acquaintance he’d met at church that he killed his wife.
At the time, Smith was the focus of intense scrutiny, much of it his own doing.About a month after the killing, the defendant and his then-girlfriend, Love Thai, moved into the house where his estranged wife died. Neighbors complained to police that Smith and Thai engaged in sex on the lawn.
The pair gave television interviews and Thai posted regular updates about the
case on Facebook. She also turned to social media to announce that she was pregnant with Alan Smith’s child.Thai later gave birth and put the child up for adoption. She hanged herself in April.
Krese has been ruling on pre-trial motions in the case for months and is aware of the unusual history. For example, in December, she agreed with Smith’s attorneys that jurors should not be told that some of Smith’s coworkers at Boeing considered him strange and had nicknamed him “Creepy Alan.”Smith’s lawyer, Caroline Mann, did not immediately respond to questions about Smith’s reasons for deciding to seek a bench trial instead of taking the case before a jury.
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/288423291.html?mobile=true
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I just reread this. Is that the first time we’ve heard about the washcloth having DNA on it? I don’t remember.
I also want to give a general reminder that this could be a very emotional time for the victim’s friends and family as well as the suspect’s. This is why I’ve frowned on people disparaging the other side of the children’s family. They did not do this. One person did this.
Praying for justice. Prayers open windows through which God can make a difference, and I want to see Him move mightily in this trial.
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First day of trial was today. Smith waved his right to a jury trial and will have a bench trial on Thursday the 15th starting at 9am. That is when the first witnesses will be heard.
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I didn’t know that. I didn’t think it was supposed to start yet and didn’t see anything in the court records… but the media will hopefully be on this and alert us to what happens next. Thanks for staying on top of it. I’m more commentary than up to the minute news here.
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Leann, here it is: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20150113/NEWS01/150119691. I hadn’t seen it in the media before you posted the heads up.
Also, I don’t know of the reason(s) Smith went this route, but it could work to his advantage. Here are some generic reasons he might have done this from http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/waiving-the-right-to-a-jury-trial.html. I’d note that Smith’s attorney did try for a change of venue. That was interesting to me because Alan Smith purposefully brought attention to himself. This case was barely noticed by the media except for the Bothell Reporter. It was mostly Alan’s attention-seeking behavior that kept this case on everyone’s radar screens. I still wonder how many people are aware that Love Thai is deceased as well.
Reason to Waive a Jury Trial
There may be some advantages in waiving a jury trial. Many times it depends on the type of crime the defendant is accused of committing. Some examples of when it might be best to waive a jury include:
Negative Pretrial Publicity
Particularly heinous crime
Long criminal record
Very complicated and technical legal issues
The defendant may want to waive the jury anytime he believes that the criminal issues of the trial are so terrible that they’ll influence the jurors into seeking punishment regardless of the evidence. Also, if there’s a chance that the defendant could be found not guilty because of a legal technicality, the judge may be able to understand the legal issues better than the jurors, who may get confused by the law.
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KIRO says William Rodgers, a former Stanwood teacher, was sentenced to 26 or so years for the 2012 murder of his wife. Evidently the defense tried to say it was PTSD-related. He strangled her to death and it takes a lot of force and longer to strangle someone than is generally portrayed on TV. He clearly had to push or throw her down the stairs as well.
It’s sad that a premeditated act so horrifying and brutal only nets a quarter century of incarceration if that. Hopefully the jury will see plainly the downright demonic elements of brutality in the Susann Smith case.
http://www.kirotv.com/ap/ap/washington/former-teacher-gets-more-than-26-years-in-wifes-mu/njgs3/
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http://m.heraldnet.com/heraldnet/db/285569/content/UkaENzI7
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Thank you! I didn’t catch that. Well, potential jurors might know about that nickname now.
With the holidays coming up I was thinking about the devastation in this case. One woman murdered, another used and gone in a sickening twist, children without parents, family members missing. I hope these families know people are still pulling for them and praying for them.
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Is there anything new about the trial? Susann’s children are now living in Germany with Susann’s sister and parents. That was a bunch of good news I heard in the summer.
Please keep me informed. Again, one of the candles I lit in church on Christmas Eve was for her. Miss her so much.
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Thank you for remembering her on Christmas Eve. I didn’t know her and yet think about how the holidays must feel for her family and friends. So it must be exponentially more powerful for you to think of her then. She was your friend.
I haven’t seen anything in the media, but according to the courts website, the defense has been trying to exclude certain evidence and as of 12/29/14 filed a motion to change the venue. On 12/31/14 the state filed a motion opposing that. This isn’t surprising. The defense seems to be trying to say that he’d get a fairer trial in another location.
Ultimately abusers are cowards and this guy’s running scared. He was overconfident in his ability to get away with it when he’s done so many stupid things to trip himself up. But that’s what narcissists tend to do, as I’m seeing in a situation in my own life. You give them enough rope, they hang themselves.
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Scott North at the Bothell Reporter has posted Bothell resident Alan Smith loses bid to block evidence in murder trial, http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/270409701.html. From what I can tell, Judge Linda Krese made the right call. What jumped out at me is the statement that, “investigators also were entitled to make inferences based on context.” Yep.
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There’s a great article in The Herald today that many of you will want to read if you haven’t already, http://heraldnet.com/article/20140523/NEWS01/140529636/Trial-delayed-for-Bothell-man-accused-of-killing-wife. The defense wants more time to prepare. Delays like this are predictable.
One section says, “Meanwhile, a judge earlier this month ruled that jurors can hear testimony from a man who reported to detectives that Smith confessed to killing his wife.” It explains why that testimony will be allowed.
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Did you hear about this today? Home burns down after man sets woman on fire, http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Home-burns-down-after-man-sets-woman-on-fire-inside-258110501.html.
God help that woman. She’s going through hell on earth right now and is in critical condition. Evidently her boyfriend doused her in a flammable liquid and set her and the house on fire.
I mention this because Susann’s killer seemed to be thinking of burning down the house with her in it too. This is why I repeatedly bring up the level of brutality in this case– she was viciously beaten and disfigured, possibly sexually assaulted, thrown in a bathtub alive and drowned. From what we know it doesn’t sound like any attempt was made to remove her body or conceal the crime. This was committed by someone so narcissistic that they believed they could walk away from this horror and not get caught.
We often hear of domestic violence cases that involve one of these components, but this crime involved an astounding range of hatred and evil. Her killer wanted her to be terrified, to suffer terribly before she died, and die in a humiliating way. The rage displayed in this crime deserves the death penalty and there’s no doubt that it was thought of far in advance and planned out.
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From the Bothell Reporter, by Sarah Kehoe. A brave friend of Susann’s has spoken up.
Friend of Bothell murder victim speaks out
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/256618491.html
Here’s an excerpt:
Scott thinks he did it.
“I definitely believe Susann’s husband did that to her,” she said. “When we met they were already having problems. But it was they way he was around her that frightened me; he was very arrogant and always put her down. Something was just off, I did not like him.”
Scott recalled Susann telling her that Alan would fight ugly.
“He would get in Susann’s face a lot; get close to her face and scream,” Scott said. “He had a very patronizing tone of voice when he talked to her.”
Scott said despite their disagreements, Susann fought to keep the family together.
***
Note what she said about something being off. That’s a comment I hear from many women when they look back on their own experiences or their friends’. In retrospect, a lot of us realize that people who turned out to be abusive or criminal, regardless of how charming or gracious they were in the beginning, had an unsettling vibe about them.
As Gavin de Becker said in his must-read book a cop friend told me about years ago, The Gift of Fear, you must trust your gut instinct. It doesn’t have to make sense. If you sense that something is wrong, you’re probably right.
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I wanted to add that this testimony from Susann’s friend confirms that Susann was a victim of domestic violence. Too many people think “it’s not domestic violence until he hits her.” Wrong. Getting in her face, screaming at her, being patronizing– this all fits neatly into the power and control wheel, http://www.theduluthmodel.org/pdf/PowerandControl.pdf. I like to refer to the non-physical acts as psychological terrorism.
The wheel was created about 30 years ago to highlight the most common tactics and behaviors of abusers. These behaviors usually escalate as the abuser tries to intimidate the victim into doing exactly what they want them to do (yet nothing will ever be good enough). If you or someone you know is experiencing anything you see listed here, please seek help. You don’t have to put up with it and if you’re afraid of what your abuser will think if you talk to someone about it, you know you’re in danger. Don’t wait for his belittling, sneering words about how stupid, boring, incompetent, or ugly you are to become vicious shoves or punches; don’t wait for those punches to become shooting, stabbing, or strangulation.
There are other versions of the wheel, including in Spanish, at http://www.theduluthmodel.org/training/wheels.html.
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Bettina’s words speak from my heart – I was very touch to read what she had to say about Susann. And I was glad this article was about Susann and the kind person she was. I have worked with Susann and she has been the kindest and warmest person – open, friendly, and very caring. I liked her from the moment I met her. She dearly loved her kids, she was always positive and tender around them. I had the notion that she was a bit afraid of her husband. I remember that she was nervous one day because she was running late and she mentioned that it is not good to make him wait as she was flying out the door. For once she was not smiling. Her death is something that is with me all the time – I cannot comprehend that this could happen to a person so open and positive as her. It saddens me and angers me and since she died her lonely death on my birthday, that day has an added meaning. My heart goes out to her kids and her family in Germany who must be in agony to get the little ones home.
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Thanks so much for giving us more insight into who Susann was. And I’m sorry that this has a birthday connection for you. I hope your birthday can become a time to remember what was so cool about her and how much you enjoyed being around her instead of her untimely death. It takes time.
You picked up on it too– “it’s not good to make him wait.” Too many of us women know what that’s like, running around in a panic trying to make sure we don’t upset the almighty overlord and his myriad tedious desires. This is different than wanting to please your spouse; this is having to kowtow to their control and anger to keep the peace and keep the family safe. It’s not how God intended relationships to be at all. Marriage is supposed to be where you’re safest, not the most likely to be hurt or killed.
Interestingly, it’s very common for dark souls to be attracted to happy, giving people. It’s like they gravitate towards what they are lacking so they can feed off of it. But nothing is ever enough for them, and they begin to accuse the happy, giving person of everything that’s wrong, including all of their own darkness. They project their faults and sins onto the other in a sick role reversal and then believe they have the right to “punish” them for it all.
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This was on todays’ news: http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/murder-suspects-alleged-confession-minister-could-/nfhDh/
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Thank you. So they’re going with clergy-penitent privilege (also called priest-penitent privilege). That will be an interesting question to answer because not allowing confidentiality can be an infringement upon religious freedom. But from the little I know about this principle, confidentiality is usually protected when the exchange was intended to be a confidential interaction with the clergy and both parties knew that.
We discussed whether the confession would be allowed when it first came to light. It’s sounding somewhat like the Martin case, in which the person who confessed was ultimately found to have a right to having what they told clergy kept in confidence (http://caselaw.findlaw.com/wa-supreme-court/1440916.html, etc.). The clergy member didn’t have to disclose it (in this case the man shook his infant son to death). This also has shades of the Peterson case (Stacy Peterson confided in her pastor, Neil Schori, although that issue had to do with hearsay and the Sixth Amendment).
RCW 5.60.060(3) says:
(3) A member of the clergy, a Christian Science practitioner listed in the Christian Science Journal, or a priest shall not, without the consent of a person making the confession or sacred confidence, be examined as to any confession or sacred confidence made to him or her in his or her professional character, in the course of discipline enjoined by the church to which he or she belongs.
Obviously case law can play a part in this too. So did Smith make his abrupt and guarded confession to the minister as a member of the clergy or as a friend? Did that man run into him at a time when his guilt was overpowering and he blurted it out to get it out of his system? If he was saying it to the clergy, why did he stop himself rather than continuing that thought?
It sounds like this was an unplanned chance meeting in a public place (Starbucks). Sometimes the presence of a third party can factor into whether information shared with the clergy was confidential.
And… a baptism is a public statement of repentance and faith. I still find it very odd that the first thing this friend did was baptize him rather than go to the authorities. Smith could have been a danger to himself and others. Theoretically, following up a confession with a baptism could be a convenient way to emphasize that this was an interaction with clergy, a way to cover for what was just said. It’s not up to me to say whether the baptism was insincere; it’s just interesting to note the order of events and that all of this happened in public places.
Even if this isn’t allowed, which has always been a possibility, the police have been well aware that Smith discussed murder with a former girlfriend, was doing online research, and clearly wanted to take his children out of the country. There are also receipts, crime scene evidence, etc., as well as his very public behavior after the murder. He’s totally incriminated himself.
I do hope the prosecutors bring in a top notch forensic psychologist to cut through the lies and evasive maneuvers. I also hope they allow victim impact statements so that people affected by this crime can speak.
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I’m curious as to how someone knows that Love Thai’s baby was placed for adoption. If Alan Smith was really the father, it would surprise me that he would sign away his rights, as he seems rather selfish in his actions. The GoFundMe site set up in her name says that all extra monies will go towards the college education of her son Nico.
Also, does anyone have information on the mysterious death of Alan Smith’s mother?
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I don’t know, but multiple people have mentioned that the child was given up for adoption, on this and another post. One of them is fairly close to this case if I remember correctly. Maybe they’ll speak up.
Alan’s mother’s death was discussed much earlier in this thread. Someone found information that her death was not mysterious and had been explained. Odd how that rumor keeps popping up.
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This is the only info we could find, not sure if you have it or not…
http://amarillo.com/stories/071800/new_wrecks.shtml
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Here’s yet another domestic violence-related murder, this time in Everett, http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Man-stabbed-to-death-after-intervening-in-domestic-dispute-256007101.html. It sounds like this young man gave his life in defense of the female victim. A K9 unit tracked down the suspect, who was taken into custody.
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Here is an excellent example of an abuser going all the way in an attempt to maintain control over the victim, http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Prosecutor-Man-killed-girlfriend-to-keep-her-5408433.php?cmpid=fromhomecp. The PI says that this “boyfriend” killed his girlfriend to keep her from going to college and leaving him. All along I’ve thought these same dynamics are at play in the Smith case– power and control. The suspect could not handle losing control, including over the kids.
This evil sociopath, in the Renton case, was so brazen that he texted her friends and family to tell tell him that he killed her and taunt them. He also played games with the dispatchers and police. Jay Inslee, an act this depraved, committed by an individual who knew exactly what he was doing, deserves the death penalty. Do not have mercy on his youth and free him to do this again in 10 or 20 years. This murderer looked into his victim’s eyes for long minutes while he strangled her to death and enjoyed it. Contrary to depictions in pop culture, manual strangulation takes a great deal of force and does not happen quickly. He wanted her to know that he was judge, jury, and executioner. May he face all three.
In the other case I mentioned earlier in the week, it’s come to light that the nephew used a hammer to smash in his aunt’s skull repeatedly, http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Prosecutor-Bellevue-man-beat-elderly-aunt-to-5408432.php. Judging from the evidence strewn around he was motivated at least in part by financial gain, probably to finance his addiction. Please remember that Susann Smith died in this manner as well, but so much more happened to her before she died. As in the first case, her killer wanted her to know that he was in control and would have, in his mind, the last laugh, when in reality the legal system will.
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As many suspected, the man arrested for the murder of a 72 year-old Bellevue woman this week is a family member. He’s her crack addict nephew. Sounds like they are going after him for Murder 1.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023382824_bellevuemurderxml.html
Each conviction can affect how other killers are sentenced. After Gary Ridgway escaped the death penalty in this county, others have argued that they shouldn’t face that fate either. The Smith case was particularly horrific and it will be interesting to see how its outcome compares to similar cases.
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Interesting. The Kirkland Reporter says a stalker was sentenced to just 41 MONTHS for murdering a local woman, http://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/254981161.html. What caught my attention is this:
“I was taken 500 miles away from everyone and everything I had known and loved,” he said. “I was so mad and humiliated that I was determined to fight this and prove my innocence. After going over the discovery at a rate at one to two hours a day a year, time has worn me down. My life has been threatened, I’ve been assaulted. I’ve been robbed three times in jail.”
and
“And to get to all of this, only one man has to be sacrificed,” he said. “That sounds like a pretty good deal but it’s a terrible thing to be that man sacrificed.”
This is Clifford Reed, the man convicted, talking. I don’t know a lot about this case but was hoping for a conviction based on the little I knew. It took 18 years to get one but they did it. Inevitably, guys like this will always launch into how they are the victim and have been wronged. Watch for this with Alan Smith. In all the murder cases I’ve studied, I’ve noted that even when convicted killers “apologize” or talk about the victims they often shift to a proclamation of how they’re the real victim. O.J., Drew Peterson, Kenneth Bianchi, Robert Yates… yep. It’s all about them.
(4/14/14: The BBC pointed out how the prosecutor in the Pistorius trial is questioning the suspect’s emotional outbursts and tears in court, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27018395. His emotions seem more designed to elicit sympathy for himself than anything. It is creepy that his fans stand there with little temporary shrines outside the courthouse, as if he couldn’t be guilty of killing a woman who was trying to leave because he’s a star athlete.)
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KING 5, http://www.king5.com/news/local/Prosecutor-learns-potential-witness-in-murder-trial-committed-suicide-254979071.html, says:
Thai used her Facebook page to post intimate photos and videos of her and Smith, detailing everything from his arrest to him voicing frustrations with divorcing his wife.
Prosecutors say these videos led them to consider calling Thai as a witness in Smith’s murder trial. But they questioned her mental and emotional stability, which she spoke about often.
Prosecutors say her testimony was not crucial to their case, and they are fairly confident they will be able to use the video from her Facebook page as evidence anyway.
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There’s also a link on the FB memorial page asking for donations, stating funds will go towards a foundation
“to help others understand the deadly disease that took her life”
http://www.gofundme.com/897tfc
He doesn’t state what disease, but if he’s referring to bipolar disorder, suicidal behavior is more likely with stressful events. And according to her ultrasound back in July, if she was indeed pregnant she should have delivered within the last couple of weeks. Postpartum psychosis can happen to women with a history of bipolar disorder and usually occurs within the first few weeks.
Although there’s no mention of a child on the memorial page, other than a nephew, but if so it may be for protection.
I do agree with your speculation on her being a witness and possible disclosure. I don’t know how much contact Alan Smith had with her, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he was manipulating her from jail.
If he perceived her or her family to be a threat, and knowing her fragility, I imagine he’d be quite successful at it.
The whole situation is tragic. I hope he gets all he deserves on this earth, and I hope the women, children and family members affected can have justice and peace.
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Excellent observations. Isn’t it horrible that prisoners can do that even from behind bars? I remember when hits were taken out on a couple of my coworkers at the PD by a violent felon they’d locked up. I wondered how he had the resources to do that, but the more I learn about our prison system, the less these things surprise me.
I can’t remember if it was on this thread or another that I found Byron Scherf’s profile on writeaprisoner.com, http://www.writeaprisoner.com/Template.aspx?i=z-287281, but that’s someone who should never, ever have contact with women again, yet he has the “right” to cruise for more victims on the web. I thought murderers were giving up their rights when they chose to kill someone.
Some prisoners can benefit from outside contact. Psychopaths like this should not have that option (rapists, murderers, and child molesters as well). Who knows how many lonely hearts will feel sorry for this guy and form some sort of frantic emotional bond with him thinking they’ll be the one to “rescue” him. I have wondered if Thai had a similar wave of compassion for Alan, who might have come across as the “poor guy who’s had his kids taken from him unfairly and is being wrongly portrayed by the authorities.” I think a lot of us women have fallen into the pity/rescue trap before and some likely will form some sort of trauma bond with Alan in the future regardless of his fate.
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Yes, it is just wrong.
The consequence should be that he is shut off from the outside world and all correspondence monitored but I’m not sure if that is the case before a conviction.
So many tragedies related to this case but one good thing is Thai did have her baby, he was placed for adoption. She must have realized she wasn’t able to care for him, so thankfully he will not have to live with the stigma of any of this.
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Thank you for this information. So there is a baby and he was placed for adoption. That is an act of courage. Imagine what having mental illness you did not choose, possibly being rejected by a psychopath when you’re carrying his child, giving your child up for adoption, and then dealing with any postpartum issues could have done. I still feel just as strongly about some choices made in this case, but acknowledge what hell Thai might have been dealing with too.
Some people have questioned whether this child can have a normal life and I believe he can if he has loving parents. Genetics are just one piece of the pie.
I do wonder if Alan Smith will fight it or try to be involved in the child’s life at all. He certainly seemed more interested in his own life and his public image after Susann’s murder rather than his children’s. If he wanted to seem normal and committed you’d think he would have made their well-being his absolute first priority. Narcissists show their true colors at such times though.
I’m sure a lot of us are wondering what angle the defense is going to take. Conspiracy theories and the blaming of strangers won’t fly. Maybe they’ll cite his mental health or stress level. Maybe they’ll try to make him into a sort of victim, but as I’ve said before, good luck with that when there was such a blatant show of attempted bravado last year. He wanted the world to take notice and we did. Maybe they’ll focus purely on the evidence and whether the prosecution can truly make it stick.
There’s a comment on Thai’s memorial page that basically says she was widely criticized for giving her unconditional love to a man who absolutely needed it. Ladies, make no mistake. Your love can not “fix” a pathological person. You are not God and your best efforts will only lead to pain, loss, and possibly even death. It can put you in the position of being an enabler and an accomplice. And love and sex often get confused in these situations.
I’m sure you noticed this; the fundraising page says, “Losing Thai was not something our family was prepared for.” Please, if you know someone swept up in a whirlwind romance with a questionable person, do some fact-checking and issue some reality checks. It can be sickening to hear all the “I told you so” and “yeah, we were really concerned about that” comments later, especially when it’s too late.
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I’m sitting here, shaking my head. I cannot understand the dimensions of this personality… What kind of person must Alan be to attract a woman who loves him, has two kids with him, cares for him and finally dies by his hands? And later on attract another woman who is mentally ill, becomes pregnant with a third child and kills herself? What kind of psychopath is that? I’m shocked about this really bizarre case…
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Well, it would take a qualified expert to properly diagnose him, but I suspect that he fits into those Sandra L. Brown books I was talking about, How To Spot a Dangerous Man and Women Who Love Psychopaths. These books don’t blame the victims; they educate us about how to avoid danger.
I think Alan Smith felt a severe loss of control as the divorce progressed and was willing to go as far as taking Susann’s life in an effort to retain it. You’ll get sick of hearing me say this– they might not want you, but they still want control over you. The irony is that in killing someone, they will ultimately lose just about all control as they answer for their actions, whether to a court or to God. I also think– assuming Alan’s guilty– that he thought of himself as smarter and more gifted than everyone else, therefore he’d get away with it.
Hey, have you noticed there’s been a few changes on his Facebook page? I can only see the front page,and maybe Facebook shuffles the little thumbnails around of things he likes. Don’t know. I hadn’t looked at it in a while and it looks like it might have been updated a bit.
As an aside, first thing I saw when I turned the TV on this morning was news of another DV homicide here in the Seattle area: http://q13fox.com/2014/04/12/police-woman-strangled-boyfriend-under-arrest/#axzz2ynSjH32I. A young woman is dead and it sounds like the suspect was initially leaning toward suicide by cop. Let’s see what cookie cutter excuse this one has. And here’s a murder-suicide, http://www.king5.com/home/Shoreline-man-woman-dead-in-apparent-murder-suicide-255032841.html.
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This morning I’m thinking about what Thai, who was a witness, knew, and what she would have been willing to disclose on the stand. I also wonder if she was threatened or some recent communication or action provoked her. That’s pure conjecture, but if so, it wouldn’t be the first time a witness in a murder case hasn’t gotten as far as the witness stand.
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The part of the story that worries me is that they deemed it a suicide because there is marks on her neck. Really? That’s all you need to call it suicide? I am hoping they have more evidence than that to turn of any kind of homicide investigation.
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I completely understand why people would consider that something other than suicide would be involved. The King County Medical Examiner’s office would have had pretty solid evidence to call it a suicide. They would know if it was manual strangulation, and if someone was going to silence a witness, they’d probably choose a more efficient way of killing. Plus KCME employs some very talented people.
Hanging– if that’s what it was– is a common way for both men and women to commit suicide. Statistically men use firearms more than women, and women use poison more than men, but both use hanging often. Gruesome, I know.
A lot of people seem to be wondering how much Alan Smith factored into this. Judging from his comments made around last June that he was tired of her alleged mental issues, the honeymoon period and thrill came and went very quickly for him. We don’t know what happened between last summer and now, and that was a lot of time for the reality of her situation to set in. Perhaps, like someone else suggested, the stress of the upcoming trial overwhelmed her. She might have felt conflicted too. Mental illness can be hell, though, and she probably felt this was her only out.
Her memorial page says she was a very friendly and loving person, and that might have made her very attractive to a sociopath or psychopath. They tend to gravitate towards what they lack inside, and if she was bubbly and exciting and risk-taking, it could have been like a drug to him. When he found out the “drug” involved work, and ups and downs, as relationships do, it looks like he burnt out.
I wish Thai’s family would make that Facebook page private. You never know what sickos it might attract given the disgusting comments that were made about her on public forums last year, many of a sexual nature. I have no idea what the status of her relationship with Alan was but it’s probably not healthy for him to be looking at it either. I could offer several reasons for that.
I hope this tragedy helps secure a conviction instead of hurting it by shifting people’s focus. Last night I was thinking that there are two, maybe three victims who’ve lost their lives now in this case. But we shouldn’t let Susann’s murder be shifted to the back burner because of this. All along her brutal, agonizing homicide has been overshadowed by others’ actions. The prosecutor did say that he doesn’t think Thai’s suicide will have much of an impact on the case. Point taken, but– ugh. A woman just lost her life and it causes a mere ripple? He would know best though. I have steadfast confidence in their ability to try this case.
Again, I understand why these questions come up. I had the same thought. Sometimes deaths are not what they seem, and I’m very likely to question initial findings due to my personal experiences and studies. The Ronda Reynolds case is one such case I’ve written about (Ann Rule’s book is phenomenal). I was up against a supervisor in law enforcement who I suspected of abusing a family member and then, a year after I left, I spent a day in dry heaving shock after learning that person died, at an odd time, exactly as I’d been telling others they would for years (“it was an accident, it can’t be proven, she’s making crap up because she falsely accused her ex too”– I got nowhere.) Maybe it was an accident– that’s something investigators would have to decide, not me. Perhaps it’s not at all what it sounds like, but this pushed me even more to get a degree in forensic psychology.
I have no doubt that department would protect the supervisor with all their might, again, if authorities renewed interest. They already committed perjury in an unemployment appeal which resulted in a denial of benefits during a long period of unemployment, claiming that nothing I said was true, and in spite of a concurrent disability issue lit up by the stress at work. They’d also shut me down in my exit interview and the HR director told me, “we hope you never work in law enforcement again.”
For those who don’t know, I stood up to repeated death threats from a Bellevue cop and became the “crazy vindictive mentally unstable bitch” for doing so and then becoming an advocate for others. My professional credibility for standing up to both of these people took a hard hit, so my advocacy efforts aren’t my day job… yet. And in a twist of irony that HR supervisor now works for… Bellevue. Thankfully, there are a lot of objective and principled people in law enforcement too, and they continue to serve as references.
So I get it. It’s prudent to always ask for an investigation and proof. In this case I have faith that KCME knows what they’re doing. And I want to add the caveat that I’ve shared this information publicly before and it’s in court records. None of it is a secret. The more sordid details are thoroughly documented and stored in safe places. Legal counsel knows who in the government, media, and elsewhere those details are released to if I am missing, incapacitated, or deceased. All DV victims should have their affairs arranged so that their aggressors can never, ever get away with any crimes or claim the person committed suicide. Victims should be sure that anyone who has aided and abetted abuse, stalking, harassment, or any other part of it will face legal consequences as well. See http://www.documenttheabuse.com/.
I never share parts of my journey for sympathy– I have no use for that. I share it so that people understand how serious domestic violence is, and what terrible costs it carries. I made police officer-involved domestic violence the focus of my M.A. because it’s clear that law enforcement agencies need to improve their response to situations like mine. For that matter, societal and legal responses to DV need to improve in general. And for the record, God blessed me with a police department that handled the case professionally as they should have and saw the case through even at great expense to themselves– they were unsuccessfully sued, some personally, for wrongful arrest.
Too often the blame for such situations falls on the victim, who is then treated like a pariah and disparaged, slandered, labeled as a vindictive psycho and attention whore, discredited, stalked, harassed, attacked, threatened, even physically assaulted, and so on, especially if they become an advocate. Suspects and their associates just want victims to do what they’ve always tried to get them to do– take it and stay quiet. Or die. People who understand the sacrifices victims make to stay safe don’t think this way, but people who want to protect the wrongdoer, especially when a job and an organization’s credibility and finances could be at stake, sometimes do.
Can’t we take appropriate steps to deal with the circumstances without portraying victims as villains? Don’t concerted efforts to do that just wind up making the accusers look bad? It’s in their own best interest to work towards the same goal of stopping domestic violence instead of continuing to harass and terrorize the victims. In the case of law enforcement agencies, that’s what they’re supposed to do.
Okay, there I go on my soapbox again, and to practice what I preach I want to bring this back around to Susann Smith. I keep watching the number of likes and comments on Thai’s page grow. Her death affected a lot of people who clearly love her. They’ve started a memorial fund as well. What can we, as a community, do to keep Susann in the public’s consciousness as the trial rolls around? I’ve thought about window decals, t-shirts, and those sorts of things. A lot of you are friends and neighbors– what would be meaningful? Could we all post the graphic at the top of this page on Facebook? I’m open to ideas.
Thanks for your time. It’s so awesome that so many people care and won’t ever forget her. And now you understand more about why abuse, harassment, stalking, and other acts of relationship terrorists light my fire. I don’t know why God allows some to be taken and preserves others. I do know that the more I’m challenged, the more I’m pushed, the more I see sickness, perversity, and injustice in this world, the hotter that fire burns. I might never get legal or financial justice for what has happened to me, but by the grace of God I will spend the rest of my life fighting for the lives of and justice for others.
Right now I might just be a righteously angry woman in sweats with a computer, but when we say, “okay God, what’s happened is so messed up but please use it to help others,” who knows what magnificent things He will accomplish through His power. There is always a purpose. There is always a plan. And He can even take the broken pieces of everyone involved and make them all, aggressors and survivors alike, into a force for good that can change the world. I have an unlimited God. I choose to believe in what our finite minds deem impossible.
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Bothell Reporter just posted this about 30 minutes ago :
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/254823461.html?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialmedia
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Thank you. The short version, from their story:
The girlfriend of Alan Justin Smith, the Bothell man accused of killing his estranged wife early last year, died April 8 in Seattle.
According to the King County Medial Examiner’s Office, Love Thai committed suicide. Marks around her neck indicate she died from a rope or something around her neck.
Thai lived at Pacific Court in Tukwilla. The apartment manager could not confirm if Thai had died in her home.
Thai told the Reporter in July 2013 she was pregnant with Smith’s child and there was an ultrasound photo posted to her personal Facebook account around the same time. The medical examiner’s office could not confirm if Thai was still pregnant at the time of her death.
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The people called to testify received their subponea at the beginning of the month and she had to have gotten one, maybe it was too much for her..
So sad, I really hope she made up her pregnancy.
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Interesting. Since you brought that up, I was thinking about that too. If she were pregnant when she said she was, wouldn’t she have had the baby already, assuming she carried him or her to term? I suppose there are all sorts of possibilities and maybe a tragedy was involved in that too. Postpartum depression can be hell for some women. A friend of a friend wrote a great book about her own experiences with that, https://wildninjablog.com/2011/08/24/belly-baby-mother-blues/.
I admit to being cynical when the pregnancy was announced. I just hope, that if the child exists, their life wasn’t ended two days ago as well. Someone on the memorial Facebook page mentioned the loss of her unborn child. If that’s true, it’s very disturbing, and two lives were taken by this one action.
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Thank you for all the news here. I’m not really shocked about that because I had the impression that Love Thai had some (mental?) issues and that she was too extroverted and narcissistic about all this murder case and trial. However, it makes me sad to see that Alan Smith, although the suicide might not have anything to do with Alan at all, seems to ruin women’s lives just by his psychopath attitude.
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Their relationship did develop in classic psychopathic form– a whirlwind of sex and “ideal” love as if two soulmates had connected after centuries of unjust separation (red flag! red flag!).
This is a great time to remind people about how there are plenty of men and women out there who will attach to you quickly and feed off of your body, soul, and finances like the vile vampires they are. At some point they will dump you as if you’re a piece of trash and move on. They have no regard for how much pain they’ve caused or how much the relationship has cost you.
Sandra L. Brown’s website is a great place to learn about how to avoid these predators, http://saferelationshipsmagazine.com/. Sign up for the weekly newsletter to gain insight into what makes these people tick and how to avoid and detach from them. As a Christian I’m not a big fan of hypnotherapy, which is promoted on her site, but she knows her stuff.
Brown wrote two books that should be must-reads for the human race: How to Spot a Dangerous Man and Women Who Love Psychopaths. Both men and women need to read these and understand how to avoid these human sharks.
I have noted that no one on Thai’s memorial page is gushing about her and Alan together…
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Just came across this page on FB that was created by her brother:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/In-loving-memory-of-Thai-Nguyen/734293259967597
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Thanks. According to what -a- said, she committed suicide. Can that be confirmed? That is sickening. If she had a child with Alan Smith– I’ve never known for sure– another of Smith’s children will grow up without their parents.
My gut reaction is “another woman used and abused by Alan Smith.” I’ve said before that she may have been vulnerable and that Smith was taking advantage of her for his own purposes. If her family and friends feel that way, I hope they say that publicly. Maybe her death has more to do with other issues but I can’t help but think how she must have felt after the initial thrill of being with Alan and public attention wore off. If there was a point at which she realized she was a pawn, I’ve been there, and it’s a horrible and dangerous place to be.
While it’s shocking to hear of another death in this case, I don’t want people to forget the gruesome murder at the center of it all. I noticed that Thai’s memorial page has about 300 likes so far and it would have been great if 300 people had made their feelings on Susann’s murder public in the beginning as well. While it’s not a competition, it’s a reminder that sometimes people who quietly go about their business and are everyday heroes, including to their children, can be forgotten quickly as time marches on.
Looks like the Facebook memorial page was created less than 24 hours ago. If her brother really is who created it, then it would seem that her family is okay with the public knowing about her death. I’m sure the MSM will be writing about this in more detail, but haven’t seen anything anywhere in the news about this yet.
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love / thai has reportedly passed away, unfortunately taking her own life…
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I’m very hesitant to post this because it’s unsubstantiated and the first I’ve heard of it. What is your source? I definitely do not want to start any rumors or increase anyone’s stress level by posting this. This also isn’t an anti-Love Thai site or a place to disparage mental illness. If there’s any truth to this, I’m extremely concerned about her child. Does anyone know? If she’s alive and this is unfounded, the comment will be removed immediately and I’ll be pretty upset.
Readers, please do not treat this information as fact. I can’t publicly reply to the original comment without approving it for display also, so in an effort to obtain more information, I’m going ahead with it. I know the news media sometimes feels animosity towards bloggers because we don’t have the time or resources to fact check like they do. This post is not intended to represent the gospel truth about this case, but a forum to express my views and invite others into the conversation. I’d also remind people that most media outlets are for-profit businesses and I don’t make a dime off of blogging, so sensationalizing something doesn’t benefit me or anyone else.
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Thanks for the tip. Given the inappropriate and racist comments I’ve seen on the web about this woman, I was concerned that someone might have been trying to start a rumor. Integrity is important to me and I had to be skeptical without proof. “Unfortunately” gave me a hint that you’re for real; I just wanted something more concrete. I appreciate you taking the time to speak up.
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This email was sent to me this morning. Friends and supporters of Susann are encouraged to attend.
There is a hearing tomorrow, Wednesday, March 26th at 8:30 a.m. at the Denney Juvenile Justice Center (Court Room #2) in Everett regarding the placement of (the children). The address is:
Denny Juvenile Justice Center (Court Room #2)
2801 10th Street Everett, WA 98201
425-388-7800
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Thank you! I removed the names of the children as I’ve tried not to name them here.
Anyone commenting on this blog knows this– it’s important to be respectful at such hearings, including to the suspect’s family and friends. It sounds like they want the best for the children too. Tt doesn’t help Susann’s cause if people get confrontational. I doubt that will happen, but emotions can become intense once you’re in that courtroom, especially if the suspect is there.
At a recent Kirkland City Council meeting, people all wore yellow scarves to signify their solidarity on an issue. I don’t know if this can be done on short notice, but purple is the color used to raise awareness of domestic violence. Another color could be chosen to show support for Susann’s family and children too. Wearing a single color can make a strong statement without verbally saying anything.
Some believe the children should be raised in Germany by their mother’s family. It will be interesting to see how this turns out. Pray for the best.
This is during the workday for a lot of us, but I’m glad to hear that a group is planning on going.
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The trial is scheduled to begin June 16.
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Thank you. I sure hope it has a better outcome than the Scarlett Paxton case. While Dakota Wolf, who stabbed her to death in 2011, pled guilty to second degree murder, he could only get 20 years in prison and then be free to terrorize and kill others. We’ll see when his sentencing date rolls around later this month. And 20 years doesn’t mean 20 years; many get out early.
http://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/253471761.html
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I received an email today regarding the custody hearing for Susann’s children.
There is a hearing tomorrow, Wednesday, March 26th at 8:30 a.m. at the Denney Juvenile Justice Center (Court Room #2) in Everett regarding the placement of (the children). The address is:
Denny Juvenile Justice Center (Court Room #2)
2801 10th Street Everett, WA 98201
The author goes on to say “I am in close contact with the Guardian ad litem, and she said something like “the more people there are, i.e. the more “public” a hearing is because many are watching, the more likely it is that justice will be done.”
Hopefully, some of the neighbors and friends can attend this important meeting that will be decide the future of the children. Unfortunately, Alan Smith will probably attend
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Thank you! I just posted a thought in reply to Leann’s comment– it would make a strong statement if everyone wore a single color to the hearing. Purple is the color for domestic violence awareness, but another color could be used as well.
I removed the names of the children as I’ve tried not to name them here.
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Does anyone who attended what to report what went on? Thank you!
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The hearing ended up starting only at 10:30 so we waited quite a while.
It wasn’t about the permanent placement of the children. That should happen later on after they are done with the home studies and probably after the trial no matter what. It was about allowing or not the kids to visit with their maternal family in the summer. It was granted by the judge despite Alan being against it. We were about 10 people there to show our support for Susann’s family.
They said that the trial is scheduled to start on May 2nd.
We all love to see how much people care about this and seeing how many people showed up to this hearing in such a short notice was wonderful.
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Thank you for attending. Wow, Alan continues to incriminate himself. What possible good reason could he have for being against the visitation?
It makes me sick when murderers (in this case, alleged) continue to control their children after the other parent’s death. Continued and more control is what they hope to achieve by killing the other parent and sometimes our system rewards that.
A glaring example of this is in the Drew Peterson case. His oldest son is raising all four of the children whose two mothers were murdered by Peterson. The son is suspected of helping him carry out the second murder, yet he has all the children under his wing rather than with their mothers’ families.
Do you know if the Smith children are in state custody? Thanks.
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Thank you for the information! I was a bit busy and therefore couldn’t reply to the date you set here. I’m glad this seems to have turned out well for the children. I hope and pray they’ll be in good custody soon.
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Wednesday, February 12th, marks the one year anniversary of Susann’s murder. How can this online community best show respect for her on that day? Typically gatherings like vigils are held, but with people on two or more continents involved in this case, that won’t work for everyone.
One of her friends lights a candle to remember her. Some might say to write to an agency or official involved in the case reminding them how important she was. Others might use this as an opportunity to spread awareness of domestic violence issues. What would be most meaningful to her?
There is still a guest book online: http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Susann-Smith&lc=7552&pid=163218682&mid=5433184. I don’t know if the family reads it but it might be one way of letting them know she’s not forgotten. And that justice will prevail.
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Thank you for remembering this sad anniversary! As I work at a religious school (the one, Susann, me and many friends went to together), yesterday I asked the nuns to include her in their morning prayers today. Today, one of my colleagues, a biology and chemistry teacher who is a nun, told me that they had prayed for Susann this morning. It’s important for me to know that many people think of her.
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How very sweet of you to remember Susann like this. Her last note to me is still on my desk. I miss her lovely smile, hope she is in a better place. It’s been a year and I still don’t have the words to express my sadness and anger. Let’s not forget her ever.
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This week I was sickened to learn that the death of a mother of four in Kirkland, Washington was likely domestic violence homicide, http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/police-say-mother-four-was-murdered/ncg4L/. KIRO says Amy Gang was just 28 and had moved back in with her mother for safety reasons– she’d left an abusive ex-boyfriend. She had a restraining order against him and it sounds like she was strangled.
The police have not named a suspect or arrested anyone and need time to do their jobs. I’m confident they’ll see this through. If I learn of a way to help the family I will post it. In the meantime, I hope that any witnesses come forward and that people will realize how serious leaving an abuser is (if that was the case here). I always hear people ask– and I’ve been asked many times– “why didn’t you just leave?”
The risk of homicide goes up 75 percent when you leave an abusive relationship. Some abusers simply can’t stand losing control over their victims– abuse/domestic violence is about power and control. They can go to extremes to maintain power over their victims, including taking their lives. This is why it’s so important to document what’s being done to you. One way of doing this is an Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit (EAA). If you are being abused or know of someone who is, please check out http://www.documenttheabuse.com/.
Even though we don’t know details, and might not for a while, it’s clear this woman stood up to somebody who was mistreating her whether that’s related to her death or not. I applaud her bravery and pray that her children and family will be comforted and provided for. What a terrible loss.
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I just found an online memorial page for Susann, http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Susann-Smith&lc=7552&pid=163218682&mid=5433184. Mariana, it looks like you posted a tribute there. That’s a great picture of her.
I was looking for a photo to put with this article that’s not something used frequently in the media. It seems that there are far more pictures of her alleged killer and his fling online than there are of her. I also don’t want to post any of the crime scene– she needs to be remembered for who she was.
I feel that it’s important to keep the focus in such a case on the victim and finding justice versus parading the murderer’s image in front of the public so often that people become obsessed with his fate or well-being. Thanks to the media we can easily forget the names of victims yet can recite the names of many murderers by heart– and even where they are now.
Someone has posted a video on YouTube that says it’s a tribute to her. It’s mostly video of him driving to the house.Seems like it’s his way of paying his respects.
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Good morning! Yes, it’s me who posted some sentences on how I remember Susann. I wasn’t able to say anything at the funeral service, as many of my friends from school days. During Christmas vacation I found some photos from 1991 to 1995. Susann was on many of them. So I’ll finally try to have them scanned (I don’t have a scanner myself) and post them here to remember her the way she was like.
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I really admire your loyalty to Susann and how you’ve stayed on this. I should probably have her family’s permission to post multiple photos and I definitely would not post pictures of them without permission. Her family seems to have chosen to stay out of the public eye and that is their choice. It is wise that the children have been kept out of it.
I was just thinking that a new photo of her might help visitors to this thread understand who she was and what a cool person she was. If necessary we can put a copyright on the photo on behalf of its owner. It will likely still be copied to other sites, but at least the owner will be acknowledged. Just an idea and I’m open to feedback. Sometimes a good photo can speak volumes about a person, and throughout this case we’ve been treated to far too many photos of others who’ve capitalized on this murder to get attention.
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Thanks for your suggestions! The photos are mainly from our theatre rehearsals, school trips etc. and one can usually see her in groups of students. I think it’s just important to remember her, not the murderer, not the strange people who appeared in nearly every news programme shown during the last few months.
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We’re thinking alike. The media has a strong tendency to focus on the suspects to the point that, as I said earlier, we become far more concerned about what happens to them versus what happened to the victim or is still happening to the victim’s family– or the suspect’s family, for that matter. It’s like you kill someone and then you get celebrity status, with pictures of you and any accomplices all over the web. But the survivors just have to deal with it.
If we surveyed the general population, how many people are going to know Susann as Susann and not “the lady in Bothell?” Yet they’d probably know the suspect’s name still.
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From the Reporter, http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/236612151.html, credit to reporter Sarah Kehoe: The Bothell man who is accused of killing his estranged wife early last year will answer to a jury during a trial scheduled May 2, 2014.
Again, don’t be surprised if the date changes. But it can be comforting to have something concrete like a date set this far into the case.
I’ve been thinking about the kids as I’m sure a lot of us have… it will be their first Christmas without their mom. From the little I know about her I’ll bet she was fun to be around at the holidays.
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http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/235319811.html
From the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter: Bothell murder suspect’s hearing moved. No surprise. Things will get postponed and rescheduled as this case moves along.
Knowing there are people checking in here who might appreciate this– versus creating widespread fear– you might check out the VINE system if you want to be notified if Smith is released from jail: http://www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Human_Services/Divisions/Admin/DV/VINEService.htm.
I also want to give a belated congratulations to Matt Phelps, who’s been a bulldog on this case, for becoming the editor of the Bothell/Kenmore and Kirkland Reporters: http://www.mi-reporter.com/news/233368021.html. If Matt hadn’t followed this, most of us might be in the dark about what actually happened. It might have become just another homicide case that quickly faded from the community’s consciousness.
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Watched part of a special on the Nicole Pietz case on 48 Hours this weekend, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18559_162-57610441/nicole-pietz-murder-a-mothers-relentless-search-for-justice/. It’s yet another Seattle-area domestic violence homicide, and in this case the killer continued to live in the condo he murdered the victim in, which reminded me of the Smith case.
David Pietz had numerous lovers and thought he was all that, emotionally abusing Nicole and making her feel unworthy. He was just convicted of her 2006 murder a couple of weeks ago and I think sentencing is this next week. Unfortunately, this creep won’t get more than 18 years in prison as prosecutors couldn’t prove it was premeditated and the conviction is for second degree murder.
This case bothered me because Nicole supposedly went missing and her death seemed to be a big mystery, according to the media, after her body was found. It was considered a cold case for a while even though her husband was the likely suspect. Her family knew what happened to her, though, and thanks to a mother who would stop at nothing to get an arrest and conviction, she worked with some dedicated King County detectives to see the case through.
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Ninja, I saw that case about the girl murdered and had her retainer in her mouth…her mom is a BULL DOG and I am glad that the family got some closure even if it didn’t bring the girl back. He is a scum bag. Wish he had gotten life without parole.
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Wasn’t that something? You’re not kidding about her mother. She was going to do whatever it took to bring that killer to justice even if it meant getting herself thrown in jail. That woman has guts! Thanks for mentioning it.
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It’s 10/10/13. I thought I should mention that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. See http://www.ncadv.org/ for more information and resources. Purple is the official color for DV awareness.
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It looks like ReMax has the Smith house listed as a Pending Sale now…
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Thanks. Maybe you’ll get some nice neighbors. Whatever happens, I hope that it will finally bring some closure to your neighborhood.
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This is also posted below, but it’s unlikely the trial will go forward until at least next year. While that can be difficult for victims and others wanting justice and closure, it’s normal for things like this to be postponed again and again.
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/223642701.html
The above article also makes it sound like the property will be sold soon. Hopefully those of you in Bothell will get another great neighbor like you’ve said Susann was.
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Sitting here and waiting for something to happen… I heard last week that Susann’s sister was going to visit her niece and nephew, so I hope that it’ll be possible for her to get the kids and bring them to Germany.
I’m not sure about what I should think of Love Thai’s behavior. She hasn’t posted anything for a long time, although she displayed a narcissistic and exhibitionistic attitude before, by posting whatever came to her mind for anybody who would visit her page. Is it that lawyers have advised her not to show too much of her life and her ideas concerning Alan Smith or is it that she has finally realized that he might be dangerous for her and the child? We’ll see.
Finally a last thought about Susann and a little prayer that I placed next to a candle (I’ve been lighting candles on every twelfth of the month since Susann was murdered):
Dear Lord,
Again, one month has passed since Susann left us in a horrible way.
Please give her the peace and love that she deserves so much and give her family and friends the strength they need. Think of her children, she was a good mother, give them the love they miss so much.
Please let repentance come, so that the murderer will finally confess.
Amen
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Amen. Thank you. I love how you’re remembering her every month by lighting candles and praying. I’m also thrilled to hear that her sister gets to see them!
In regard to Thai, I’m betting that lawyers have advised her to be quiet. But she needs to talk, so I doubt that will prevent possibly incriminating information from leaking out altogether.
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http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/223642701.html?mobile=true
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Thanks. And thank you again, Matt Phelps, for staying on top of this. When you’re ready for interviews you know there are interested parties.
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Great article from the Bothell Reporter today: http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/222261221.html. I really like the new design of their website.
It says they have DNA evidence (contrary to CSI-type shows, it can take a while to get results back), there’s no equity in the home, there’s been some remodeling, and the state crime lab might have even more evidence. Our state crime lab just plain rocks– I hope citizens realize just what an asset they are to Washington.
The article mentions someone who looks like Alan Smith being seen. I wasn’t going to mention it, but now that I read that, I will. Weeks ago saw a comment on another website that he’d bailed out. HOWEVER…
I see him on the jail register for Bothell PD, http://www.snoco.org/app/corrections/JailRegister/agencyJailRegisterSearch.aspx (see pasted info. at bottom). That should mean he’s still there. I just called to verify that and confirmed that he is indeed still in jail. I really thought he’d find a way to make bail. I’m still surprised that bail was set given the fact that he’s considered an extreme flight risk and people on this thread have testified to that.
Did you know that you can get a call from the jail if he is released? All they need is your phone number and a four-digit PIN number that you make up. I just confirmed that this service isn’t for crime victims only– neighbors, witnesses, etc. can use it too. Call 425/388-3395; it’s option 1.
SMITH, ALAN JUSTIN
View Daily Register Entry for this person
Book Number CIN Book Date Race Sex
2013013640 775606 6/27/2013 20:03:00 W M
Charge Description Dispo Cause Number
MURDER 1 (0011200) BAIL 131015468
Charge Date Court Bail Amount Type Arrest Type
6/27/2013 20:03:00 SPV $1000000.00 PC
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Really????
That guy is weird looking in the crazy-eyes department and not easy to mistake with someone else.
Very interesting.
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CB a “short sale” means the house will be sold for LESS THAN is owed on it, so there will be NO equity to go to Alan or his kids.
I was wondering, are there no relatives of their mother, or even Alan to take the children in instead of them being in foster care “in the system”? My heart bleeds for those two little children in the worst way.
Oh, Ninja I read the affidavit from the DA and you are right it is well written and to me makes a GREAT CASE for Alan being guilty as charged. While it is “circumstantial” when you put the pieces together like a jig saw puzzle the picture is VERY CLEAR…and very typical psychopath.
The comment below about the “weird” way he would react to a simple “how’s it going?” I think is because psychopaths don’t “get it” about a lot of social cues, or people who have Asperger’s have problems with social cues, but in any case, the DA’s affidavit shows me that he is so ARROGANT that he thought he had it all figured out…well, except for the Home Depot records, the Wal Mart purchase records and his car’s GPS…and the bike purchase etc. just a few details he didn’t think about.
Anytime a victim tries to get away from her abuser, the victim is in danger, and this case is just another “poster child” for that truth. Good job Ninja on presenting this case.
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Thanks. You hit on something that has intrigued me about this case. The murder seemed to be planned and I wouldn’t doubt if a suspect in such circumstances had been thinking about murder for a while, even years. As soon as they feel they’re losing control they might start plotting revenge on that person who dared take control from them. This is why the risk of homicide goes up 75 percent when you leave an abusive relationship– they don’t want you, but they feel entitled to control over you and might do anything to keep it.
That said, why leave a trail at all? That’s what intrigues me. Was it deliberate or just careless? Is there an option three or four to my last question? It sounds like the suspect took the time to try not to leave physical evidence, but there’s been financial (receipts), surveillance, and electronic (computer) evidence found. Some of that stuff might have been fairly easy to track down (except, maybe, for getting the warrants to do it). Was there a subconscious drive to get caught? Was he in a hurry?
So I wonder if there was a long period of planning followed by a rather sudden decision to finally commit the crime. My point is– if you consider yourself intelligent enough to cover up a murder, wouldn’t you try to cover all your bases and not just one? In this case it’s like eating a bunch of potato chips and throwing away the bag but leaving a trail of salty chip crumbs behind you with some greasy fingerprints smudged here and there.
What you said about social cues is interesting. Psychopaths, due to their inner emptiness, are often said to mimic others’ emotions to appear normal. From personal experience I can say that they are chameleons; they read you and learn what’s important and interesting to you and then play to that. You can meet one and half an hour later feel like you’ve met your soul mate. But they’re just mirroring what they’re getting from you to get what they want.
This is extremely common in pathological “love” relationships, and yeah, I’ve had it happen. I remember telling a close friend that “either he’s the one or he’s the smoothest talker I’ve ever met.” He was the latter. I also noticed that despite what he was saying, his light-colored eyes could at times look vacant and dark like a shark’s, as if there was no soul behind the words. It creeped me out to consider how many of his emotions were genuine and how many were manipulative.
More good stuff at http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/law-enforcement-bulletin/july-2012/psychopathy-an-important-forensic-concept-for-the-21st-century.
Lastly, I have wondered if the kids are already with Susann’s family and the state (wisely) won’t go public with that. The Reporter said the state won’t comment. Ultimately it’s just good to know the kids are in a safe place.
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The planning and the mistakes, reminds me of the Jodi Arias case. She was smart enough to plan it out and take the murder weapons away yet dumb enough to leave a bloody handprint on a wall and a camera with deleted images at the scene.
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Which is why neither of us believe she’s a criminal mastermind.
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Ha ha! Exactly. More of a dingbat.
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When Alan Smith first moved back into Susanns house I also saw someone there with him that looked like it could be his twin. Not sure if he has a brother or not…I think I’ve only seen the mention of a sister(s).
Glad to hear they have some solid DNA evidence.
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Last night I was thinking about his sister since she has power of attorney. I really feel for her. Some of us might someday wind up in the position of handling a relative’s affairs while they are imprisoned. That has to bring significant stress– you’re already managing your own life and family and have to juggle someone else’s affairs on top of it. She probably really loves her niece and nephew and now has to deal with separation from them. It just reminds me of the ripple effects that extreme acts of selfishness and evil have. It hurts everyone around the person doing them, even people they might not have intended to hurt.
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Is his Trial still set to begin September 13? I saw on the Sno Cty superior website that the Omnibus hearing was September 12, but I see no update to trial date beyond the 9/13 date…..
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No. As some people here predicted, it’ll be put off until next year, http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/223642701.html. This is normal. It’s very frustrating for victims and others wanting justice and closure, but things like this get postponed repeatedly within the court system.
The Reporter article also said that there are multiple bids on the house for sale. That’s not surprising either. Like one of the commenters here said, it’s a great area and judging from the input in this conversation, there are some fantastic neighbors.
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I just drove by the house, the Remax sign is no longer up but it is now listed for “short sale” through Redfin:
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Bothell/216-240th-St-SW-98021/home/2639290
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Here is another Affidavit of Probable cause for Alan Smith…
Click to access E9C0A4E55118B6B510BE3ECB0FAB0A8C.pdf
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Thanks. And– interesting. Now there’s names and more details. Whoever wrote this up did a great job. I do hope that people have the decency to leave the witnesses alone, like the ex-girlfriend and church friend. They did both come forward with evidence and that takes guts.
I see that he’s considered an extreme flight risk and noticed a couple more details about the crime scene. I also noticed a classic move by low to no conscience types– shifting the blame. The suspect called the victim a psychopath and other choice names, angry that he wasn’t getting his way in court. This document says he was on his third attorney, having hired and fired the other two. That is so typical. What happens is everyone else’s fault but their own and they project what THEY are doing onto the victim.
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That’s another way of saying foreclosure. Interesting. Alan was still getting paid all up until his arrest. What the heck did they spend it all on?
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I just still hope that somehow this can directly benefit the children. I wonder if the state plans to keep them in custody until the trial is concluded. As someone else pointed out, that could be a while.
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Just noticed that my blog’s gotten a handful of hits today from people searching for the murder that happened at the address of this house. I really hope that the sale of the home will bring attention to Susann’s case and result in a louder call for justice.
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If there is any money gain from the house sale, it will go to the kids so the sale is a good thing. I don’t know who can buy a house with such a history but some people are not as sensitive and they can do something good with it. It’s a very good house and neighborhood and Susann loved it there.
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This is another “just me thinking out loud” comment. I was in the bookstore tonight and after picking up a copy of Joel Rosenberg’s latest, I rounded the corner to browse the gifts section. I began to walk to the cash register but something in a pile of games caught my eye. I tried to walk away, but turned around and went back. There, on a lower shelf, I found that Munchkin game, http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/game/, that Alan Smith has posted on his Facebook page.
Seeing that cartoon character on the front with the big mallet and chainsaw still gives me an uneasy feeling. I’ve mentioned it before, noting the similarities between weapons and methods of killing in that game to what happened in this case. I know it’s one of many such games, but it is the only one of its kind on his Facebook page.
The back of the box says the same thing as on the website, “Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet. Backstab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the treasure and run.” Most people would say, “it’s just a game,” but in this case, I wonder– was it?
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Did you know that the house is now being listed through Remax. The link is http://www.remax.com/realestatehomesforsale/216-240th-st-sw-bothell-wa-98021-gid300018953258.html .Interesting….
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Someone should call and ask about the house as if interested. Don’t they have to disclose that it was a home with a murder in it?
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Good question. Some states have laws requiring that disclosure but as far as I know Washington State does not. I think the buyer is expected to make a full investigation of the property rather than the seller having to disclosure murders, criminal activity, etc.
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http://activerain.com/blogsview/617060/seattle-home-seller-disclosure-does-a-seller-need-to-disclose-a-murder-
http://mynorthwest.com/798/505401/Stigmatized-homes-Does-your-house-have-a-dark-history
http://www.inman.com/2012/03/28/real-estate-disclosure-laws-a-mixed-bag-crimes-perceived-hazards/
http://seattleavenue.com/2010/10/are-sellers-obligated-to-disclose-haunted-houses-murders-suicides-things-that-go-bump-in-the-night/ This link says that, “Sellers and agents are only obligated to disclose material facts or defects. According to the Law of Real Estate Agency in Washington material fact is described as: information that substantially adversely affects the value of the property or a party’s ability to perform its obligations in a real estate transaction, or operates to materially impair or defeat the purpose of the transaction. The fact or suspicion that the property, or any neighboring property, is or was the site of a murder, suicide or other death, rape or other sex crime, assault or other violent crime, robbery or burglary, illegal drug activity, gang-related activity, political or religious activity, or other act, occurrence, or use not adversely affecting the physical condition of or title to the property is not a material fact.”
Just tried to go on the Snohomish County Assessor’s site to see who the legal owner is but it’s not working. If the proceeds from the house sale will somehow directly benefit Susann’s children, I hope it sells right away. I just hope that the sale isn’t used to fund Alan’s defense or his girlfriend’s life. It’s his right to do that with money that’s his, but even if it’s not legally wrong it’s disgusting. I don’t know if both of them owned the house and he gets her half or how that works. They weren’t legally divorced.
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Ugh. Very tacky if you ask me, the non-disclosure part. Very bad mojo.
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No, I didn’t. Thanks for the link. I wonder who gets the proceeds. Logically that would be Alan Smith but I hope not; I hope the money goes to the children somehow.
It is strange to see the inside of the house. While to some it might be just a house, it’s also where a woman was brutally murdered six months ago. While surely all sorts of good memories were made there as well, to me it’s a crime scene more than a house. Someone will buy it though.
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They will have to disclose that someone was murdered in the house though. That will definetly bring the price down.
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I’m not an expert, but from what I’ve found so far, it doesn’t look like they have to disclose that to a potential buyer.
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They didnt even paint it. It’s just like we saw in the interviews and on Thai’s FB page. That yellow kitchen, him making waffles there…oh, no. The bathroom tub.
No way. That’s bad.
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I just went onto Love Thai’s FB page and while she hasn’t posted anything in over two months, I did find this picture in her photos from late May. I am assuming this was posted outside Alan & Susann’s Bothell home. It is so incredibly creepy that they put Susann, the kids’, Alan & Love’s name on it….
I hope the reason she hasn’t been active on FB is that her family intervened and put her back in a mental hospital. Has anyone heard any updates on her or the pregnancy??
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726414947&fref=pb&hc_location=friends_tab#!/photo.php?fbid=10151688617604948&set=a.10151688612229948.1073741826.726414947&type=3&theater
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Kerri, you’re right, that is creepy. It’s written like they’re all one big happy family instead of a suspected killer, his girlfriend, a murder victim, and her children. I do hope she’s getting appropriate help not only for her sake but her child’s. There is no shame in that; we all need help sometimes.
What intrigues me more is why Alan Smith allowed such flamboyant displays knowing they could work against him.
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It’s August 21st– full moon! This is all I see in the court records. Looks like a pretrial hearing might have been rescheduled if I’m interpreting that correctly. This seems normal. Lots of court dates get rescheduled. Cases like this can go on for a long time.
12 08-15-2013 MOTION HEARING
JDG0013 Motion Hearing
Judge Thomas J. Wynne
13 08-15-2013 ORDER SETTING OMNIBUS HEARING
ACTION Order Re-setting Omnibus Hearing
Omnibus Hearing 09-12-20139
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Hi everyone,
The family was told that there could be several pre-trials before the real thing starts months from now, even a year or so. Here is what they were told:
The Omnibus hearing: It is a check in hearing where both attorneys find out how close they are to going to trial.
Each pre-trial hearing will be scheduled about a month ahead and there will
be many before getting close to going to trial if the defendant doesn’t plead guilty. The defendant may decide he should plead guilty rather than go to trial. If he decides he wants to go to trial, that will happen probably a year from now. The criminal process in homicide cases moves very slowly, and for much of that time not a lot happens.
During all of the time getting ready to go to trial, the investigation by the detectives will continue and both the Prosecutor and the Defense Attorney will get any new information they find.
So, patience, patience….
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Excellent synopsis. You’re spot on in that an aspect of the criminal justice system the victim’s family and friends should prepare for is that proceedings can drag on and on and on. Things will be scheduled and rescheduled. This is why it’s a good idea to have an advocate or legal counsel, if possible, that can walk the family through the process.
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Today’s August 17th and I’ve seen absolutely nothing in the news yet this week about this case. FYI since a lot of people are checking in.
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Also, Love Thai has not posted anything since July 21st She used to post multiple times a day, but nothing in four weeks.
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Maybe legal counsel advised her to keep her mouth shut since she seemed to be adding to Smith’s chances of being convicted.
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Maybe, I hope, reality is setting in for LT.
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Thank you, you’ve always got our backs, and Susann’s.
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Well, the Seattle-area media seems to be obsessed with and gushing over the regional embarrassment that is Hempfest this weekend, so I don’t expect to see much else in the spotlight. The Seattle Police are even handing out munchies to festival goers, bags of Doritos with messages about the recent changes in pot laws. While there are valid arguments to be made for legalization, events like these can further questionable stereotypes about us Seattle-area folks, as if we all walked right out of the movie Pineapple Express with Starbucks cups in our hands…
While I do find much of our local culture hedonistic, especially in Seattle proper, there is more diversity here than vocal minorities let on… oh, and allegedly SPD ran out of their Doritos in 10 minutes so maybe they have an emergency stash of Funyuns to dole out. Let’s see how many of these officers can keep a straight face given the amount of secondhand smoke they must be sucking in. Their self-proclaimed Operation Orange Fingers seems to be a great success. Too bad they can’t be as PR-oriented and proactive about greater issues in our community, like domestic violence. If I gave SPD a piece of my mind about this though, they’d inevitably just laugh and say, “dude…”
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Hempfest huh? Lol. I had no idea, happily.
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Okay, so, August 15th will be when what can be admitted as evidence is discussed according to the Woodinville Weekly: http://www.nwnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8392:bothell-man-pleads-not-guilty-to-wifes-murder&catid=34:news&Itemid=72. That should be interesting because this doesn’t just mean physical evidence, it means any evidence. For example, will the testimony of the minister Smith allegedly confessed to be allowed as evidence? It could just be considered hearsay. Keep in mind that the police didn’t arrest Smith until after that was disclosed, so a lot could be riding on verbal and written elements that might constitute evidence.
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It’s August 1st. New article from the Bothell Reporter, but mostly things we already know, http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/217776601.html.
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Some readers might find this interesting. Joyce is the mother of a convicted murderer and writes a blog helping others whose family members have been arrested and/or convicted find support: http://familyarrested.com/.
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Thank you for the link Wildninja, I’ve had several folks from your blog come visit me.
I read your GREAT article the other day about church based domestic violence, I didn’t say “religious” because that AIN’T religion, it is simply group sanctioned by people who call themselves “church members”–I wrote an article for my blog using a short quote about your article and linked to your wonderful site. That really was an EXCELLENT article and having been spiritually abused by the “church” I grew up in as well, and family members holding me to these perverted standards when they themselves like the hypocrites in the time of Jesus did to others, but I came out of it and realized just how WRONG headed these people are who use 1-2 sentences or parts of sentences to “prove” some PERVERTED “spiritual” truth.
Jesus himself said that there would be “wolves in sheep’s clothing” come into the churches and even in the time of St. Paul they were already teaching perverted “gospels” but your article was POWERFUL and I wanted my readers to see your entire article.
You have a wonderful way with words, ninja, and I love your blog…many of the people who comment on my blog are women who have been spiritually abused either by their families or the psychopaths they were married to or lived with. Thanks again for your great article, if you want to go to my blog you will see some pretty good comments there on that article, it is entitled Hypocrites.
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Oh, thank you. Like you, I’m a woman who’s been through it and don’t want to see others go through it. I will definitely check out your article… it’s so sad that so many are driven away from the Gospel by legalism rather than towards it.
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Ninja, I gave you the wrong title for the article it is “the Bible as an excuse for domestic violence” it is not “Hypocrites” LOL Brain fart! LOL
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Little info from the courts page…
Sub Docket Date Docket Code Docket Description Misc Info
– 07-19-2013 COSTS ASSESSED Costs Assessed 200.00
1 07-19-2013 INFORMATION
ATP0001 Information
Matheson, Craig Scott
2 07-19-2013 AFFIDAVIT/DECLARATION PROB CAUSE Affidavit/declaration Prob Cause
3 07-19-2013 OMNIBUS APPLICATION OF PROS ATTY Omnibus Application Of Pros Atty
4 07-19-2013 ORDER OF DETENTION Order Of Detention
– 07-19-2013 ORDER SETTING BAIL
JDG0030 Order Setting Bail ($1,000,000.00)
Judge Marybeth E. Dingledy
– 07-19-2013 EX-PARTE ACTION WITH ORDER Ex-parte Action With Order
5 07-22-2013 INITIAL ARRAIGNMENT
JDG0028 Initial Arraignment
Judge Richard T. Okrent 08-15-20139
ACTION Omnibus Hearing
6 07-22-2013 REPORT Report: Opd/pts Interview Worksheet
And Risk Assessment
7 07-22-2013 ORDER OF DETENTION Order Of Detention
– 07-22-2013 ORDER SETTING BAIL Order Setting Bail ($1 Million)
– 07-22-2013 NO CONTACT ORDER No Contact Order
8 07-22-2013 ORDER SETTING TRIAL DATE Order Setting Trial Date 09-13-2013JT
9 07-23-2013 NOT OF APPEAR AND REQ FOR DISCOVERY
ATD0001 Not Of Appear And Req For Discovery
Mann, Caroline
10 07-23-2013 NOTICE Notice Not To Be Interrogated
11 07-24-2013 NOTICE Notice Not To Be Interrogated
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So as far as I can tell– and don’t quote me on this– it looks like he’s being represented by a public defender. I would like to know more about the no contact order. I would assume that the notice not to be interrogated means they can’t question him without his attorney present but am not positive.
The thing that sticks out at me the most is why bail was allowed if he’s considered such a danger.
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Local talk show hosts point out that Smith was wrong to think he could get away with murder: http://mynorthwest.com/108/2320478/Ron-and-Don-Web-searches-show-Bothell-murder-suspect-delusional.
If Smith is a narcissist as his recent behavior suggests, that is a classic symptom of narcissism; narcissists think they’re smarter than everyone else. But even if they are smart, intelligence and wisdom are two different things. There’s an old saying that knowledge is realizing that the street is one-way, wisdom is looking both directions anyway.
It is important to remember that there is no guarantee of a conviction in this case, but if Smith is convicted, it’s not just the crime itself but his actions before and after the case that could very well help cement one.
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And just like Jodi Arias, who beat, stabbed and shot her boyfriend, the brilliant narcissist left a bloody print. So smart, indeed!!!
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It looks like Alan plead not guilty on Monday and I believe a trial date is set for September 13th. Am unsure of the time or if this date is correct. I will for sure be there if possible.
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Thanks. I haven’t looked, so can’t confirm that info. either. I hadn’t thought about neighbors being in attendance, but it could be a nice show of support, especially since it seems that a lot of Susann’s people are in Germany. Plus this had a direct impact on you all– you had to live with the uncertainty of having a murder suspect next door to you for 4 1/2 months. Then you had to deal with his need for attention on top of that.
I really hope that if Susann’s family is okay with it that victim impact statements will be allowed later in the process.
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That’s an interesting point about Thai potentially being “the good little soldier” and her being “safe” so long as she’s useful, I hadn’t really considered that but it sure makes sense as you pointed out. Though I’m not exactly sure of the terms of the bail I had always thought you just couldn’t leave the state, so in theory he could fly around Washington so long as he made no attempt to leave. You are right though, stealing or vandalizing a plane is a felony. But this is moot as I can assure you access to aircraft would be pretty difficult for him.
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Hmm. Interesting thought! Could be fly around if he didn’t try to leave? I’d think they’d make that a condition of his bail, that he not be allowed access to aircraft.
Bail jumping in a first degree murder case is a Class A felony in and of itself. I looked it up. Again, any lawyers hanging out here can correct me if I’m wrong.
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Oh, plus, I’ve thought about Thai’s safety in terms of the comment Smith allegedly made to the minister he confessed to, that he was sick of her craziness (issues? it was something that implied turmoil). While I have absolutely no intention of drawing a parallel between her and Susann, he might have felt that way about Susann and felt justified in taking her life because of his perception that she was the cause of his problems.
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Alan did say just that about Thai. I was really shocked when she didnt read that and think to herself “uh, oh…I could have been next!” And skip town. Sad.
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Seems like Love Thai has not mentioned Alan Smith in her Facebook entries for almost two weeks now. Interesting… before, every post said “… With Alan Smith”…
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As an afterthought, I think Sno. Co. has used the no bail card once or twice lately. Here’s an example: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130708/NEWS01/707089882. What happened to this young woman is like something out of a horror movie and there’s no question, given the suspect’s history and behavior, why the court went this route.
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This is the same info. we’ve already heard, but the Bothell Reporter published this earlier: http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/216456521.html.
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Keeping in mind that I’m NOT a lawyer, I thought that a judge could withhold bail in extreme cases because of legislation passed after the four Lakewood police officers were murdered by Maurice Clemmons. The intention was to have the option of keeping very dangerous people behind bars where they couldn’t do more damage.
I just looked this up in the RCW and it reads:
RCW 10.21.040
Detention order — Hearing — Expedited review.
If, after a hearing on offenses prescribed in Article I, section 20 of the state Constitution, the judicial officer finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that a person shows a propensity for violence that creates a substantial likelihood of danger to the community or any persons, and finds that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the community, such judicial officer must order the detention of the person before trial. The detainee is entitled to expedited review of the detention order by the court of appeals under the writ provided in RCW 7.36.160.
[2010 c 254 § 6.]
This is a controversial practice to some who feel that it is a violation of the suspect’s constitutional rights.
In this case, Smith has been considered a flight risk all along and now court documents say that he is considered a danger to the public. I don’t know if he was considered that when first arrested, but believe prosecutors realize that he could harm his neighbors and others who’ve spoken out for justice for Susann. First and foremost I’d be worried about his kids– he could try to bring them along for the ride or use them as leverage. To family members who might be appalled by this suggestion, people who feel cornered and face a possible life sentence can be the last people who act rationally.
Someone else on here pointed out how people in this situation can strike out at anyone if they feel cornered, and when low to no conscience types know that they’re caught, they will do just about anything in self-preservation. I’ve personally experienced this and would not consider anyone interested in the truth or in controlling the suspect’s behavior safe. This is one reason I’ve thought about Thai’s safety all along. She’s golden as long as she’s useful.
If Smith were to post bail and fly away, I believe that’s a Class A felony right there because he’s being held for first degree murder. Bail jumping is not taken lightly. An escape like that would also be a glaring officer safety issue and could involve international politics.
What you’ve said validates what the prosecutor has done so far. It also validates my suspicions that Thai will be used to manipulate things on Smith’s behalf while he is locked up. I don’t know if the “girlfriend” you mentioned is her and can’t prove it was her who did that or when it happened. But I’m not surprised that belongings have been removed from the Smith house, this airport issue happened, and so on– if Thai is doing it, she might be the good little soldier who’s following orders believing that her actions will allow her fantasy life with Alan to actually happen. She could also be acting on her own, desperate to please him. She could be setting herself up to be charged as an accomplice (and others as well). I know she’ll probably read this and she really needs to put her baby’s well-being above Alan.
As an aside, there have been other cases being adjudicated at the same time in which bail is not an option. One case I blogged about briefly on here involved Aleksandr Polak, the immigrant with a violent history who murdered his ex-wife by stabbing her to death 72 times. See the KCPO docket for this and other no bail examples: http://www.kingcounty.gov/Prosecutor.aspx. What Polak did and what Smith did are equally evil, plus Smith allegedly planned the murder for months.
A note about Polak’s history– some of the most dangerous criminals out there might not have a criminal history because they’re so good at cleaning up behind themselves. So when I hear, “no previous criminal history,” I remind myself that could just mean they haven’t gotten caught yet. I know it can also mean what it says, as it might in this case. But there’s always a cookie crumb trail, especially in domestic violence cases. A look into the past usually reveals question marks and red flags.
Nick, I’m glad your people have been so diligent and so cooperative with law enforcement. That’s awesome. See, working together as a community in spite of our differences can accomplish great things. So cool! There’s some great people, security and otherwise, up there anyway.
We’ll see if the bail option is revoked in light of this info… I don’t know. I think a defense attorney could swing a fairly convincing argument that he’s not a danger to others even though I don’t believe that. In the beginning I thought somewhat differently, but the more we learn about the case, the more my opinion changes. He could also be a danger to himself.
I would continue to caution the well-meaning people who believe they are helping in this case to avoid being used or implicated. I’ve simply had it with watching brothers and sisters in the church get used by sociopaths.
Attorneys reading this should feel free to correct me if I’m made any legal errors.
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This blog is one of the most accurate depictions of the case against Alan Smith. The evidence is overwhelming and we havent even been exposed to all of it yet. I live in Bothell and am so thankful for the insight this blog has provided me about my neighbors, the Smiths. Susann did not deserve to die at the hands of her estranged husband and those poor children will be scarred for life. They are who deserve our prayers not Alan Smith. I have never seen anything posted about his family on this site that could be construed as negative. His family should not be shunned or blamed for his actions, he did this all on his own and will be punished whether it is in this lifetime or when he goes to hell.
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Apparently the Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field) was contacted by someone claiming to be Alan Smith’s girlfriend in an attempt to renew his airport gate card (the card which gives you access to the airport ramp). This person also inquired about the location of the hangars which house the aircraft of the flying club he use to belong to. The airport staff fielding the inquiry said they felt “something was very wrong with the conversation” and did not disclose the location of the aircraft or re-enable his gate access card. I have since heard that the authorities have been notified of this and are working with the airport to ensure everyone is safe and that Alan Smith will continue to not have access to any aircraft.
This seriously makes me wonder if there was some kind of plan at work here. I understand Alan’s bail was set at $1 million dollars, but I think this will further demonstrate how much of a flight (literally) risk he is to the point they could revoke his bail altogether. Thoughts?
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First thoughts are that these are SO not the brightest people in the world. First the googling of countries that do not extradite to the US, now this? Love Thai is not too sharp. Way to let us know you’re escaping!!! Lol.
Thanks for the updates!!!
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Sharyn, I’m stating the obvious… if they were really good (assuming they worked together) this would be a diversionary tactic. But I think this is more about desperation than intelligence at this point. Plus, a common myth about sociopathic people is that they all have above average intelligence. That’s not true.
I haven’t seen anything that falls into the category of criminal super genius in this case yet. I just see someone who did a lot of planning and took logical steps to cover their tracks, like removing the murder weapon from the crime scene. If anything the suspect is overconfident, not overly intelligent.
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You said- “Plus, a common myth about sociopathic people is that they all have above average intelligence. That’s not true.”
Exactly!!! Look at Jodi Arias. There was all this talk about her being of genius IQ. She did manage to clean up some evidence but the rest of it? Lol, if you’re aware of her case she is pretty much a total hot mess.
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Yep, killing someone and trying to get away with it does not make you a genius. That’s ridiculous.
Take Drew Peterson. He appears to have gotten away with murdering two wives. I don’t consider him a criminal genius. He just utilized his knowledge of the criminal justice system to work to his advantage.
Serial killers are often thought to have high IQs. Analysis has shown that when they’re all lumped together, their average IQ is… average. There are notable exceptions but I get cranky about people putting killers on a pedestal as if they’re more evolved when in reality they’re bending to their baser instincts.
I should add that psychopaths are sometimes considered to be highly intelligent, those who are a step up from sociopaths, but if I get into that I get into the whole antisocial personality disorder vs. sociopaths vs. psychopaths argument, something I don’t have the brain cells for today. There are not three categories mentioned in the DSM like this, but some think of that as a continuum with psychopaths being the worst of the bunch. Some experts make no distinction. But all of them are like sharks to an extent, just taking whatever they think they have the right to take.
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Let me start out by saying that i’ve never seen anything cruel posted in any way shape or form against Alan’s family. This portion of Wild Ninjas blog has always been very pro justice for Susann and peace for her family. And it sheds a lot of light on how horrific and brutal domestic violence can be. I have never been a religious person and it is because of situations like the Smith case that have lead me to walk down a different path. But when things like this happen we need to look at the facts more than we need to look at religion. Alan Smith brutally murdered his wife.
Alan Smith almost got away with it. After such a brutal murder I cant imagine how horrific the crime scene was. To cover your tracks would have to be done in a very meticulous manner, and Alan Smith appeared to do just that. And he did it well. But I will always wonder, after getting rid of almost all forensic evidence what lead him to leave behind foot prints…I believe he got scared after detectives took the castings of his feet, I think when that happened he knew it was over for him. I think the only remorse and sadness he has had is for himself and knowing what he is going to have to face, what the rest of his future is going to look like.
No, we should not blame his family for what has happened. Yes, we should be curious as to what type of past Alan has had with his family. How much they may or may not have enabled him in certain situations. Yes, both Susann and Alan’s families have lost someone. But keep in mind Alan is still able to talk to his family see his family, he is still alive and breathing. All Susanns family has left now are memories, pictures, and raising her two children and helping them deal with the loss of their mother and father. I don’t like to compare in a situation like this, but I would say one is far more worse than the other. But again all this is only my opinion, and thats what a blog is for right?
From the very start Alan Smith has only been building a case against himself. Parading around the yard with a naked woman, having sex in public, getting his new girlfriend pregnant, lying to police, domestic disturbances at his residence. Alan Smith brought all those things on himself, nobody made him do any of that. And murdering his wife on top of everything else…there are going to be a lot of things said about Alan Smith, not many of them are going to be nice. More brutal evidence will be released shedding light on who he really is and people close to him are going to have to grow a thicker skin and face the facts, the reality of the situation.
I will say this. I met Alan Smith when he first moved into the residence at 216 240th st. In about a ten minute conversation I knew something was off about this guy, I didn’t like him and I said so to the rest of my family. On February 12th we arrived home from work to see our street closed off, we saw the coroner parked in front of Susanns home and the first thing that came to our mind were her kids. We cried. We asked a neighbor on the street what was going on. She had said that they would not tell her about the kids or where they were but that things did not look good for Susann. The next person that popped into my mind was Alan Smith. Now naturally in most cases the husband is usually the first person that comes to mind. But I had my own reasons for what I thought. From day one something in the back of my head was telling me, this guy is not right. After the investigation continued I saw more and more people coming out and saying the same things as me, “theres something about this guy we just don’t like…” and after seeing reports about his coworkers also saying he seemed a bit off, only sealed the deal for me. I knew then that my assumptions were not only assumptions but fact. It’s really sad that Susann had to lose her life so that we could see who the real Alan Smith is.
I’ve posted on here a few times before about how we need to stop shedding the light on Alan Smith and his girlfriend Love Thai and focus more on Susann. Love Thai is going to carry on with her life how she sees fit. I hope that the innocent one in that case (her unborn child) is able to grow up in a way that is not influenced by everything that he or she may have to face with his or her parents. Bringing a child into the world with a father already in prison for murder is going to be a hard one to explain and deal with. Alan smith is in the hands of the justice system and they are going to do with him what they see fit. I have trust that they will prosecute him in a way he deserves. It’s not in our hands and it never was. We did our part in sharing our statements with detectives and police, we did our part by keeping an eye out while he was still apart of our community. Now we just need to let Snohomish County do their part. After this case my trust in the Bothell Police Department is much stronger.
We were direct neighbors to Susann Smith when she was still alive. There was never a nice day that passed without her being outside with her kids laughing, playing, and singing. She was always singing. Though I did not know her well, that will be a memory I will always remember. With it being summer it’s sad to see the house just sit there, still and quiet.
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Very important detail in your entry- the feelings you got when you met Alan. Those were not assumptions, the bad vibes he gave off, that was your internal instinct- and it was spot on. First response instincts are almost always 100% correct in human nature. It’s a survival mechanism. If something or someone feels “off” then stay away. I learned this the hard way when I ignored my bad vibe instinct and ignored the bad vibes of others and ended up with a monster that everyone had warned me about. They had been 100% right.
A man I started seeing, people warned and joked to me that he was a child molester. He was a teacher and had a mini van and was 50 and never married. I laughed it off. It did creep me out. I am a thin tiny tomboy with short hair and people joked I was his little boy. They were right. It ruined my life. The man even confessed to me. It was and is still a nightmare I could have avoided by listening to the instincts of others.
Always trust your instincts, even if its bit PC, even if its not pretty or convenient, always trust your instincts, we evolved and they evolved with us for a purpose and like body language, they speak loudly and clearly and correctly without a sound. It can save your life.
Great post.
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Sorry I was so off topic- but I wanted to remind everyone to trust their internal instincts-
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That was a great reminder. You’re echoing what Gavin de Becker said in The Gift of Fear, http://www.amazon.com/dp/0440226198. A trusted cop coworker told me about this book and I often share it with others.
Christians believe that prod, that nipping at your conscience, comes from the Holy Spirit. I like to say, “an angel poked me in the shoulder.” However you interpret that gut feeling you can’t ignore, Sharyn’s right, pay attention.
Sharyn, I can relate to that situation. Quite some time ago I was talking to a friend about someone who had an interest in me and I said, “either he’s the smoothest talker I’ve ever met, or he’s the one.” I found out the hard way he was the former, burning through multiple women at the same time while whining to all that, “he didn’t know what he really wanted.” He knew what he wanted, freedom and the ability to use and abuse women to his heart’s content.
The Bible describes God as a still, small voice and that’s the one I try to listen to now. All others have led to horrific train wrecks.
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Thank you and yes- pay attention to your instincts. I had to turn that guy over to the police and it wasn’t pretty. He destroyed most of the evidence I’d caught him with by that time. They found some, though, enough. Don’t become a victim! Listen to your own conscience. Learn from my mistake.
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http://woodinville.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/estranged-husband-of-susann-smith-charged-with-firstdegree-murder
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Thank you.
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It’s July 19th and some details that appear to be new have come out: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130719/NEWS01/707199849. The more we learn about this murder, the more horrific the details get. I know I sound maternal but I would remind people to not seek out more information about this if it is traumatic and going to cause emotional distress, nightmares, etc. Those can be very normal human responses to a crime of this magnitude.
The Herald (article by Rikki King) says that Alan Smith “savagely beat, cut and ultimately drowned” Susann. She had more than 22 individual head injuries including one that was considered fatal. Water was found in her lungs and they believe that Alan held her under water. A former girlfriend of his said that he owned a rubber mallet like one that is suspected to have been used in the murder.
Here’s the only sentence that rattled me a little: “Charging papers describe Smith as ‘an extreme flight risk and danger to the community.'” I want to be very clear in discussing this that I’m not trying to incite the community. I am puzzled that it was believed that he was a danger to the community yet allowed to be living la vida loca for months near a retirement home and school.
I know the police have to be very careful about what they tell the public and how that can affect their case. I do wish they– or in a sneaky way through another group– could have held at least one community meeting with the neighbors to ease concerns and improve safety if they felt the neighbors were in any way threatened. If he does come up with $100,000 bail, then I would understand the community demanding a meeting of the minds at that point. He probably reads all the online comments and already knows how his neighbors feel.
While I have friends and family in law enforcement, to remain objective I have to be able to say things like this– sometimes the police just want everyone to blindly trust them without sharing enough information. I don’t know if that was Bothell’s intention at all, but it can feel like, “dad knows best; just go with it.” We Seattle-area folks are a highly educated community so we need more than that. I hope that is something that will be considered in the future, communicating with the community more. That is in the criminal justice system’s best interest anyway because people will be more likely to share information with the police if the police do something helpful for them.
The police obviously shared some things with individuals knowing that they could be shared publicly so I’m not sure why they didn’t just head off any angst or rumors and address the community as a whole.
But ultimately this is about bringing justice to the victim, and that is what Bothell PD has worked hard to do. I keep fervently hoping that victim impact statements will be part of the trial. It would be so powerful to hear from Susann’s family and friends, whose restraint during this ordeal has been amazing.
Arraignment is Monday (didn’t I say that already happened or was I talking about something else?). Hopefully we’ll know who the defense attorney is by then. I will be watching their strategy closely because the domestic violence offender’s playbook is somewhat limited and predictable. Sometimes defenders try to flip reality and make the murder victim look like they’re responsible for their own death. They could try to make us feel deep sympathy for the suspect as in the Colton Harris Moore case. And yes, I’m always sorry when a defendant has had a traumatic past, but people need to realize that the same trauma can help create monsters. Like they say in the sometimes cheesy show Criminal Minds, some of us become monsters and some of us grow up to fight them.
Will keep posting things as I come across them. Again, I’m not intending to be the go-to place for all related news; I just post as I can and hope the diverse group of people watching this thread will add their insights.
I keep toying with the idea of having Justice for Susann window clings printed up for our cars but that would be more appropriate if it were sanctioned by her family. They might not want the attention.
***
Oh Father God, I never knew this woman, but please give her loved ones swift justice and keep this menace locked up where he can’t hurt anyone else. Bless the people who’ve spoken out on behalf of her and the children and please get the children settled in with appropriate family members as soon as possible. They need their family more than ever as the case against their father goes forward and his girlfriend still clings to the delusion that he is somehow a good guy or will ever be an adequate father for their unborn child.
People seem to be very willing to help the father and girlfriend as if Susann’s children are an afterthought. We could be mobilizing to shut down other domestic violence offenders in our community and working to end this horror first and foremost. I pray that every single person reading this will realize that they have power to fight against domestic violence– as individuals we need to make daily choices as mature adults rather than give in to our base instincts. We can be nasty little amphibians who waver between, as a great writer said, the aspirations of angels and the instincts of beasts.
You said when we are united in prayer You will answer our prayers, and I hope that You will amaze us with the answers you provide for this family. Those who care about Susann’s children range from relatives to coworkers to total strangers and whether we are liberal, conservative, American, German, Buddhist, atheist, or Presbyterian, we are united in our desire to see justice served in this case. We may completely and even bitterly disagree on other issues but stand together on this.
You are in control and I thank You in advance for the answers I know that You already have. Sometimes justice doesn’t look like we think it will, but You already know how this will end. I don’t know why this happened to this woman but I do know that other lives can be saved through it.
Thank you for hearing us and for the fact that so many people care about this case. I pray that even more would come forward so that their testimony can be considered and possibly used to help keep others out of harm’s way. I also pray for the suspect’s family, that they would be given clarity as well as comfort and act in the best interest of the children.
You are a God whose bag of miracles never runs dry and I pray that through all of this hell and horror people would see Your glory blaze like a pillar of fire. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who left His people thunderstricken in the Old Testament is watching over this case today. Amen.
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Ouch. What you say about Alan’s family is simply cruel. I have been watching this for a while. We are in a very difficult position too, and want justice for Susann just like the rest. We are focused on the best interest of the children too. So I agree that the children need to be in the best placement, being Germany. However, do not assume that it it the best place because we support Alan more, or vaguely hint that the entire family is a group of sociopaths. We love Alan, and his children. Leave us out of your assumptions. We have done nothing wrong.
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On another note, thank you for all the prayers for Susann. She was a lovely person. Inside and out. I love her. And it kills me what happened to her.
My family would appreciate the prayers as well. Susann’s family isn’t the only one suffering. Please stop making it sound like that is the case here.
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Thanks. I’ve said in other places on my blog that Alan’s family needs to be in our prayers as well. I know that in every such case there are two families hurting, not just one. Domestic violence homicides with children involved are especially terrible because the children essentially lose both parents.
Nine months after I escaped from a dangerous relationship, an old friend was murdered by her husband in front of their three small children. She was also pregnant. The children are being raised by her sister and the unborn child sits in a jar at the crime lab. Her personal website is still online more than nine years after her death, http://www.angelfire.com/journal/sandraland/. I look at the pictures of her children there, who were alone with her body for almost a day before family found them, and just grieve that they were basically orphaned.
(I should note that I find it very disturbing that pictures of her killer, the husband, remain on that site. Perhaps that’s her family’s choice but it really bothers me. He had a past involving gangs and drugs and despite considering him a friend for a while there was just something about him that never sat quite right with me. I felt that people were too trusting of him one he accepted Christ and I remember feeling confused when I learned that he and she were together. I felt that she was better than that.)
Although I want to be respectful of the families, I have chosen to blog about Alan to prevent other situations like these. Our society will never stop losing men and women to domestic violence until we speak directly and openly about how these crimes come to be. Please understand that this is the real mission here. I’ve seen and experienced too much to stay silent.
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No one said anything about you. This is about loveable Alan-
“Susann Smith was sleeping in the home’s master bedroom when she was attacked, Matheson said in court papers filed earlier this year. She was beaten and stabbed and then dragged into the bathroom.
Her body then was placed in the bathtub. The killer filled the bath and held her under water. Water was found in her lungs.
An autopsy also documented more than 22 individual head injuries, including a fatal skull fracture.”
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Specifically what do you think is cruel? I have never hinted that Alan’s family is a group of sociopaths and have no idea where you’re getting that from.
For people to be concerned about the children being raised by the suspect’s family is normal. It doesn’t mean that everyone’s assuming the suspect’s family is screwed up or evil. It doesn’t mean that the children should never have contact with them. I believe the concern is more about whether the family is objective and whether they act in the children’s best interest. Whether or not that’s played into the state’s decision to keep them in custody so long I don’t know, but understand if it is a factor.
It sounds like you’re one of Alan’s family members, so it’s natural that you love both Alan and his children. There has been concern about his family bailing him out for the lesser offense in case that was an indication of denial. There’s curiosity as to whether the family will bail him out on the murder charge given the authorities’ belief that he is dangerous– and bail is a right.
It can be very difficult to accept that someone we love can commit an act like murder and I understand that. The big question in everyone’s minds is who will act in Alan’s best interest and who will act in the public’s or family’s best interest, with the caveat that Alan has rights too.
Since you took the time to stop by I’d like to hear more of your side of the story. What can you tell us about how Alan’s family is handling this? Are they aware that people are praying for them too? You seem to feel attacked and I want to know why.
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Sharyn, thanks for clarifying. When I say that I ask for clarity for Alan’s family– words that were just flowing in that moment and I don’t take back– I mean that I hope they can love him but not enable him. It can be so very difficult to see a situation clearly when someone you love could be responsible for a major crime. Don’t a lot of us women do that while we are in abusive relationships? Loved ones can also blame themselves, especially a suspect’s parents. He made his own choices.
This sentiment is fresh right now because of a lengthy conversation I had earlier today. In it I was floored to find out that a parent was blaming themselves, to a degree, for their adult son’s choices. While in this case the parent certainly had some influence in the past, that influence was not so great as to push the adult son to the more radical choices. These are his choices. The guilt is his. The duty to make it right is his. In this case I wish the parent would not try to rescue to the son– out of false guilt, love, or any other perceived obligation– and instead let him hit rock bottom as a wake up call so he can start putting his life back together.
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No problem. You have NEVER ONCE been unkind in your writings. You are quite fair and balanced and I appreciate your wisdom.
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I could definitively see that people in Germany would discuss this in a similar public form and I don’t think that this would be considered disrespectful at all. At first I was cross that the media has not picked up this case – now I agree that it will benefit the children. Hope they will experience peace and normality once they get there. They also need to speak German, I don’t think the environment they are at the moment provides for this. Thank you so much for keeping us updated – it means a lot to know that Susann’s children are in good hands.
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Thank you. I really don’t know whose hands the children are in, but trust that the state authorities who have arranged their care are doing a good job. Many believe that they are being extra careful because of another recent case here in Washington State, the Powell case.
A man, Josh Powell, was suspected in the disappearance of his wife (Susan) in Utah; he then moved to Washington. He was given so-called supervised visits with their children but then tried to murder his two boys and burned down the house with them in it. His father, in the meantime, had been taking videos of Susan and others and wound up going to prison. Josh’s brother, who was suspected to be involved, committed suicide a year later.
The State of Washington undoubtedly does not want to risk the safety of the Smith children after what happened to Charlie and Braden Powell.
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I dicussion like this would never have taken place, and in fact I have never heard of someone being a suspect of a homicide and not been taken to jail right away. The inital evidence would have been enough to arrest Alan.And this would have happend right after Feb 12th.It is called “U-Haft” which means “taken into prison while investigation takes place”. And in Germany you cannot pay a bail and walk out of jail. You are imprisoned and will have to wait until your trial takes place. This is becaucs legal systems differ.
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The best thing that can happen to the children is moving to Germany. I went to school with Susan and no local media here has reported anything about the case. Only some old friends Susan went to school with know about it. So nobody is talking about the homicide here. In the small city they will be moving to,nobody will ask them any questions about it or make them feel uncomfortable. They will be able to grow up at least somehow normally.
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That’s a great point. When I started reading your comment I felt indignation that the local media in your area is not covering the case. But you’re right; that could benefit the kids.
This might sound like a silly question, but would Germans respond to this tragedy any differently than Americans if they did hear about the case? For a while I’ve wondered if there are cultural differences like that. For example, would they consider discussing it in a public forum like this disrespectful? I honestly don’t know.
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Don’t really have too much to report but I do live about a mile from the house and drive by it occasionally. Last week, Alans’ Mercedes was parked outside with the doors open (it’s been gone since he’s been arrested as Thai has obviously taken ownership) but interestingly the vehicle was crammed full of items and it appears she’s taking ownership of a lot more of the homes’ belongings. She’s mentally disturbed so I try not to judge but I do wonder why she would be able to go in and remove items/equity as I believe that should be going to Susanne’s children and not to Thai and her child (which she calls “Dragon”…) I do hope Susanne’s children get to return to Germany and live with relatives – have you heard any reports if they’re still in custody of CPS? Those poor childrens’ lives have been torn apart and I can’t imagine how lost they must feel.
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Thanks for this update. I’ve been monitoring the news but haven’t heard anything this week.
That is interesting that Thai is taking things from the house if that’s what is going on. I realize Alan and Susann were not divorced yet, and we supposedly live in a community property state. But I’m with you, that seems wrong if they’re not Thai’s belongings even if Alan gave his consent.
I wonder if Susann had a will and some of those belongings are supposed to go to others or be retained for her kids like you said. I also wonder if there’s life insurance money involved.
I would assume that the children are still in state custody but don’t know for sure. I am wondering, legally, at what point they can start building a life with relatives. Wouldn’t it be in their best interest to have them move in with their mother’s family as soon as possible, assuming the family is safe?
I really hope this doesn’t turn out like the Drew Peterson case, where his four youngest children by two murdered mothers are being raised by Drew’s son, who is likely involved in Stacy Peterson’s death. To me that is such a huge insult to the two women who were murdered by this predator, that the kids they loved dearly are shipped off to live with someone who could be an accomplice.
Since Susann’s children are presumably American citizens, I don’t know if the authorities would let them go to Germany.
Thai is calling the baby Dragon? I haven’t seen her Facebook page because it appears you can’t view it without being a Facebook subscriber, which I’m not. I wonder why the baby is being called that. Dracula means dragon (dracul = dragon, dracula = son of the dragon)…
So really, there’s four children involved that need our prayers. Obviously Susann’s children will have the most challenging road ahead. If it’s true that Alan fathered a child for that female couple, that child will have to deal with either not knowing who her father is or that her father conceived him/her around the time he murdered his wife. “Dragon” could have a hard road ahead too. In “Dragon’s” case, his/her mom could still make choices to keep him/her safe and more removed from the situation.
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I can’t fully put your mind at ease regarding the kids, but I can say my German relatives have been in contact with Susann’s relatives in Germany and with WA CPS and it looks like Germany is the direction the winds are blowing.
As far as citizenship goes, children born to an American citizen and a German citizen receive citizenship in both countries until age 18 when they’re supposed to declare for one or the other. As a practical matter, upon arrival in Germany the kids have to show their German passports to German Immigration and likewise must show their US passports to US Immigration upon arrival in the US; thus they have to have both passports when traveling internationally. I can’t say for certain Susann’s kids got both passports but since they appear to have travelled to Germany before it stands to reason that they have both passports. Having and possessing are two different things. though. I sincerely hope everything works out in the children’s best interests without too much legal wrangling.
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Fantastic! Thank you so much for posting this information. I’ve wondered if it would traumatic for the children to have to go to Germany, but if that’s where they’re going to get the most normal lives and have the most objective love and support, I don’t think I could argue with that. I do hope their mother’s family gets custody and not their father’s, because their father’s family seems to have focused on supporting him.
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I copied a Facebook post from her account from yesterday:
“woke up this morning feeling depressed, sad, and lonely missing you and wondering why God would allow a baby to be born in the midst of the storm we are both going through and feeling doubtful of everything balling my eyes out just feeling hopeless. After a healing talk with Kym who is telling me everything I I’m feeling is normal because of the pregnancy and that I’m allowed to stay in bed all day even though I had my messy place to clean up and appts to go to. She said I did not have to feel guilty because all I wanted to do was cry and scream and be mad. And that is ok I could stay in bed all day. Of course you know me a messy place drives me insane but she’s right I have a human being growing inside of me and yes I have my plans but this baby who isn’t even as big as a peanut is telling me to relax and surrender and be in the moment. so I surrendered to my exhaustion and let go and let God. Not even moments later Craig knocked on my door and started organizing my place, then Afani and Steve joined and I got up put on some praise and worship music and started singing and cooking for everyone feeling. my spirits immediately lift Now this is what Jesus was teaching, “Love Thy Neighbor.” Even Mama next door got over her fear of going up my steps and dropped off flowers. Just when I was beginning to loose faith because of some people who have made a request not to be in my life because they disagreed with the choices I’m making my neighbors and new ppl being brought into my life, our life are giving me hope in unconditional love. — with Alan Smith.”
Hello, the reason you are depressed is that you are bi-polar and off your meds and living in a fantasy world with a murderer!
Then her next post is “I believe in true love. a love that heals, transforms, creates life, and is abundant in miracles.”
She is nuts and needs mental health counseling before she gives birth to that innocent child aka dragon.
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I understand if people want to help her as Christians are supposed to help others. What I’m concerned about is that people within the church could be enabling a murderer and also being used by one or two manipulative people.
Over and over and over again throughout my life I’ve seen Christians used by dark souls, which can make those believers a party to the very evil Christ asked them to denounce. In these situations Christians can often lose focus on the true victims and put far too much time and effort into helping people with no real desire to change rather than the victims of evil who need their help more.
I’ve had a blog post on this subject brewing for quite a while and need to get around to writing it. It is these dynamics in the church– the inclination to help the “poor” abuser or criminal get “healthy” again at the expense of the victims– that have driven many in my family away from the Gospel rather than towards it. And the well-meaning “helpers” seem oblivious to how they prolong the victims’ trauma by ignoring the true origins of it and by enabling their tormentors.
I won’t knock people helping her. But they should be careful to maintain certain boundaries and to ask God to give them discretion. They should also remember that the welfare of Susann’s two children should be paramount. They are homicide survivors. It always blows my mind how quickly people run to the aid of abusers and their accomplices and ignore the real victims.
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As Christians we should think about the whole matter independently. Jesus Christ himself taught us not to judge, but not to accept everything, either. He let people speak who were true victims, He also kicked the merchants around the temple. Therefore, being Christian doesn’t mean being blind or all-forgiving. It means believing in good, but especially supporting the weak and wretched.
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This week’s HistoryLink newsletter mentioned a 1935 murder case in which many of the questions that were raised at trial could be similarly raised in this case: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9209. The defense brought up issues like circumstantial evidence and eyewitness testimony. That attorney was no small name in our state; he became very good at what he did.
There was a grocery receipt involved, a young girlfriend involved (despite the killer being married), and the suspect was previously suspected of murdering a law enforcement officer. The police investigated this for years before the suspect was brought before the court on first degree murder charges. I couldn’t help but note some similarities despite these cold-blooded murders being committed after a bank robbery rather than in a domestic violence context.
While there appear to be some procedural mistakes that officers would be trained to avoid nowadays, at face value I’m impressed with the detective work here.
Interestingly, the suspect allegedly told his cellmates that he’d killed the Puyallup police chief and one of his officers, but that might not have even factored into his trial, at least directly. It could have been considered hearsay (versus admitting the crime directly to the authorities, which this guy never did).
He was eventually executed and it looks like the girlfriend went on to marry someone else.
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When you blog, you know that anyone with Internet access on Planet Earth could be reading your thoughts. In this case, I know that the suspect, his family, the victim’s family, his girlfriend’s family, the police, etc. are all free to stop by and read what we’re saying.
Today I noted that someone with a moniker containing “tlove” is now following my blog, which means they will be notified of every new post. I’ve thought about what I would say to Love Thai if we ever crossed paths. If there was one thing I could say, it’s that if she won’t take steps to distance herself from a suspected killer for her sake, she should do it for her child’s sake. There is no reason that child should be subjected to all the chaos, drama, and danger of a murder case.
I’m a woman who has faced abuse, harassment, and bullying both personally and professionally. And I believe that in our misery is found our ministry. After all the death threats, stalking, psychological terrorism, insults, betrayals, and other darkness, I realized that I could no longer stay silent about issues like domestic violence and workplace bullying. It meant speaking out where my tormentors– some of whom are still afraid they could be found out– could hear me. But at a certain point fear becomes righteous anger and you realize that God does not intend for you to remain silent while millions of His sons and daughters are being put through the same kind of hell. We will only eradicate these abuses when we start SPEAKING UP and being truthful about what actually happens in these situations.
Love Thai is in a unique position. She can choose to protect an evil that has robbed two innocent children of both parents or she can choose to protect her unborn child as well as that child’s half-siblings. She might know things that could help put a killer away for life but is blinded by the illusion that she believes is the real Alan Smith.
It is so difficult to see a dangerous man for what he is while you’re in the relationship. But what a power lies within her grasp. She might think she is showing strength and moral character by standing by this guy, but what would be truly powerful would be taking steps to protect herself and her child and standing against this guy. THAT, if it were sincere, would shock and amaze the public far beyond anything she’s done in this case so far. THAT is what I believe Christ requires of us, to divorce ourselves from such evil and stand with Him against the forces of darkness. Christianity isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be about what’s right, not what’s easy.
That child needs a mother who is going to do their best to protect him or her from all the danger and dysfunction she can. Can she be that kind of mother, sacrificing her relationship with a dangerous man in the interest of her child, or not? Only she can decide that, and I know there’s people out there praying that God gives her the strength to make the right decision.
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And, if she decided to be brave and try to extricate herself from the situation for the reasons you put forward, she would have an incredible wave of support. I believe.
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This woman is ill, admittedly (although she jokes about it now) and can’t take care of herself, let alone a child. If she is bipolar (it certainly appears that way, and I have extensive experience dealing with a previous relationship) it affects the very organ used to reason, the brain.
She only knew him a little over a month when she found out she was pregnant, meaning she immediately started having unprotected sex with a complete stranger, one that was suspected of brutally murdering his wife, the mother of his children. She intended to get pregnant. If that doesn’t epitomize insanity, I don’t know what does.
And she says she asked him, “Did you murder your wife? Because if you did, you need to forgive yourself, and if you did, I forgive you so just tell me and we can move on.” Like any sane person would ever say anything remotely like that.
I find it ironic that her parents are apparently both prominent OBGYNs but didn’t get her fixed, or an IUD or an inplant, knowing she’s in the psychological state she is in. (birth control pills would never be an option for someone like her.)
I’m assuming they’re financially supporting her and therefore would have some sort of control/say there.
Such a sad sick situation, truly…
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Here’s an editorial from the Bothell Reporter. In it Matt Phelps discusses how difficult it can be to report on such a case and keep a balance between what the public wants to know and privacy, http://www.bothell-reporter.com/opinion/214403061.html.
The Bothell Reporter is the only news source I’m aware of that kept reporting on this case regularly for months after the murder. It took the sordid details of the Smith-Thai relationship to catch the attention of many other news outlets. So realistically, I see them as the ones who kept the story alive at a local level.
KOMO has done a great job lately too. I’m grateful that in this country we have freedom of speech and freedom of the press that make discussions like we’re having here possible.
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One thing we can be sure of is that Alan and Love wanted no privacy. They had sex in their front and back yards and neither had even the smallest amount of privacy activations on their Facebook accounts. They seem to lavish the attention.
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Knowing that people from both sides are likely reading what all of us are writing– such is the Internet– I’ve wondered how they view these open discussions about the case and their character. And that’s exactly what came to mind– these are people who have thrust themselves into the public spotlight to get attention. What expectation of privacy could they have given their purposeful actions?
We Americans have a precious right called freedom of speech that allows us to speak our minds and try to solve problems in public forums. In this case a community has been horrified and shocked by the involved parties’ actions and needed to talk about it. The Internet became that place. So we are here because of their choices, really. We want to see justice, to protect ourselves, our families, and the innocents in this case, we want to know the truth, and we want to prevent future incidents like this.
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I also noticed just now that Thai has changed her Facebook photo to a new one of a photo of only her. The previous photo was her and Alan.
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I am so disturbed by this crime an both Alan and Love, I can’t get it off my mind. Is she really living in his house and driving his car? God help those poor kids.
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It really bothers me, too. This is a woman who admitted she thought he could have killed his wife. She stood by him believing him innocent. Then, after he admitted the murder to a pastor she STILL believes in him, and is pregnant and living, like you said, in the house where she now KNOWS he actually murdered his wife. There is really something wrong with her, right? And, she’s pregnant with his baby.
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I’ve wondered if she actually is pregnant or if this is another attention-getting ploy. I also wonder if she was trying to get pregnant in an attempt to deepen her bond with Alan Smith and this case. Guess it’s not my business but here’s where I add another “hmm.” I don’t mean to seem merciless but there are people who do such things in their wild attempts to control others, secure commitments where there aren’t any, and/or avoid abandonment.
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She has a video on her FB page of her getting an ultrasound, she is 5 weeks along the nurse confirmed it. I thought it was a move to get attention as well but it’s true. Does anyone know if she has a job? She mentions getting a job at Tommy Bahama earlier in the year.
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Looks like the other news outlets are reporting the same info. about yesterday’s charges. Some, like Q13, have timelines you can view, http://q13fox.com/2013/07/02/bothell-man-charged-with-estranged-wifes-murder/#axzz2Y0dHUrU2.=.
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Drove by the house last night and saw Ms. Love getting out of Alan’s Black SUV. Looks like she is now driving his car and living in the house….
I had a long flight home Sunday night and spent some time reviewing the affidavit. For those that are interested I thought I would share some of my observations.
Time line for committing the crime:
2/10/2013@02:24: Video from US Bank Camera of bicycle rider heading S. on Bothell Everett HWY (Towards murder scene)
2/10/13@22:45: Susann seen by neighbor in Driveway
2/11/2013@02:24: Video from US Bank Camera of bicycle rider heading S. on Bothell Everett HWY (Towards murder scene) (Assuming that the date was really the 11th)
2/11/2013@04:13: Video of bicycle rider turning N. onto Bothell Everett HWY from East bound on 240th (away from crime scene towards Alan’s apt complex)
Scenario 1: Date stamp (2/10/2013@02:24) is correct: maybe he did a test ride to the house Sunday morning or he went but lost his nerve, Went there and back the next morning but his return trip there was not captured by the camera. Susan was seen alive after this time.
Scenario 2: Date stamp incorrect (2/11/2013 and not 2/10/2013). There are other typos / errors in the report so this is possible. This suggests he rode up there and back on the morning on the 11th and I would estimate he got to the house around 02:40 and left around 04:00, putting him at the house for approx 80 minutes.
2/12/13@morning (8-9AM?): Children dropped at School / Daycare. School where older child attended is just past the house on 240th and would likely require Alan to drive by the house to drop off his child. (There is also a back entrance to the school off of Meridian, but the main entrance is off of 240th) 2/11/13 was a scheduled school day but I have reason to believe Alan did not go to work that Monday. This could also be an opportunity to recover any evidence that was stashed nearby.
2/12/13@10:30: Crime Scene discovered by Bothell PD
Shopping Trip and Drive by Crime Scene:
2/12/13@13:21: GPS records vehicle at Everett Boeing Plant
2/12/13@13:22-13:44: GPS Records vehicle at Wal-Mart (S. Everett)
2/12/13@13:40: Home Depot receipt Time Stamp
Drove down to Bothell, Exiting I-405 at Bothell Everett HYW, Driving S. on Bothell Everett HWY, turn RT on 240th (Safeway), Turn RT on Meridian (Where 240th was closed, as I observed around 15:30 on my way home from work)
2/12/13@14:13: gas receipt for Beverly park Chevron.
2/12/13@14:28: Boeing Badge Time Stamp (returns to work)
Scenario 1: He already knew that they found the body earlier in the day. He may have been recovering or trying to recover evidence that he left along 240th after the crime was committed, possibly dumping this at the gas station stop on his way back to work.
Scenario 2: He did not know they found the body earlier in the day. It is likely the road was already closed and when he reached the intersection of 240th and Meridian, he turned RT and went back to work. (and probably freaked out) He may have been returning to the house to retrieve evidence and maybe even burn it down (thus the need for additional suits and gloves to prevent leaving additional DNA)
2/12/13@15:00: Alan contacted by police at work in Everett.
Shopping Summary:
10/27/12: Purchased 2x coveralls MISSING(?)
10/27/12: Purchased 4 x 8 sheet of Plywood FOUND
10/27/12: Purchased 1 box disposable shoe covers MISSING
10/27/12: Purchased Rubber Mallet MISSING
2/12/13@13:31: Purchased size 11 Croc sandals MISSING
2/12/13@13:31: Purchased 5 gal gas can FOUND
2/12/13@13:31: Purchased 2x latex gloves. 1 PAIR MISSING
2/12/13@13:40: Purchased 2x coveralls FOUND (? )
2/12/13@13:40: Purchased masking tape FOUND
NOT ACCOUNTED FOR:
2x coveralls
Rubber mallet
Shoe covers
Size 11 croc sandals
1 pair latex gloves
I am assuming that the coveralls (purchased earlier, the Mallet and the shoe covers were used in the crime). I suspect the additional items purchased on 02/12/13 were to facilitate crime scene clean up or recovery of stashed evidence. One possible scenario is he used the crocs and rubber gloves to recover the rest of the items that he stashed somewhere along 240th, on the ride home from the crime scene, the morning of the murder. Did he possibly recover the other items on the afternoon of 02/12 and dispose of everything at the Chevron station on his way back to work? Given that the most likely scenario that has him riding a bike there and back to commit the murder, the missing items had to be somewhere nearby. I even thought about looking around the area myself to see if there was anything unusual.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. If a high profile / attention seeking defense attorney latches onto him, this could be a high publicity trial. Snohomish county records indicate he is still being held in lieu of 1,000,000 bail.
SMITH, ALAN JUSTIN
View Daily Register Entry for this person
Book Number CIN Book Date Race Sex
2013013640 775606 6/27/2013 20:03:00 W M
Charge Description Dispo Cause Number
MURDER 1 (0011200) BAIL 2864A13F
Charge Date Court Bail Amount Type Arrest Type
6/27/2013 20:03:00 ETF $1000000.00 PC
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Thanks for the great detail. So she’s driving his car and living in his house (still). Hmm. I thought in the interview she said she needed his help to be there and to be in the bathroom where Susann was murdered.
I sure hope her devotion to him doesn’t extend to her being used to alter or dispose of potential evidence yet to be uncovered or getting back at his perceived “enemies.” That’s just speculation but that blind devotion (well, is it blind? She’s getting press and perks in return) could work to his advantage.
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Crocs? Really? Lol, there’s no accounting for taste.
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And what was the plywood for? I’ve wondered if he was going to barricade an exit, use it like a stretcher, etc. Don’t know. I’m sure BPD has some idea.
To return to work after committing such a vicious murder and leaving so much evidence suggests that it could have been cathartic for the killer– he could have felt relieved or a release after doing it. There are other reasons as well, but I hope people realize just how cold and calculated this murder was. It was also cowardly in so many ways.
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Looks like Smith was formally charged in Snohomish County Superior Court today: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130702/NEWS01/707029866#Bothell-man-charged-with-first-degree-murder-of-wife.
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This is such a bone chilling case. The rage in which the killing of Susann Smith took place is just horrific. The victims include those children who have lost their mother forever and have had their lives altered forever. The victims include the family and friends of Susann. I can’t even imagine how they must be feeling after reading, seeing, and realizing the final facts of Susann’s life. All of these lives affected. I also think Thai is a victim here. I know that may be an unpopular statement but here is a woman who was sexually abused as a child by a family member, has previous DV, and a mental health issue. She was vulnerable to the tactics of a sociopath. And the Smith-Thai baby is now yet another victim. Working with victims to help with safety includes assessing the perpetrators control tactics. Everything this guy did just screamed sociopath. They become easy to spot after encountering quite a few. But ultimately, this is a story about power and control and domestic violence. It is so prevalent. This will be tagged as a homicide, but I want people to see all of the power and control tactics that this guy used on his victims. There are so many clues here. He didn’t get what he wanted from Susann….as he stated “sex”, so he tried to use the legal system to harm her, to go after what was most likely most precious to her, the kids. He retained 3 lawyers and when he didn’t get what he wanted from them, he fired them. He wanted the court to give him what he wanted and when he couldn’t control that, he killed his wife.. He wanted to join the motorcycle club and when he didn’t get what he wanted he threw a tantrum like a two year old does when they are trying get their parents to give them what they want.. Look at all the control we have been privy to since it’s been posted all over the internet. Thai said in an interview something along the lines of not knowing what someone would do when they came to their breaking point. This domestic violence that ended in murder wasn’t a breaking point, it was all control. The planning to get the needed equipment for murder was about control. He controlled Thai by buying her two ferrets and wouldn’t let her take them when she wanted to leave. He controlled the information that he told Thai about, including that the house he brought her to was the actual scene of the murder. She thought she discovered that on her own…He was calculated and controlled in the information that he let out and when. He used Thai as a distraction for both himself and the public…..look focus on this chaos and not on Susanns murder. His lack of emotion to the detectives and then the forced tears when he talked to the news or when that video of him in the car was posted. I can go on an on. But what can we do to honor Susann Smith and all of the other victims. Don’t blame them. Educate them if they want it. Give them information about domestic abuse dynamics and how to spot red flags. Give them time and space and if they want to be heard, listen.
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Don’t worry about what’s unpopular. I’m glad you spoke your mind. Although Thai could be a dangerous person herself, she could, as you said, also be a victim. If her claims about her past are true those could be the cause of some of her troubles and also make her more vulnerable. I don’t feel sorry for her, but I do think her family should be concerned about her well-being.
I agree that Smith has been using her as a shield. I feel like he’s taken advantage of her personal issues and insecurity for his own purposes. She seems terrified of being abandoned, to the point that she said she’ll stand by him even if he’s arrested for murder. That’s where I start wondering about borderline personality disorder again, which is, sadly, more common among victims of sexual abuse.
But I doubt he’ll care about taking care of her or their child (if the child actually exists). She’s served her purpose and she’ll either be kept around for theatrical purposes or dumped. It sounds like he’s already tired of the relationship. The honeymoon period came and went quickly based on what the media’s reporting.
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I can’t help but keep checking on LT’s Facebook page every couple days. She still believes in this man. Even after hearing he confessed to the man that by her own words was/is their trusted friend. Wow.
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Brilliant, again.
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I am so sad and haunted by all of this. My husband and I have been following the story since shortly after Susann was murdered. We too wondered why it wasn’t in the news more and why Susann’s husband wasn’t arrested earlier given all the released details that seemed so damning. We’ve been aghast at the blatant disrespect and narcissistic behaviors that have gone on in the home in recent weeks and now feel relieved that the arrest has been made. I’m now sleepless, though, having read the complete report and wishing I hadn’t.
I pray for Susann and hurt for her. I pray for her children and parents and friends. I pray too that “the system” will honor Susann and that her justice will be served.
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You made a good point, which is that we bystanders should be careful how much of the horrifying details we expose ourselves to and how much time we spend scrutinizing such cases. Even those who deal with these horrors on a regular basis need to remember to walk away sometimes and allow a mental break. The psychological effects of this kind of trauma, even for bystanders, can be very real. Sometimes we just need to unplug and go about our lives to cleanse ourselves.
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So in your opinion, would the confession to the church friend be admissible evidence?
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I’ve studied the concept of hearsay in a general sense rather than in the context of Washington State law, so am not sure how the courts will handle it. In this case someone else– not the suspect– told police that the suspect said he killed the victim, so a lot could rest on that person’s credibility and such.
One issue the defense might go after– because they often do in domestic violence-related cases in general– is the delay in reporting. A defense attorney might ask why the minister waited two or three days before reporting the confession to the police. They might ask questions of the witness along the lines of, “if you thought Alan just told you that he killed Susann, wouldn’t you go to the police immediately if it involved murder?” They could potentially downplay the importance of the confession based on the time it took that witness to come forward.
Domestic violence victims often wait to report assaults and threats because their lives become more dangerous when they come forward. If you’ve lived abuse, you know what I’m talking about. Telling the police– or anyone else– could get you killed in some cases. Victims often have to develop an escape strategy or work up the courage to escape. In the meantime the suspect is messing with their mind and keeping them off balance and indecisive. That can also be true of witnesses. A sociopath could appear to be coming clean on their own and sincere about change, so a witness doesn’t turn them in. But try convincing a jury of any of this. Many don’t understand the sociopathic mind or the dynamics behind domestic violence (including power and control).
One account mentioned above says that the minister thought Alan Smith would come forward on his own after that conversation. That could be viciously attacked by the defense, because if he believed the suspect killed someone, how much could he believe it if he “allowed” the suspect to simply go about his business? If he believed the suspect were a threat to himself and others, wouldn’t he do the prudent thing and go straight to the cops? These are the kinds of questions that could be asked.
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Wow. I just read the felony affidavit. I have a new appreciation of police work; I do not work in criminal justice or law enforcement, but this document seems extremely thorough.
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Cops have to do a looooot of paperwork. I worked in police records for more than eight years so can attest to that. Defense attorneys can deconstruct those documents and nitpick them mercilessly, sometimes in hope of catching the cops on a technicality. These documents also have to withstand the scrutiny of judges, sometimes all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court if an appeal goes that far. There were some typos in this one but the detective knows what he’s doing.
I think the defense attorney will ask how Smith can be conclusively placed at the crime scene. They have the footprint and some other good stuff but I think they’ll dispute the physical evidence (“the gloves don’t fit”). Maybe we’ll hear the word circumstantial a lot. Britannica.com has a good explanation of this:
circumstantial evidence, in law, evidence not drawn from direct observation of a fact in issue. If a witness testifies that he saw a defendant fire a bullet into the body of a person who then died, this is direct testimony of material facts in murder, and the only question is whether the witness is telling the truth. If, however, the witness is able to testify only that he heard the shot and that he arrived on the scene seconds later to see the accused standing over the corpse with a smoking pistol in his hand, the evidence is circumstantial; the accused may have been shooting at the escaping killer or merely have been a bystander who picked up the weapon after the killer had dropped it. The notion that one cannot be convicted on circumstantial evidence is, of course, false. Most criminal convictions are based on circumstantial evidence, although it must be adequate to meet established standards of proof.
In Washington State, our standard of proof is as follows:
RCW 9A.04.100
Proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
(1) Every person charged with the commission of a crime is presumed innocent unless proved guilty. No person may be convicted of a crime unless each element of such crime is proved by competent evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.
Now that a witness has come forward with a damning claim that Smith confessed to the homicide, I see why Bothell made the arrest. I hope more witnesses continue to come forward. A witness is somebody who knows something, not just someone who witnessed the crime firsthand. And witnesses can help develop victimology as well, not just a profile of the suspect. An excellent reason to speak up is in the interest of the children’s well-being and future.
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I haven’t seen this link on your site yet, so just in case: it’s the felony affidavit for Smith. http://media.bonnint.net/seattle/10/1033/103371.pdf
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Didn’t know about it. Thanks! I’ll read more of it later but am happy to see that a bloodstain pattern analyst was called in right away. That is just plain awesome.
I’m becoming increasingly uneasy about what’s going on in the suspect’s head given that he left the crime scene in the condition described there. He is certainly not insane but there could be more going on than I picked up on. Nothing is really surprising if you’re dealing with a true sociopath, but that’s not an assessment I’m qualified to make from a distance and something I haven’t done professionally despite having spent a great deal of my life dealing with them.
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I think he planned on returning and disposing of the body and evidence. However, I don’t think he planned on her coworkers calling the police so soon which ended up with them finding the body before he could cover up the scene. I can’t believe he intended to leave behind the footprints and he appeared to buy gas and a gas can which implies he had plans to burn the place down which might have ended up getting rid of any physical tie to the crime.
Thank god for her coworkers.
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You’re so right. Thank goodness for the neighbors.
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You’re right. Great point. Susann had some great coworkers to have a welfare check done when they did. It’s so easy to assume things like, “maybe she overslept,” or “maybe she took the day off and only told the boss.” Despite all the evil and mayhem that goes on in this world, many people have a hard time believing that their coworker or friend or neighbor could be a victim of violence. Plus the faster police respond, the faster they can get to work and preserve evidence, some of which degrades with time.
Finished reading that. It sounds like the axe was not used in her murder if I’m reading that correctly. It does sound like there was a sharp object used along with a mallet-type object. I don’t know why sharps and mallets are often used together but my knee jerk reaction is that they seem to be. Perhaps one or both is meant to cause suffering and the other meant to ensure the taking of a life.
Yeah, his lack of a reaction and his responses when Susann are mentioned seem to validate what a lot of people have been talking about here. The police also noted his disregard for the children’s welfare. Sometimes abusers’ main motivations for trying to get custody of the kids is to maintain power and control over their ex. How many times have all of us seen how exes meddle in each other lives and take swipes at each other through the children?
Alan Smith allegedly told someone “I want her to know the pain I feel.” That’s telling. It also seems that he was projecting unresolved internal issues onto her as if they were her fault. That’s classic. And the inconsistencies in his statements are very obvious. Humans aren’t perfect, plus our recall can be challenged under stress. But he was trying to cover things up.
It seems that the man from their church who met with him and baptized him is probably a very caring person who wanted to help. He’s probably dealing with a lot of stress from this and I don’t want to add to it. I’m glad he came forward, but he waited a couple of days to do so thinking that Alan Smith would turn himself in in the meantime.
In this venue I’m preaching to the choir, but if someone is having a mental breakdown and basically confesses that they killed someone, get to safety and contact the police immediately. Other people could have been hurt or killed in the meantime and that is an officer safety issue as well.
Reading about Smith’s freak out at the motorcycle club was interesting. People there were afraid for their safety. Repeatedly Smith and Thai tried to become accepted in various social venues as if to legitimize their relationship and return to normal life.
Most people are going to be uncomfortable casually hanging out with the only logical person of interest in a murder case. His tantrum was dangerous but also childish– all along Smith has expected other people to let him get his way and to treat him the way he demands to be treated.
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GJ, you wrote what I was just about to write and what many of us are likely thinking: he was going to burn the place down. The gas can was empty, but he bought a gas can. I thought about other things you can do with gas cans, but nothing seems logical. I’ve been questioning why the killer left a mess and still want to know, but it makes more sense in this context.
Clearly this guy’s been watching CSI and related shows to learn how best to pull off a murder. The choice of the rubber mallet is interesting– how do you prove impressions match that particular mallet?
There are CSI episodes, including CSI Miami, in which arson was committed to cover up murder, and episodes with beating deaths, but nothing that specifically matches this scenario comes to mind. I’ve wondered if he were mimicking something he saw on TV like the CSI Miami episode “Burned” from 2007. Not a great match.
P.S. Advice to anyone planning to burn down a crime scene: you’d be amazed at the evidence that can be found even after the fire.
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Whoa! Really??? They said on the news that among his google searches was “how realistic is CSI: Miami. Scary as heck.
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Also, I’m always impressed with the amazing work of the Washington State crime lab technicians, many of whom are women. They are often the unsung heroes in these cases because of their diligence, expertise, and meticulous attention to detail.
It’s also fantastic to know that Bothell PD sought out experts in the RCMP. Some powerful crime fighting tools have come out of that agency. In particular I greatly admire geographic profiling as developed by Kim Rossmo, Talk about a logical way to prevent and solve crime… it’s like Belgian chocolate for the brain. For years I’ve wanted to see it used in other areas of government as well. Its possible applications are endless and I recently watched a show that used it to reevaluate the Jack the Ripper case (a cold case, obviously).
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This could have absolutely no relevance on this case but I can’t help but wonder if there are similar domestic violence homicides that are easy to find on the web that could have influenced this one. A few button pushes later I found the case of Simon Peter Nelson, who killed his whole family (similar M.O.) in 1978 and so far has been denied parole. It boggles the mind that someone who did what he did could ever be eligible for parole. Parole hearings can also put the survivors through hell again.
I found a couple of others including a case where a Dr. Zakaria Oweiss was convicted in the beating death of his wife with a similar weapon. He was convicted in 2001 but could get out of prison this year.
I hope that a victim’s advocate is working with Susann’s family to prepare them for the what ifs of the criminal justice system. Many sociopaths and narcissists who go to prison wind up being model inmates like this guy– manipulating others– to gain early release. I’m not at all saying that will happen. But it’s helpful to have a guide to work with to stay centered and to prepare the family for all possibilities. I also hope that they will allow victim impact statements in the trial.
Family and friends might also find it helpful to seek out a homicide survivors group– it can be helpful and healing to network with others who have experienced a similar loss. I know many of them are outside the U.S. so I don’t know what specific groups to refer them to, but here in Seattle I found one at Virginia Mason: https://www.virginiamason.org/HomicideSupportProject.
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http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Court-documents-Bothell-man-told-friend-he-killed-his-wife-213577881.html
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Thank you. That was difficult to read. I did not know that Susann was still alive when moved to the bathtub and that it was full of water. She drowned:
An autopsy and forensic analysis showed that Susann had been beaten and hacked around the face and head multiple times with a blunt instrument and a sharp instrument while in her bedroom. She then had been dragged into the bathroom and dumped into the water-filled bathtub, where she drowned. A search of the crime scene found no trace of any fingerprints, indicating the killer may have worn gloves, prosecutors said.
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Worst part of that PDF someone posted was the test the police did with the bathtub. Susann was lying there stabbed 12 times, bludgeoned 10 times, then had to wait 15 minutes while the tub filled up until he finished it by drowning her. He deserves the death penalty.
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I’ve also noted that police keep saying that there were no signs of a sexual assault, yet she was unclothed from the waist down. This is really reaching, but I have considered that she was getting ready to bathe or shower. Otherwise, the killer would have filled up the tub and removed her clothing. But that’s something this kind of killer would do. The person who did this was judge, jury, and executioner.
All sorts of sick and abnormal things can be sexually motivated. Just because there wasn’t evidence of sexual assault doesn’t mean there was no sexual intent behind those actions. Sexual assault, like domestic violence, is motivated first and foremost by power and control issues.
One time I listened to a police officer coworker giving a talk to a retirement community on personal safety. He’d just finished telling the elderly audience about sexual assault and what motivates it. An elderly woman stood up and said, “but who’d want to rape an 88 year-old woman?” and the crowd erupted in laughter. They weren’t getting it. She was thinking of rape as motivated by sexual pleasure and he just got through telling them that people their age are sexually assaulted by those who want to feel power over them.
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Sharyn, I’m with you on the death penalty in this case. He probably planned this for months and then did it right before Valentine’s Day. He didn’t just snap, as people like to say about suspects. They don’t snap. They tend to simmer for a long time.
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More links:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130627/NEWS01/706279873#Bothell-man-arrested-in-wifes-killing
http://www.king5.com/news/crime/Bothell-man-arrested-for-murder-of-estranged-wife-213322741.html
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/estranged-husband-arrested-murder-bothell-woman/nYXdJ/
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Bothell-man-arrested-in-wife-s-February-death-4625756.php
And on it goes. The only one that told me something I didn’t know was The Herald’s article at the top. Stevick consistently does a good job.
Also want to recognize the Bothell Reporter for being the ones who stayed on this story since the beginning. They kept it in the spotlight and provided us bloggers with our primary info. for a while.
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Bothell Reporter comes through again with best coverage.
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/213571071.html?mobile=true
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Whew! Okay, that’s the must-read article of the day. Thank God this Christian minister came forward to share what Alan had told him.
From this article it appears that Smith and Thai sought refuge among the Christian community; Alan is described as “very spiritual” here. Hmm. Just yesterday I was discussing how sociopaths and such worm their way into churches and gain protected status due to their sheepskins, so to speak.
I am taken aback by the fact that the minister he just confessed murder to baptized him soon after. Wouldn’t you find a reason to diplomatically conclude the conversation and then go to the authorities? I’d love to hear more about that thought process. He could have had a good reason for doing that but baptism is pretty serious and wouldn’t be done just to keep the suspect talking.
Yes, God can forgive murderers. Jesus forgave the murderer hanging next to him at his own crucifixion. There are sincere people who believe that even Jeffrey Dahmer committed his life to Christ before he met his end. But sometimes killers feign conversion in hopes of lessening the consequences they’ve brought upon themselves. Even if they are forgiven and open to God’s work in their life, they still owe a debt to society and have to do their time.
Whether someone is truly a Christian is between that person and God. C.S. Lewis did say in heaven there will be surprises. But I get so tired of dark souls hiding behind spiritual beliefs for their own benefit. The original lie is “we can be as gods.” and if that’s what’s coming through when an inmate is giving an “apology” or statement, I question if they are their own god. This intense focus on himself and his own healing makes me question Smith’s motives.
This article– good catch, by the way– also says how Smith and Thai discussed escaping to South America. Oh, wait, is that the same continent he was thinking about going to before, to countries without extradition treaties?
Also sounds like Smith is wearied by Thai’s possible mental issues after less than two months of bliss. If she does have mental illness, no one should make fun of that. It is obvious that he became disenchanted quickly, which is also typical of sociopathic people. They just want the highs, not the lows, and not to have to work at it.
I keep thinking that a man who is sincere about change would simply admit to his crimes. A coward tries to convince everyone else he is the victim and hides. Not only has Smith thought about running literally, but he’s used Thai as a shield.
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That article scared me. He said he was getting tired of Thai’s mental issues? How long until he would have wanted to just make HER go away, too? She got away.
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Okay… blog-length post going down here. Just watched the raw interview footage and am still asking myself why people would give in-depth interviews about themselves when the real story is a woman’s murder…
One thing I almost always expect to see in a case like this is how present circumstances are everyone’s fault but their own. I blogged about when Drew Peterson did this in his so-called “apology” speech.
In this case, there were nods to that effect. Neighbors, the police including a specific detective, and Christians are the ones making life difficult for Alan and Thai and not showing them love. “Choose love, not fear,” she said, as if such a brutal murder were just a ho-hum event and everyone should bring them casseroles then go about their business. “Neighbors, don’t worry about finding a vicious killer. Just help us out.” That’s the vibe I got.
This is common in narcissists and sociopaths. They feel like they’re being targeted and are the real victims.
A common misconception about Christians is that they’re supposed to be doormats who stand idly by in the face of abuse, dysfunction, and evil. God is not a pacifist. He is truth and grace. Many people conveniently forget the truth part. They just want grace– being able to do whatever they want and not having to worry about standing before God and being judged for their choices.
Love Thai said, “Jesus talks forgiveness.” Jesus is also who laid down rules and boundaries and criteria for making it to the next step of our existence. While it’s a free country and Thai can believe whatever she wants, her mishmash of mysticism and Christianity is self-serving. C.S. Lewis once said that when we pick out the parts of the gospel we believe, and throw away the others, it’s not the gospel we believe, but ourselves.
Alan mentioned that his neighbor’s “awareness” detracts from the big issue of seeing his kids. Whose fault is it that he’s not seeing his kids?
Most of the interview was about them finding themselves and focusing on their own healing. It was me, me, me, me, me. Not what can be done to help the kids heal. Not what can be done to help their families or communities or coworkers heal. It’s all about them, another typical trait of low to no conscience types. Alan Smith said plainly that his priorities are himself and his children, not finding the killer (who clearly knows where he lives and could be a threat to the children).
We heard about their benevolence, like the homeless people they claim to be helping. We heard Alan say that his marriage was not conducive to connection and later Love Thai basically said that it’s Susann’s fault they were arguing (referring to “bad energy” in the home). But she also said that they did a spiritual cleanse of the house and that “Susann has accepted them spiritually.”
Alan made a narcissistic statement that his and Susann’s marriage counselors were out of their depth. He probably feels intellectually and morally superior to them as a lot of abusers do. When they don’t get the answers they want, or they are forced to see themselves as part of the problem, they split. In their minds it’s the counselor’s fault, not theirs.
A lot of time was spent on the trauma that both of them allegedly experienced earlier in life. I have no reason to doubt that. But people come out of trauma differently. It can help twist people into ugly shadows of what they were supposed to be. Or they come out to fight against trauma. Experiencing trauma does not automatically make you a good or stable person.
It seems that cosmic forces have brought them together and are keeping them together, at least in her world. Comments were made like “if it were up to us we wouldn’t be together.” But they are choosing “love,” second by second. That was sad to watch.
It does concern me that she met Alan in the midst of some sort of manic episode and he “took care of her.” Dark souls often swoop in to “rescue” women and create an intense initial bond that has her asking “where have you been all my life?” Sex soon follows.
It’s also clear that he withheld details about himself and the case from her during their initial bonding. I know that it’s rare to have all your cards on the table at the beginning of a relationship, but that was some awfully important stuff.
The way he looked at her almost the whole interview continues to bother me. It was like he was monitoring her in case she said something that disagreed with him. I understand if someone’s uncomfortable on camera and doesn’t want to look at it or fidgets. This was more intense. I also noted flashes in his eyes when Susann was mentioned.
They both claim to have PTSD. A crafty defense attorney will be all over that. They will try to make us believe that whatever Alan Smith did or didn’t do, it’s not his fault because he’s the real victim.
If Thai has PTSD– and now claims to be pregnant– wouldn’t she want to distance herself from the kind of stress she claims to be experiencing? I’m glad that her family seems to be trying to help her (but she also says they’re pushing her away). I should note that Alan poo-pooed her “diagnosis” of bipolar disorder as well.
Lastly, I want to direct this comment straight to the City Church, where they claim to have supporters. Too many times in my life I’ve seen dangerous people embraced by the church because church members want to help them change. Some church members get completely snowed by sociopaths and their ilk, who prey on their sympathy and generosity.
I’m not saying that the church shouldn’t be involved, and people should definitely be praying for all involved. I am urging them to use caution so they don’t get used. The support of naive, well-meaning Christians can be utterly twisted to make an evil person appear good. That naivety has played into decades of family violence that has profoundly impacted my family members’ lives and into two murders that hit way too close to home.
In the church there are both sheep and wolves and it is prime hunting ground for predators. Be careful and be mindful of God’s standards; make them more important than your emotions and your sincere desire to help and fix people. As Christ did, we are supposed to recognize and call out evil where it exists rather than enabling it.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the interview! I’m usually not short on words, but this interview really left me pretty much speechless. There was so much wrong in so many ways, it’s hard to capture it with seeing it only once (and I have not had the time to watch it again and start analyzing).
And thank you for staying on this and keeping us posted!
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You’re welcome. I never intended my blog to be a go-to place for information on this case but once I realized how many people were stopping by and posting updates I thought I’d better try to keep up. I still don’t intend to be one-stop shopping for updates; my usual shtick is op-ed.
This has been a group effort, with Bothell neighbors, Boeing employees, and Susann’s friends leading the charge. Knowing the frustration in their communities about this case, it’s good for people to have a place to sound off. Obviously we know that the whole world can see our thoughts here but it seems to have been cathartic.
Did you catch that spot in the interview when Thai said, “it’s not like I don’t want to kill him.” (Insert scratchy record player stopping noise here). What? How was that funny? She claims her fling with Alan is her fairy tale but it has some nightmarish elements. At that point and other places she hints at conflict in the relationship. It’s not a safe relationship.
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http://amarillo.com/stories/071800/new_wrecks.shtml
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KK, thanks for sending this. There’s been a lot of speculation about what happened to Alan’s mom and I’m grateful for the link. Ultimately people want to know the truth about this case.
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Here’s the direct link to Love Thai’s facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726414947&ref=ts&fref=ts
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http://woodinville.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/estranged-husband-of-susann-smith-arrested-in-connected-with-her-murder
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Thanks so much!
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FINALLY! He’s been arrested for the murder of his estranged wife!
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Yeah! There is a GAWD!!!!
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I just got called for jury duty in Snobomish County, guess I better go. In August !!
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Link to Love Thai’s Facebook page.
https://m.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=726414947&__user=1438010664
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Thanks.
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Anyone who has been in her FB page- I’m the deaf commenter- I noticed the video where it says they are on a ride home after being asked to leave the church. Has anyone listened and do they say anything about why?? Thank you. I’m dying to know what they thought about it but I don’t lip read.
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I’m not sure I caught the ride home part but do know that Thai both condemned Christians for being condemning but then indicated that they had allies at the church.
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Complete raw footage at bottom of this web page.
http://www.komonews.com/communities/bothell/Bothell-man-suspected-in-wifes-murder-faces-judge-212516611.html?r&a&m=y&smobile=y&clmob=y&c=n
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Is English her first language? I am deaf so I can’t hear accents. I just can’t believe she’d answer that way unless she doesn’t understand very well. Either that or she’s the dumbest person on the entire Earth.
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It seems so. She sounds very average American to me.
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Thank you. I guess she’s really that stupid then. I noticed she declined to be interviewed by the news tonight and that’s a real shock considering her previous actions. They must have gotten a lawyer involved.
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Love Thai has posted on her Facebook that she is now pregnant.
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And I must add, this is all so Kim Kardashian– “look at me! look at me!”
I wish steps could be taken to protect this child.
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Did you see the news on Love Thai’s wall. She is pregnant.
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I saw it. How nasty. Doesn’t sound wrong either since she says she was up at. 3:20 am throwing up. Great.
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Um, wow. Several people just posted that news at once. Can someone please post the direct link to her page? I tried getting there from Alan’s but can’t see his friends so couldn’t.
All of their Facebook fun will undoubtedly wind up in court… if keeping a public Facebook page is an attempt to look normal or to do PR it’s going to backfire mightily.
IF this is true and IF he is the dad, how much does he care about his children with Susann when this is allegedly the second child he’s fathered with all of this going on?
He just seems to have an intense need to prove to the public that he’s virile and sexually desirable. After a rejection (that they often deserve) or divorce, some people do strange and risky things to try and prove to the world that “they’ve still got it.” Insert an Adam Sandler-esque “whoopie do!” here because probably no one cares.
I think he does care what his neighbors think to a degree and has been trying to impress them with this woman’s attention. In the parlance of our times, “fail.” I think I’m more impressed with the snazzy hat in his Facebook photo.
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Love Thai’s Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726414947&fref=ts
Link to complete interview:
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Bothell-man-suspected-in-wifes-murder-faces-judge-212516611.html?m=y&smobile=y
(Down at the bottom, “raw interview”)
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Thank you. Also, to all of the people who sent me the Facebook link, it looks like the page isn’t functional right now.
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Thanks so much!
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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726414947&fref=ts
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From ABC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48VdD8-pj2s.
Does anyone have a link to the complete interview? I’ve only seen parts. I’d also like to watch it with the volume down (it’s interesting what you might pick up on when you do that).
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Random creepy thought. You don’t hear about mallets (specifically, by name) being used in murders that often. Clubs and hammers, yes; they’re used more often than rifles according to the FBI. I don’t know how many of the hammers in the FBI’s UCR reports are mallets (http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/table-20). Anyway, axes are used sometimes, but they’re not the norm. A bloody axe was found at the murder scene and the suspect bought a mallet and coveralls at Home Depot about a month before the murder.
This murder seems premeditated, so why those two objects? Was the killer influenced by something in pop culture or the media? Do they have significance or represent something religious or powerful to him? That bugs me. It’s also important to consider when developing a profile.
The killer took the time to choose what he would kill Susann with. The weapon of choice was not something efficient like a firearm. The killer wanted to take out his rage on her and possibly to make her suffer. He seemed to want to obliterate her image and shame her. I’m also intrigued by the fact that at least one weapon was left at the scene.
While watching cartoons or playing games with weapons in them does not make anyone a murderer, it struck me that the Munchkin character featured on Alan Smith’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/alan.ucsu– we’ll see if it vanishes) carries a large mallet and the “Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment.” Also available to players of this game is the “Unnatural Axe.”
I don’t understand the game but there’s a list of such things at http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/unnaturalaxe/cards.html. If anyone plays this game I’d like to get your take on it. I had to go to Wikipedia for this one, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchkin_(card_game), and noted how players “kick down the door.” I don’t know how the killer gained access to the Smith house or specifics of what happened inside of it though.
Just an observation. Sometimes real life and fantasy can get mighty confused. Hopefully Bothell PD has already talked to people who might have played this or other games with the suspect. Some very interesting personality traits and tendencies can come out in role-playing games.
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I think he wanted to act quickly and to avoid any purchase of a gun. He wanted to avoid background checks from a store plus then the obviousness of buying, say, a 9mm and then your wife is suddenly killed with a 9mm, and if he bought off the street there is always the chance someone may have recalled his face later. I think he thought it was no big deal to buy weapons at a hardware store to use instead and I further think he meant to actually dismember her in the bathtub after he beat her with the mallet, but somehow couldn’t. Scary!!!!
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You read my mind. I was just thinking about dismemberment and if the killer tried to dismember her or was thinking about it. Dismemberment can showcase the killer’s power and control issues. It allows them to get an ego boost– or in some cases, sexual gratification– from not just killing their victim, but from violating their body. They want to reduce the victim to the most insignificant form possible, and in their mind, the more they dismember the victim, the more they are “triumphing” over them.
The same applies to attacks on the face. The killer might want to depersonalize the victim and “take” their identity. In school I remember this being a sign that the killer likely had a personal relationship with the victim. Some killers don’t like the feelings they get when the victim is looking at them– they might feel guilty or shameful and that can be especially true when attacks are aimed at the victim’s eyes. There’s a particular case I’m trying to think of that involved this and it’s not coming to me right now.
Weapons can say a lot about a killer and in this case the killer used “hands on” weapons as opposed to, say, firearms, poison (which is more typical for female killers) or a staged “accident.” This “touching” screams power and control to me as well. The killer wanted her to see him doing it, it seems.
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Wow! That’s a fantastic answer and your education served you well. Your comment is scary and I dare think, probably spot on.
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Thanks. It’s just armchair quarterbacking and not coming from someone who deals with these scenes in person. I realize I could be contradicting myself though when I say that the killer might want to attack the victim’s face or eyes while at the same time wanting them to see who they are. Maybe they show their identity, then inflict that damage.
There’s another aspect of this case that nags me. The victim’s body was left at the scene. No attempt was made to dispose of the body or some of the associated implements. Did the killer get tired? Did they become disgusted with their own actions? Did they get the rush they were after simply by gazing upon the scene? Were they interrupted? It would be interesting to know what time this occurred and whether any neighbors or passersby were nearby at the time. The police have surely already asked those questions.
I realize the graphic violence we’re discussing can be extremely disturbing for the victim’s friends and family. I’m just hoping people will really think about what kind of person did this and report any behaviors or comments that might have seemed insignificant at the time but could factor into the bigger picture. There were possible sexual elements to the crime as well which just adds to the demonstrated depravity. Whoever the killer was, I’m sure Satan shone in their eyes.
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It does seem like perhaps he was interrupted. I’d be interested in the time frames as well.
As to your discussing the facial bludgeoning and not wanting them to see or to see, it’s very intriguing. It actually reminds me of a Thomas Harris novel- “Red Dragon.” Scary.
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Weird. I’ve never read that. I remember hearing about the movie and it sounded more like gross out horror than a psychological thriller.
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The movie yes, but Thomas Harris is an amazing novelist who spent years researching the FBI’s psychological profiling unit and he’s the author of Silence of the Lambs as well. He’s incredibly articulate in the books- forget that movie.
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Okay. I am somewhat familiar with the whole Hannibal thing but have never read any of that.
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It seems Alan has been removed from the Boeing employee directory, I wonder if he’s been let go now that he has officially been named as a suspect.
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Thanks. I’ll bet you’re right. Do any other coworkers on here know?
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If he has been removed from the directory, that means he is no longer a Boeing employee.
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Ok. I wasn’t sure. Thank you!
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All right! Great for Susann’s family & friends!
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One can only hope he’s been released. That one guy from the Patriots was arrested on suspicion of murder and they dropped him. Of course Alan hasn’t been arrested, yet.
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When someone in his position faces a major challenge or turning point like the loss of a job, especially when they believe they’re more cunning than everyone else, they can be more dangerous. It can trigger some serious emotional and psychological mayhem. Some people’s jobs are closely tied to their identities and to them a loss of a job can seem like the end of their life. Hopefully no one else gets hurt while this plays out.
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I see what you are saying- it’s a safety thing. They didnt fire him so he won’t go nuts and go on a killing spree of his coworkers. Oh it keeps getting worse. Great point.
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I don’t know if it’s a safety thing. It might just be more for the sanity of his coworkers. Dunno. I certainly think it’s the prudent thing to do, especially since some of his coworkers have spoken out publicly. It might sound weird to downplay the safety aspect, but in a case like this I would be most worried about him harming people close to him in his personal life, not the general public. You never know, though, so Boeing’s probably not going to take a chance. Violence in the workplace is a glaring issue in American society and often has domestic violence ties.
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There’s been some lively discussion about the Smith case on KOMO. I questioned whether to repeat this as it could be malicious gossip. I have no way of verifying who this person is or if what they’re saying is true, but took note because of similar comments from several different people over time:
“This aged hooker is a manipulative sociopath that tries to convince everyone just how nice, loving, christ-following, good-hearted, positive person she is. In reality, she is a manipulative, conniving, evil-hearted person with disregard to anyone but herself. She loves herself and craves attention so bad that she will do ANYTHING to get that. I’ve known a guy who she got real stalkerish with after he was sick of her “craziness”. It is probably because her narcissistic self can’t understand why a guy wouldn’t want to be with her so she doesn’t let go easily. The scary thing is that she can make an appearance of a “good person” very easily and manipulate people into thinking that she is just a “poor soul” that wishes well and loves everyone. The ONLY person she loves is herself.”
Ouch. Sometimes men who use and dump women say things like that to distance themselves from their prey. It could be vindictive. I also don’t want to make light of mental illness if that’s involved. And even if Thai is like this, she could still be a victim of domestic violence and/or in danger. She doesn’t have to be perfect to have to be considered as such or to be deserving of help.
The sense I got from these comments is “borderline personality disorder.” Some women with BPD have suffered trauma that contributed to the development of the disorder and that manifests itself in frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, impulsive and reckless behaviors, and mood swings. Others just seem instinctively self-centered and will mow others down, especially those they perceive as competition, to keep the spotlight on themselves.
Unfortunately those with BPD may have an increased risk of being a victim of violent behavior like sexual assault. There are also people informally called borderpaths who show symptoms of BPD but have sociopathic symptoms as well (low to no conscience; they act as if life is all about them when, as Rick Warren has said, focusing on ourselves will never reveal life’s purpose).
I don’t want to make excuses for any bad behavior. I have been trying to figure out what’s driving the sudden and extreme devotion to Alan Smith although it’ll get boring at some point. But what’s most important is that the Smith children are safe and that justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24).
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Although there is no new information contained within this post, it looks like the 48 Hours people at CBS have taken notice: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57590915-504083/wash-man-arrested-for-obstruction-of-justice-named-suspect-in-wifes-murder-report-says/. I can hear the narrator’s voice making profound comments during a one hour special already…
Tonight I thought of Alan Smith’s comment during the KOMO interview that he shouldn’t be paying attention to other people’s opinions. Where would he get those opinions? Most likely from sites where people are commenting… like this. It’s not like there’s been a public vigil or man on the street interviews (yet).
The wise thing for him to do at this point would be to start talking to authorities, not TV cameras. The sympathy he hopes he has created seems to be nonexistent. It’s in his own best interest to cooperate with the investigation given what will likely happen next. If he won’t do that for himself, he should do it for his kids.
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My friend had hit the end with her husband and wanted him gone. She was a highly paid CFO and he decided he’d kill her and get all the money. I never heard her say a bad word about anyone and I’m sure she had no idea her death would be the result of finally standing up for herself. We all said he was weird, he made us uncomfortable etc. but if you’re not wired like them you can’t comprehend the evil hiding below the surface. Strong women want to believe they can fix what’s wrong in their relationships but this kind of sociopath can’t be wished or lead into acceptable behavior.
If you’re in a bad relationship and wondering if your man might be like Alan, read the books Wildninja mentioned, it will open your eyes. Save yourselves.
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Amen!
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Building off of what some of the awesome people commenting here are saying, I want to remind people of what domestic violence is. It’s not just physical violence.
I’ve known both women and men who are in unstable, conflict-filled relationships filled with volleys of verbal assaults and they say, “oh, but he/she’s not hitting me, so it’s not abuse.” I also hear things like, “he’s threatening to kill me, but he’s never actually touched me” or “she’s a good person most of the time, she just doesn’t handle her drink well.”
Please wake up. That’s domestic violence. Abusers will keep pushing and pushing and pushing your boundaries as far as they can go until you feel like you have no power left over your own life or decisions. They want power and control over you so their game is to wear you down, make you experience intense highs and lows, crave the makeup sex that comes after a brutal argument, and so on.
This is the power and control wheel. See what here looks familiar: http://www.ncdsv.org/images/powercontrolwheelnoshading.pdf.
Here is a revised model for men who are being abused by women: http://dvservices.tripod.com/id41.html.
There’s more good info. at http://dahmw.org/what-is-abuse.
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Wildninja, your comments about the type of man it takes to do something like this to a wonderful woman who was so much better than him, just makes me weep. I’m seeing an unbelievable number of similarities to my friend’s murder by her husband. The comments by Susann’s friends are exactly what we all said after our friend was brutally killed. The pattern is so close with this case it makes me sick to think other women are going thru this, too. Please keep up your blogging because obviously so many people are reading it and if you can wake one woman up to what her future might be, it will be worth it.
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Thank you. What you said about “if you can wake one woman up” really resonates with me. I started blogging about these things during a period of insomnia after a breakup as I slowly learned just how deep the deception in that relationship had gone.
At first it felt uncomfortable to share things about my life and mistakes, but I even said this at the time and it’s probably on my blog somewhere– if just one person is helped by me making a fool out of myself, it’s worth it. Too many people in my life have been enslaved and crushed by domestic violence; one even lost her life to it.
Although my paying job is in a different field at the moment, in my experiences, studies, and unpaid involvements I’ve seen– over and over again– hard-working, giving, smart women sucked dry by abusers. And it finally occurred to me– we’re like a filling station on the road of life for them. They’re empty inside and try to fill themselves by leeching off of “fuller” people emotionally, sexually, financially, etc.
When I started reading Sandra L. Brown’s work like How to Spot a Dangerous Man and Women Who Love Psychopaths, I realized that others were on the same track (and that woman can really write– you can also sign up for her weekly newsletter at her website, http://saferelationshipsmagazine.com/). She does an amazing job of breaking down how and why this happens.
My personal experiences have largely involved police officer-involved domestic violence, which I made the area of emphasis and the subject of my dissertation in my M.A. Similar power and control dynamics are at play, but there can be extra layers of protection for uniformed abusers like their departmental culture and their unions that make survival even more dangerous for their victims. There are links on my blog’s sidebar to relevant websites.
If you are in one of these relationships– get help! Call a hotline, reach out to a support group, talk to a friend, find out who the domestic violence advocate is at your local police department. Don’t wait around to see if he or she is serious about taking your life. Sometimes they strike right when you think things are settling down.
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Don’t ever think you made a fool out of yourself. That’s that guy talking. Not you. You’re the hero here. I thank you.
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Thank you very much for this last post. As I wrote right at the beginning, Susann was a good friend when we both went to school together. I am going to scan some old photos to show you different impressions of what her life with us was like. She was kind, open-hearted, fair. She believed in the positive side of life, she believed in a good and forgiving God, she helped everybody who needed help. She always contributed in public life, she supported pupils as a class representative, she was committed in her parish, she was a member of our school theatre and later on at university she played theatre as well. I always saw her smile, she was nice and sweet, she had a very strong sense of fairness. Another school friend of mine told me some time ago that she never knew how to talk to her, because she was never angry. She always listened, made up her thoughts, reflected a lot, before coming to a decision. She was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.
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Very cool! She was quite a woman. While reading your latest comments (and Susanne’s) I was struck with the thought that such well-rounded, intelligent women can come to be seen as threats by their male partners.
In my experience, I’ve found that some men say they want a smart, self-sustaining woman, but after time find the same qualities they seemed to be attracted to somehow threatening to their manhood. This is usually true of borderlines and sociopaths– they gravitate towards women who have qualities they lack, but wind up despising those qualities.
While these men should be looking inside themselves for the origin of such problems, they often project their own issues– and the blame– onto that woman. Also, when these men become abusive, they become afraid of the intelligent, strong woman they are mistreating because they know she probably keeps good records, might involve the authorities, etc. I do wonder if that was the case here.
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For those who want to share something about this case but don’t want their comment to be posted, you can still use the comment function. Just ask me not to post your thoughts. I realize that some people are not comfortable having their concerns or recollections posted for all the world to see. Also, when you’re trying to be anonymous it can be stressful to even use a nickname or initials.
Knowing that there are people in Germany who are following this case, it would be nice to know more about Susann. Several people have pointed out that we don’t know much about her but from the little I know, she was well-liked and admired for her intellect and devotion to her children. I understand if you’re not at a point you’d like to share or if want to stay quiet during the investigation. Everyone processes grief differently.
To Susann’s German friends and family, I’ve never met your daughter or even heard of her until last February, but know that we in America are thinking of you and sending peace, love, and prayers across the miles. It must be very difficult being so far away from her children and the evolving court case. May God give you strength and healing as you wait for truth and justice.
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I, too, went to school with Susann (and with Mariana, who wrote the first comment above). We shared the same grade for only two years, but I think it is safe to say that even if you met Susann only briefly, you would remember her. We were not even very close, as I was into boys and typical things a 16 yr old would be into 🙂 and Susann was a good girl and a good student. She was, and that is what I remember about her the most, even more than her kindness, EXTREMELY smart. Not the annoying, geeky kind, just genuinely intelligent in every way, and always willing to explain stuff to those who did not get it at first. And even though we were not close, I always looked up to Susann for always being nice and never saying one bad word about anyone. This may sound ridiculous, but Susann was truly a better person than most others.
I will never understand what made her marry this “pretty boy”. It must have been some form of her wanting to rescue him.
I am very grateful for your blog and everybody’s thoughts. After the indescribable shock we all experienced when we heard the horrible news back in February, it was so hard that no one really seemed to care and that there was barely any news coverage. Even though it disgusts me that only now, after his escapades with the crazy girl, the case gets any attention, it gives me comfort to some extent that it is in the (local, thank God for the internet) news now and that it’s being discussed.
As many others, I was convinced from the first moment that Alan Smith killed his wife. I do wonder if crazy girlfriend had something to do with it.
I pray that the police know what they’re doing and that they have some kind of master plan and that soon it will all make sense why everything took so long… I also pray that A.S. and crazy girl get what they deserve. Hopefully, Susann’s parents will get custody of ____ and ____, their grand kids. They certainly did a remarkable job raising their two daughters and I’m sure they are the best guardians for Susann’s children.
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Thank you for taking the time to share this. These are the things I wish people would pay attention to– the positive qualities of the woman whose life was taken and the impact this has on her children. I removed their names since I hadn’t seen them in print anywhere else.
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Author of Spy the Lie thinks Smith is being deceptive: http://mynorthwest.com/11/2302109/Manofinterest-in-Bothell-wifes-murder-shows-signs-of-withholding-information.
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More about his body language.
http://mynorthwest.com/11/2302109/NSA-analyst-Manofinterest-in-Bothell-wifes-murder-shows-signs-of-withholding-information#.UcjEaz8f6mg.email
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Awesome article !!!! I called that!!! I’m the deaf poster who commented exactly that about his smiles and grins. What a creep.
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You did, and I’m intrigued by the fact that your deafness gives you increased powers of observation while many of us have to learn those skills. I feel like throwing out a news anchor-esque cliche like, “folks, you read it here first!” because you did post that comment a couple of days ago.
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Thanks! I wish I could claim it was some great talent but honestly it’s just because its so hard to read lips and people give away more in their body language and mannerisms that they could ever know. Ask someone a good question and see if they touch their ears or scratch their head or arm or anything that’s the worst tell. It’s so spot on sometimes I feel like I’m cheating people. But, good people should have nothing to hide.
Again, thanks for the brilliant blog and thanks to everyone posting news about the case to keep myself and others informed.
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Just as an FYI with regards to Alan’s membership in the flight club. Measures have been taken to insure he no longer has access to the aircraft. Hangar codes have been changed and his access to the airport ramps has been rescinded.
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Does he have a pilot’s license? I didn’t know about this. Thanks for the info.– very interesting.
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Alan holds a student pilot certificate and third class medical certificate issued on 8/18/2011. His address is listed as the current home in Bothell.
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Either Alan’s father or her “parents”………prominent OB/GYN couple in Seattle area.
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Someone else mentioned that too. Also, someone above said Alan’s father was who posted bail.
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PS http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Suspect-in-wifes-murder-turns-in-passport-bails-out-of-jail–212672381.html
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Thanks for these links. I wonder where the passport was kept.
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And Love Thai’s facebook page has been unusually quiet. I can’t help but wonder… are the so busy making “sweet love 24/7” or fleeing the country…..?
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Obviously Alan Smith’s father posted bail and Alan was released last night. Scary.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Bothell-man-suspected-in-wifes-murder-faces-judge-212516611.html?tab=video&c=y
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Here’s a blog post from a woman who appears to be a professional deception and credibility expert: http://blog.eyesforlies.com/2013/06/suspect-in-wifes-murder-denies.html. It contains different parts of the interview with Smith and Thai that what I saw on KOMO.
There was some discussion above about nonverbal communication. I noticed things in the original KOMO excerpts like Smith’s jaw flexing, his eyes, and the awkwardness of Thai’s arm around him. There’s still a little distance between them so it looks like she’s trying too hard by positioning her arm that way without him reciprocating. He’s holding her hand but it’s still… reaching.
I remember doing things like that when I was trying to show affection to an emotionally unavailable person, or trying to make things look okay when they weren’t (sometimes to protect myself, so people wouldn’t ask questions).
In the clip on the Eyes for Lies blog, I also noticed his toes flexing (most of us noticed his bare feet to begin with). While Thai is talking, he appears to be trying to look affirmed, but look again. It’s like he’s monitoring what she’s saying. Notice where the microphone power-thingie is placed– right in-between his open legs.
Because of TV we all think we can spot a liar– some shows have us believing that our assessments of nonverbal signals can absolutely separate truth from lies. There are other reasons, though, that people may act nervous, not look you in the eye, fidget, and otherwise appear to be lying. It’s not an infallible science. The expert on the blog above does say that she doesn’t trust Smith.
It’s also mentioned here that Susann was murdered in the bedroom– there was blood splatter on the walls– and was moved to the bathroom. She was found naked from the waist down, which I’m not surprised by but don’t recall hearing before. It’s a murder that simply reeks of power and control issues, which are driving forces behind acts of domestic violence and sexual assault.
There’s usually a psychological or practical reason that a body would be moved to a place like a bathtub. Perhaps the killer didn’t want to get more blood on the floor than he had to if he has a personal stake in the house. They could be trying to stage the scene or alter or destroy evidence. In this case it seems like the killer was trying to be somewhat clean, so I do find it interesting Smith bought coveralls before the murder.
Eyes for Lies notes that Alan made a strange comment about their children’s character being developed through this. Thai talks about how they “feel” Susann in the house, both her “rage” and “joy.” As a Christian, I don’t believe in ghosts, but in angels and demons (messengers of light and mind-bending spirits of darkness that pretend to be other things). Even if I did believe in ghosts like 45 percent of Americans do, joy doesn’t seem to be a logical word to use in this case, you know?
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What an excellent blog! Great summary of related news and collection of links to local reporting about this case. I was snooping on the Facebook pages of Love Thai and Alan Smith (which incidentally appear to have little if any privacy settings), and I was very shocked to see her referring to a couple of very prominent Seattle area physicians as her parents. There is a recent photo of them with her and the caption tags “dad” and states that they had taken her out for dinner. I won’t name them here, but as I said, it is open to public viewing. Her “dad” performed my emergency C-section at Swedish 17 years ago (for which I am so grateful :-).
If she is accurately representing this relationship, Alan Smith’s 10k bail money and more could be easily forthcoming. Hope the investigators locate that passport…..
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Thank you. My blog is basically whatever’s on my mind.
I’m not intending to provide every link to the case, but do want to give people a picture of what’s going on and those curious little snippets from the news that factor into larger profiles of the people involved.
I feel bad for her parents. I haven’t seen her Facebook page myself but it’s clear she’s not worried about it being private. I wonder if she wants to flaunt her new relationship to the person she has the court order against and was allegedly threatened by, which is unwise. If you’re a nurse, you’re probably acquainted with this dynamic. It’s playing with fire.
My mind keeps going back to that picture of her and Alan in matching motorcycle jackets that I think came from her Facebook page. Once in a while people really do meet and click instantly. But more often than not, a dark soul is just moving fast to pin their prey down. Sociopaths often sweep women off their feet, overwhelm them with intensity and sex, and cause relationships to move at a more rapid pace than they’d normally progress.
That her devotion to him– and the fact that they’re wearing matching motorcycle jackets just weeks into the relationship– is so intense already is a huge red flag. If I were her parents I’d try an intervention.
Some sociopaths are so charming and convincing that they suck the parents into their false image too. I remember a case from my days in police records in which it was crystal clear that the daughter’s boyfriend was an accomplished scam artist sociopath. But the parents defended him despite the long trail of destruction in his wake and felony charges. They wanted his relationship with their young daughter to continue (!!).
They were totally taken by this guy and cited his less than ideal childhood, less than GQ looks, etc. as reasons that he should be given yet another chance. They were blind to the fact that those conditions could have also helped him develop into the predator that he was.
Who knows– maybe she’s one too and is using Alan. Maybe she’s trying to start a Kim Kardashian-like career, kicking off her fame with sex acts gone public and then being famous for ??? But if I were her parents or others who care about her, I’d still be trying to do what I could for her safety and mental health whether I believed that Alan Smith is guilty or not. It’s all just too loud and flashy and fast.
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Okay, just one more post for today. I should have already mentioned that Susan Murphy Milano’s blog got on this story right after I did and has some excellent analysis: http://murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/2013/05/what-would-susan-say-murder-of-susann.html. Susan passed away of cancer last year just after her book came out but her site administrator is working hard to keep her work alive. There were also efforts to have local media figures who’ve followed the story appear on associated national shows but for some reason those figures didn’t follow through.
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Just came across this discussion on a site called Websleuths, http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?s=fe023285b38eed45560f34251fadb67b&p=9588857#post9588857. Someone there mentions this blog– yes, I’m a woman! 🙂 I’m involved in crime victims advocacy on my off time and a contributor to the Time’s Up crime victims advocacy blog, http://timesupblog.blogspot.com/. If any of you are interested, they are always looking for contributors. Authors range from titans in the field to survivors like me who feel strongly about crime and justice.
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KING 5 says prosecutors told them there’s no forensic evidence tying Alan Smith to the scene of the crime: http://www.king5.com/news/local/Judge-orders-Bothell-murder-suspect-to-hand-over-passport-212562621.html.
I really hope the police and prosecution bring in at least one good forensic psychologist. Even if Smith is not a danger to the general public, an argument could be made that he is dangerous and could commit other acts of violence in the future. Even if he can’t be directly tied to the crime (something I find odd considering the evidence the police supposedly have so far), they can still get inside his head and give an opinion as to whether they think he had something to do with it.
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I see in the king tv story the police took his footprints because they found bloody footprints at the scene of the crime. It’s interesting to note that in the komo TV interview from yesterday he is shown sitting and talking with the reporter and his girlfriend – barefoot.
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The Bothell Reporter says the police obtained a warrant to get footprints from suspect Smith: http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/212558301.html.
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Somebody at KOMO is starting to do a great job of keeping up on this story even if too much is being made of the Smith-Thai affair. In this piece from today, Love Thai apparently believes that Alan Smith could be guilty of Susann Smith’s murder: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Bothell-man-suspected-in-wifes-murder-faces-judge-212516611.html.
Here’s an excerpt:
After Friday’s court hearing, Lynn asked Thai, “You live in the home of a horrific murder with the person who’s been named the only suspect. … Is there anything inside you that tells you he did it? He killed her?”
Thai answered, “Absolutely.” She went on to say Smith is only human and that we all have our dark sides and our tipping points.
Smith appeared in court Friday, and the judge said he could leave jail if he posts $10,000 bail and gives up his passport. But Thai said Smith doesn’t have enough money to post bail. She asked the public to donate money so he could get out of jail.
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Their affair is both creepy and disgusting, but if it helps bring attention to the case and pressure towards moving towards a final arrest and trial I am all for it. The more people who are drawn into it only because of the strangeness of their creepfest dynamic the more (hopefully) will say “that guy looks guilty, i bet he did it and I hope they get him” and pass it on until it happens.
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Thank you to everyone who’s commented and who’s following the comments. I’m feeling more and more hopeful of a conviction in this case (once an arrest is made, of course).
I just posted a new blurb on the front page that mentioned yet another Seattle-area domestic violence homicide. I used it as an example of why EVERYONE should know about the Document the Abuse website, http://documenttheabuse.com/index.html, and the Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit mentioned there.
Please feel free to visit and share the site. Every victim of domestic violence should have one of these, and ladies, that’s one in five of us at least. Men, you know there’s a lot of you out there too.
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Wildninja, thanks for your blogging effort on behalf of Susann. I just learned of this unfortunate episode via Drudge yesterday and found your blog entry while trying to figure out exactly what happened to Susann. Susann was a friend of the German side of my family; we had no idea what had happened. I don’t believe I met her, but she was spoken of very well by my family. The few that know are heartbroken, and I expect heartbreak and concern for Susann’s children to be the topic of discussion around the dinner table for the next week.
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I’m just one righteously angry Gen X woman and survivor with a computer. Imagine what we could all do together if we spoke out publicly against domestic violence and homicide.
I feel sick that you had to find this out through the media but am glad that what happened to Susann will be on your hearts and minds. I’m sorry that you had to lose a family friend, especially this way.
There are other friends in Germany and elsewhere watching this case and I hope anyone with any tidbit of information about it will speak to the Bothell Police Department. Of particular interest to many commenters on this blog is Alan Smith’s past.
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Susann was a close acquaintance of mine, for a short period of time, 2005-2006. She was a sweet, energetic woman with an honest smile. I’m so sad to hear of her brutal passing. Let us remember the woman. She was a person who was kind.
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Anna, thank you for coming by. It’s so touching to hear people talk about Susann. Her name and her good qualities have gotten so lost as the voyeuristic world we live in has become enamored with the Smith-Thai affair. Thank you for keeping her memory alive and reminding us that there is a real person, and a real life lost, at the center of this whole story.
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I’m stunned. Did you guys see the interview he did today on Komo TV!?!? Watch his body language- I am deaf and learned to read body language- this man is smiling and grimacing at each question. He is clearly being deceptive and lying through his teeth. I was taught to read those signals as displeasure, distrust, and that the person has a secret. Interesting???
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Thank you for sharing this insight. It is fascinating to hear about body language from your perspective since you might be that much more in tune with body language than many of us. Although I don’t have that kind of insight, things didn’t look right to me either.
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That plastered grin on his face was very telling and usually indicates suppressed displeasure or forced agreement of some sort. His pupils were also quite dilated, I found that odd as well. Also, the fact that he never broke eye contact with the reporter seemed a rehearsed effort to try to appear sincere, when in fact doing just that is usually a sign of an accomplished liar.
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Alan Smith was interviewed by KOMO today. Thoughts and the link at https://wildninja.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/alan-smith-arrested/.
An interview with Love Thai will be on the KOMO 11:00 news tonight (and I’m guessing it will be on their website later).
Supposedly they have been harassed at the house– I hope not. If people want this successfully prosecuted and want the police to wrap it up, they don’t need to delay them by harassing anyone.
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Interesting: The divorce was contentious and not final. A guardian ad litem was requested for the children but denied. Bet the judge is sorry about that call. There many requests for revisions. The last date something happened in the court was on 1-25-2013…and she was murdered in February. She was the petitioner in the divorce and it looked likes she was fighting with all of her might to protect the children in her custody. She may have known a lot about something she didn’t want her children exposed too. By mention of her classmates, she was empathetic and protective of those who were seemingly underdogs in school. He probably appealed to her sensitivities in some way in the beginning and she slowly discovered the truth about him. According to the previous posts by coworkers or acquaintances he was good at keeping the truth at a distance with little information, true or not, dropped here or there and probably only for gaining attention/sympathy or such when it served him. Yes, there is speculation here based on court records and hearsay. He sounds likes a sociopath. And here’s more reason why I think so:
The new girlfriend, Love Thai changed her name in December of last year according to court records. She also filed for a restraining order against someone 6-4-2013 and according to her FB page, it was against someone who threatened to kill her 5 times and she was upset with the legal system for not being able to serve him because she could not provide his address. If she met Alan 5/10/13 he probably found her vulnerable for a number of reasons, if not the least she told him about this incident. She is probably a victim of domestic violence or worse and he chose her to bring back to the house in which his wife was murdered! They were already having arguments that brought law enforcement around. I wonder how much time she had left in her life….when she was no longer sexually fun? And why is he bringing this attention to himself? He is bold….he thinks he is smarter than everyone.
Thank goodness those children are in protective custody! That’s my take on it. And I not surprised I haven’t heard about this story before today. It happens all the time with victims of domestic violence.
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Notsimple, your last sentence is so true. And I agree with you that this woman Love Thai could be vulnerable. I didn’t know about the restraining order and she could be going out of the frying pan into the fire. All along I’ve wondered the same things about her.
Didn’t know there was a request for a GAL either. Wow, it was denied? I’m glad the state is trying to protect the children now though. And I remind myself that sociopathic people specialize in convincing others that their victim is the crazy, unstable, and vindictive one.
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I just watched a KING 5 video and Love Thai herself says that her and Alan have both been going through some intense trauma: http://www.king5.com/news/crime/Bothell-death-investigation-212273561.html. Uh oh, trauma bonding. This woman needs to wake up.
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You seem very knowledgeable. Why is it that men who are abusers tend to partner with victims of abuse? Is it because they are easy targets? I ask because my father abused me and my mother, remarried a woman who had been abused and ended up a using her and then divorced her and is now on wife 3, who he tells me had an abusive childhood. It’s like he thinks I’m stupid that I can’t see the pattern but its him who can’t see it.
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Like sharks that smell blood from a distance, some low to no conscience types just seem to instinctively “smell” women who’ve been abused before. There is a spiritual darkness in their lives that makes them act like predators.
I’ve been through this, and the first time things started to go wrong with someone who knew full well what I’d been through before, I thought, “how could he do this to me? How could anyone be so cruel?”
I soon realized that I was expendable, a commodity, something that could be used up and thrown away because in his eyes I already was used up and thrown away. He didn’t care what he did to me because there’s an endless supply of women out there to play with. I ranted about disposable people in this post, https://wildninja.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/disposable-people/.
I also think that some guys want to be the rescuer, like a Disney prince who rides up on a white stallion and saves the fair maiden from her life of drudgery. But those guys can be narcissists and sociopaths too, or weak, insecure men who don’t have control over other things in their lives so see an opportunity to be seen as strong. Typically they can’t sustain the hero persona. It’s just a foot in the door, a dramatic entrance.
Women who’ve been through abuse, whether as children or adults or both, often have great empathy for others and are helpers and fixers. Bad men zero in on this quality like tailgate partiers to beer. They are often attracted to women who are strong, successful, caring, giving, etc. because those are qualities they lack in themselves and feel better about themselves by being with a woman like that. But like the vampires they are, they start sucking that woman dry to try to fill the hole in their own soul.
Sandra L. Brown’s books and institute are a great source of information on these sorts of matters: http://saferelationshipsmagazine.com/. Her books Women Who Love Psychopaths and How to Spot a Dangerous Man should be required reading for both sexes.
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I thank you for your reply. I hope you don’t mind me commenting here, I prefer your site to leaving comments on komo or king or elsewhere because I really feel you broke the story and think of this website as a home base for info and updates. Thanks.
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Thanks, but it’s Matt Phelps at the Bothell Reporter who’s provided the vast majority of what we know. They have followed this case since the beginning and been the primary source for most of what I know, so I can’t take credit for that. I didn’t intend to be home base. People just started leaving comments here and some of them appear to be close to the case, so they are the other primary source of information. I haven’t been able to do much original research due to other commitments (and an unrelated job) so want to give credit where credit is due.
Blogs often become discussion spots and frankly I think people have more intelligent conversations on blogs than on most news websites. I comment on news websites but find that most people aren’t interested in discussion, just stating their opinion. So please feel free to leave comments and discuss things. I really hope that all of us together can show the world that we care more about a woman many of us have never met, Susann Smith, and her children, and justice, than the sordid escapades of a murder suspect and his saucy girlfriend.
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This guy, his body language is nothing but lies. I can’t believe the audacity of that woman. She sits there and talks about how after he told her about the death of the wife they made love for 4 days straight? These two will soon be on Nancy Grace they are an absolute train wreck. It’s good they’re getting media attention and they need more because this guy needs to be locked away. Soon.
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Someone (HB13) commenting on KOMO’s site claims to know how Alan and Love met. I have no idea how much of this is true but have wondered how and when their relationship began.
“Love Thai changed her name legally from Thai Nguyen. Met Alan at a nightclub on Cap Hill on May 10 of this year. Since then they haven’t been separated. On May 11th, Alan bought her 2 ferrets and a fight / argument erupted where neighbors called the police… twice. Love calls Alan her “Spiritual Doctor & husband” who spends his time writing a book on healing and being an engineer at Boeing. Love tells others that she was sent to this earth to save 7 million people from their pain. She always told us that she was married to God and only him. That’s why she wears that cubic zirconia that she claims she bought for $5500.”
There is a King County record of her legally changing her name last December so that seems to match up. The timeline also coincides with what someone here posted earlier in the day and we do know about the calls to the police.
Some people are already jumping on her belief in God as if believers are never, ever susceptible to sin. People love to figuratively crucify Christians for acting human, as if the same temptations don’t affect them too.
In my experience the people who consider themselves the highest and best authorities on who’s truly Christian and who’s not are… non-Christians. So my advice to them is to put their rocks away.
I hope people have the sense to not harass anyone on their Facebook pages or go onto the property either. It just gives the police more unnecessary crap to deal with.
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Looks like this case has finally gone international. It disgusts me that news of Susann’s murder has finally spread because of the loud sex in the yard incident, not because of what happened to her. It’s become the scream heard round the world while Susan’s cries while she was being brutally murdered have mostly been ignored.
Love Thai’s picture is now all over the web including on The Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2345398/Man-sex-girlfriend-Love-Thai-outside-home-wife-beaten-death-named-suspect-brutal-murder.html. Many sites are reposting pictures of her and Alan from her Facebook page. Is the right woman getting attention?
Local station KIRO talks about him buying a mallet and coveralls that could have been used in her murder, along with blood in his car: http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/husband-dead-bothell-woman-arrested-thursday/nYQk5/.
The Everett Herald talks about the police spending months analyzing phone and financial records and electronics: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130620/NEWS01/706209903. They also note that his arrest today was for obstructing, a misdemeanor. It was not for the murder.
I don’t think it will be long now. If Bothell PD made a move like they did today, they’re probably feeling pretty confident about the case.
Think I found Alan’s Facebook page while looking for something else: https://www.facebook.com/alan.ucsu.
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I credit you with getting the word out to warn people. Kudos to you.
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Thanks. I was just really bothered that this woman was murdered and hardly anyone in the media seemed to notice.
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Well thanks to you people are noticing and those calls from neighbors to police made sure they knew the guy was an ongoing problem. Lets hope they can keep him away from the public.
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It’s the neighbors who’ve been the most vigilant and on top of this. I wish we all had neighbors like them. And to me it’s just cool that people can come together like this in the interest of public safety regardless of our individual differences. That’s the awesome part about such grassroots activism– nobody’s caring what political parties or religions are involved. We care about what happens to the Smith children and this case and our communities. Individual people are taking it upon themselves to do what they can within in the law to achieve these things.
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For those who are interested, this might be a good point at which to mention the Time’s Up crime victims advocacy blog. It’s a group of people from various political and religious viewpoints, many professionals in their fields, united by their passion for crime victims advocacy. I mention this in an attempt to generate empathy for victims of violence in general. Sometimes we don’t realize how serious it is until it happens to us.
http://timesupblog.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Times-Up/152960762299
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I meant to also say – if you look Love Thai up on her Facebook, all her posts the last 3 weeks are all about “the love of her life” Alan – but for a woman who posts as prolifically as she does its interesting to note that he only begins appearing in her timeline about 5 weeks ago. My impression is that she finds the attention a turn-on and is loving being part of a news story.
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How do you find her on FB? Just “Thai love” what a creep.
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I did find them both on Facebook and what a pair they make. It’s difficult to look away because you can’t believe what you are seeing.
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I never have seen Thai’s Facebook page. Do you have the link? Part of me doesn’t even want to look, though, because that’s what she wants.
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It’s hard to find directly. Go to google and type in “Alan smith bothell Facebook.” The first link is the right one. There’s no privacy on it so view his friends and click on Love Thai, she also has no privacy locks on her account.
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Also, her page is hard to look away from. She posts weird videos of them all the time. Just today too. It’s like a train wreck, really, you can’t believe it so you just, watch.
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Speaking of which- she just posted that she’s uh…preggers? From her FB page: “wE aRe pGERRErs! Complex overwhelming emotions that breed both lOVe & fear and we both sTANd fIRm iN gOD’s pERFECt,gRACe, lOVe tRUTh, jOy, lIGHt & wISDOm”
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I checked today with some co workers and Alan is still on Admin Leave from Boeing. They cannot fire him, he has done nothing wrong work-wise. But they cant let him come back bc his co workers dont want him around for obvious reasons. So he continues to collect full salary for the time being.
This Love Thai woman sounds like she is a few fries short of a happy meal. Sitting next to him for interviews, getting attention and publicity – must be very exciting for her. I must say Im pretty surprised at the lack of judgment Alan is showing – he is a smart guy who never gave me the impression that he has such obviously poor judgment.
He cant be serious about wanting his kids back, that’s for sure – his behavior continues to undermine any chance of that happening soon.
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Give some people enough rope and they’ll hang themselves.
Thanks for the coworker insight. People have obviously been wondering about that.
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Imagine a woman that brainless and co-dependant? She gives women a bad name. Doesn’t she see it could be her bashed up in the bathroom next? Wow. Caveat emptor.
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I’ve heard a couple of people say she’s bipolar, and I continue to be concerned that could make her more vulnerable because she’s allegedly not caring for her condition properly.
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It’s very sad, indeed. My husband said he heard she was asked by a reporter if she thought Alan was capable of the murder and that she said yes and also that they had their own violent fights but nothing serious. I told him he must be nuts, but then I read it myself. Shocked, I was shocked.
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I feel so sorry for the family and friends of Susann who have had to go down this awful path because of such a selfish person. I hope the Snohomish Prosecutor’s office has victim’s advocates who can help them with their anger and pain. Know we are all praying for you all.
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Thank you for mentioning prayer. It’s the best thing the rest of us can be doing, for both the victim’s and suspect’s families.
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To clarify, the murder occured in Snohomish County, just a block or so north of the county line, but we are in Snohomish County. Their divorce proceedings were also handled by Snohomish County court. I am assuming any possible trial would be in the Snohomish County Court house in Everett.
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Thanks. For people outside the Seattle area who are reading this, the City of Bothell, Washington is partially in King County and partially in Snohomish County. Felony crimes (non-federal) are prosecuted at the county level.
Mark Roe is the Snohomish County Prosecutor and he’s a veteran who is public about his feelings on victim’s rights and violent crime. I don’t know who works under him but feel his office is very capable of a successful prosecution in a possible domestic violence homicide.
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Wild Ninja, you have a wonderful way of writing and great insight and compassion for the victim in this case. Maybe you should write a book on this story.
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Wow, thank you! Then I’d have to quit my day job as a public servant. 🙂 Right now my involvements with this field are strictly on my own time and not for profit, but I’d love to be able to do so much more in the field of domestic violence and am working to make that happen. I really appreciate your support!
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I appreciate all of you for writing here and educating the rest of us. It’s a good reminder that bad guys can be right next door.
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Looks like he was taken into custody by Bothell PD this morning at Country Village….
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Interesting. The Bothell Reporter, the entity that’s stayed on this case since the beginning and is the source of most of what we know, is reporting that Alan Smith was arrested for obstructing justice because he wouldn’t turn over his passport. Don’t know where that will lead but I’m hopeful that the police have a certain card to play while he’s in custody… I’ll be ecstatic if this is going where I think it is… but we’ll have to wait it out.
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/212361321.html?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=hootsuite&utm_campaign=socialmedia
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Murder suspects have their computers monitered by the detectives. He must have been about to leave the country. Our King County detectives and prosectors are excellent.
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So that’s great news. The police must have been getting closer to an actual arrest to come get his passport. They considered him a flight risk, and he refused!!! Wow! What a guy. I bet they’re hot on his tail and he might start being a bit more worried now…
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Another day with the house – not sure what is going on but someone put up crime scene tape (could have been him as a joke) and there have been cops there this AM…..I guess we will hear more later….Still disappointed the BOthell Police must wrap this up or get help from the FBI or something …ugh
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Yeah, as you know, we’ll have to stay out of the police department’s way and wait and see. The last thing they need is people butting in or nosing around at a crime scene.
We can look at it this way– it’s likely another step closer to resolving this case, whatever form that may take. Sometimes justice doesn’t quite look like we think it will. But we could all be pleasantly surprised by what Bothell PD and the prosecutor’s office has been accomplishing in the meantime. Our county prosecutors are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to cases like this. I’m a woman who can say that from personal experience.
Thanks for the heads up. When I wrote this blog post I had no idea that people from two countries would be monitoring it and it would become a discussion forum. I’m just glad that so many people are passionate about finding justice for Susann and bringing a sense of peace back to the neighborhood.
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JD, thank you, you’re spot on. I have a deep respect for county prosecutors from both personal and professional experience. If Alan Smith winds up being arrested for the homicide I don’t doubt that a big name attorney will sail in to portray his/her client as the victim and try to drum up public sympathy for him. Inevitably they will cite how the neighbors “treated” him and how some of us were speaking out publicly about the case, “convicting” him “before he had a chance to properly defend himself.”
Certain attorneys always try to spin things to make it look like their client has been abused when in fact they are the abuser. I’d argue that sometimes the more effective tactic is to just plead guilty and then argue for treatment or a reduced sentence (although abusers deserve neither). But such spin doctors already know that our public servants have a vice-like grip on justice in most of these cases.
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Cue John Henry Browne if he’s got enough money. That would make the prosection happy.
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JD, I snickered when I read that because that was definitely one person I had in mind. Instead of trying to paint dramatic portraits of suspects as victims and trying to tear down the victims’ credibility, how about having the suspect take responsibility for their actions and going from there? Isn’t that what will generate the most respect for their client anyway?
I’ve dealt with Browne personally and found some of his spin doctor plays transparent and even absurd. He’s smarter and more educated than that, so I don’t know why he goes there as often as he does. There are others in the same vein and they’re not as persuasive to the well-educated Seattle public as they think they are.
I remember telling the prosecution “I’m about as exciting as tofu” when he was having his investigator delve into my background. It was like, “oh, what colorful and astounding tales will be concocted to spice up my image in order to take the focus off of the defendant?” It’s like someone wiggling their left hand so you can’t see the coin going up their sleeve from the right. If I were a defense attorney I’d just address what happened and work with the prosecution to find a solution with maximum benefit to both parties. Diplomacy, after all, is the art of letting other people get your way.
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I was amazed at how much was obvious misdirection in our trial. Later the jurors told us alot of it was insulting to their intelligence. I guess they do it hoping for one idiot amongst the jury. We see fast, smart justice on tv but reality is so different.
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Isn’t it frustrating? Attorneys, like politicians, often try to sway people (and verdicts) by appealing to their emotions rather than their sense of reason. Like, “{we can’t afford it, there’s already a law like that, it won’t actually help anything, it wouldn’t have stopped the original crime, but} DO IT FOR THE CHILDREN! (and for my business baron golfing buddies).”
It is insulting. It implies that they believe they’re smarter than us and like Obi Wan, with a wave of their hand– or a lot of grandstanding and dramatic gestures a la Jim Forman in a moderate rainstorm– we’ll be sold on their version of the story.
You’re so right about the media too. I have yet to meet a real life Horatio Caine who, while removing his expensive sunglasses with deliberate slowness, asks in a low growl, “Eric, did you ID the DNA contributor?” when CSI Eric’s only had the sample in his possession for five minutes. A lot of it is smoke and mirrors, people, smoke and mirrors… and DJ Pauly D or Flying Lotus aren’t playing in the background that I know of…
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Concerning the above mentioned article, I was chatting with two friends I’ve known since school days and who knew Susann from school as well. We were wondering what motivation somebody might have to arouse even more attention to the crime scene, which is now his home (creepy!), when being the person of interest. I think it’s a combination of different character features: he might be a compulsive checker, he might be a sociopath and he might just be extremely self-confident and sure that he will never be accountable for what he might have done.
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It’s so good to hear from people who knew the victim to keep her memory alive. In murder cases the name of the suspect often becomes more prominent than that of the victim and we become so focused on him/her that we minimize the horror of what the victim went through.
I keep going back to sociopath. But that’s armchair quarterback speculation and I’m not a mental health professional. I have dealt with so many of them personally though that this case immediately got my hackles up.
On the KOMO news site mentioned above, someone suggested that this guy just has a funny way of dealing with his grief. That’s the first time I’ve heard the word grief mentioned in the same sentence as him but yes, people sometimes resort to risky and outlandish behavior to deal with pain.
To me it seems more like what you said, something a narcissistic sociopath would do. Some people truly consider themselves above the law and too smart to get caught. If that’s the case here I inwardly scoff because it’s all so darn transparent.
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A man like that is probably proud of what he has done. Him moving his girlfriend in is the ultimate “revenge” to his wife. This guy should be locked up.
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You know, building on your train of thought, guys who are so vindictive against their exes usually have mommy issues, deep insecurities, and other problems. They laser focus on the ex (or current partner) as the cause of literally everything, but in doing so fail to see how their own pasts, familial relationships, and shortcomings play into their problems. They make the woman the scapegoat and by labeling her the source of all evil they avoid addressing the true origins of the issues in their lives. It’s not just delusional, it’s lazy.
More and more I wonder if there are some mommy issues involved here and if there’s been repeated attempts in his life to deal with mommy issues. It would be so interesting to create a timeline and map out his relationships to develop a larger picture of how things got to here.
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LW, thanks for telling me. I hadn’t caught that yet. My first thought was, “what is he trying to prove?” But then I thought about abusive and unbalanced men I know of who’ve had to “prove” that they’re still “desirable” and “functional” to everyone including the neighbors. It can result in some outrageous, overly dramatized behavior, that’s for sure.
Innocent or guilty, this guy certainly isn’t helping himself any. And for many people sex is about control more than anything else. If an abuser feels like they are losing control over their victim, their abuse often escalates. This is why the risk of homicide goes up 75 percent when you leave an abusive relationship– the abuser might not want you, but they certainly want control over you.
Having risky sex, being involved in dramatic relationships, etc. can be an abuser’s way of feeling like they’re getting their power back. If they can have those intense highs and argumentative lows then they can keep their victim off balance and have more control. It makes the victim tired and confused. Like vampires, they feed off of their victim’s distress.
Some women are turned on by dangerous men or they think that they’re going to be the one who “tames” him. I think of all the women who marry serial killers who are in prison as if they’re rock stars. The added danger of being with someone who is a person of interest in a crime and/or having the uncertainty of whether he could do the same to you can be intense for some women. It’s like a high for them to be with “that” guy but presume they won’t suffer the same fate (talk about tightrope walking).
For all I know some of the people commenting on this or reading it are MHPs or cops; in that case, I’m preaching to the choir. I’m just quite intrigued by this guy’s pattern of behavior. It’s almost like a teenager saying, “watch what else I can get away with…”
Someone else noted that there is an elder care home nearby that can see some of the goings on in his yard. Wow. And while there could be multiple reasons for this semi-public sex, it does strike me as odd that he is being so active at the house his wife was killed in. I wonder if that in itself arouses him. I also wonder if it’s easier for him to do this outside given what happened inside. Time will tell…
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The woman he got pregnant is a bi-sexual woman who lives with her female partner and they wanted a baby with no strings attached. Alan took them up on the offer and she gave birth recently. She is a Boeing employee and not positive how they ended up meeting each other in the first place. She does photography on the side and his oictures are on her Facebook page as a sample of her work.
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Hmm. In and of itself it seems “Modern Family.” As part of a larger pattern of behavior, it concerns me (even though it’s a free country).
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Had this guy been fired from Boeing yet or is he still getting a paid vacation???
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Alan Smiths female “friend” staying in the home of his murdered ex wife…the same female “friend” he was caught having sex with the day before has finally spoke out, but not in the most intelligent way. A home cooked meal? Really? I think a prison meal would suit him better…
The female “friend” Thai Nguyen also goes by Love Thai…it shows a name change on the King County Records. everyone should check out her Facebook, quite interesting.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Police-nab-man-having-sex-outside-his-murdered-wifes-house-212274641.html
Innocent or guilty neither Alan nor Thai seem to have a very stable thought
process when it comes to their actions. King 5 news also did a report stating the prosecutors are going to look into the indecent exposure law to see if they are able to be charge him with that and arrest him.
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I don’t know if this woman was involved with Smith before the murder and don’t want to suggest that she was involved (with the caveat an objective investigator has to consider all possibilities). I do wonder about her mental state, if she’s being taken advantage of, how much she is being abused, and if she’s been totally snowed by a low to no conscience type. I just left the same comment on KOMO (thank you for that link), but author Martha Stout says the most universal behavior of sociopaths is that they prey on our sympathies. Whatever Alan Smith is or isn’t, he certainly has Love Thai’s.
(And wouldn’t a guy truly interested in regaining custody of his kids be putting his energies into that first and foremost, focusing on building a public image of a fit father? It might wind up being good that’s he’s not, but between the allegation that he fathered another child above and that what he’s best known for is flaunting his latest fling outside, it just doesn’t seem wise, as you said.)
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What a couple of real psychos!!! I’m so sorry for the neighbors.
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Sharyn, legally Boeing doesn’t have any reason to fire him that I know of. Innocent until proven guilty and the justice system has to run its course.
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Thanks for the reply. I really feel for the neighbors. It would drive me nuts. I’d have to move away.
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I totally understand what you’re saying, Sharyn. I wouldn’t want to be a neighbor to this and I understand why the neighbors are so stressed out. Some of them have posted here and I have a lot of empathy for them like you do.
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I’ll tell you something. My own neighbor had a wife and 2 small children. The wife was from Bulgaria. He had been previously married and that was an abusive relationship (we all heard the yelling and screaming and told police, etc.) that ended. He suddenly had this new wife from Bulagaria. We have heard nothing but swearing and yelling violence for 5 years now. Even the son, age 4, repeats to people walking by things his parents say /said. It’s disgusting ok? Suddenly, she’s gone and the kids are gone. No moving vans or anything seen, nothing. We just started to notice that there was no more yelling and that he had been painting and cleaning inside the house, removing house plants, loading up his truck at night, etc. We have tried to approach him but are repelled by his angry looks and are scared. We fear the worst but hope she just took off. I guess we should call the police as its now obvious from this article that this happens more often than I ever thought. Wow.
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If you suspect that a neighbor is abusing a family member or worse, my advice would be to call the police and let them decide if they should investigate. Too many people try to judge this ahead of time and decide whether it’s worth calling the police when their gut’s telling them something could be wrong.
The high rate of domestic violence in our society is never, ever going to change unless each person takes it upon themselves to call it out when they see it. And as we used to tell callers to the PD when I worked in police records a while back, we’d rather have you call 911 and have it be nothing than not call and have it be something.
I appreciate your courage!
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Okay , I thank you. I’m not the only one who thinks something is wrong. My other neighbor outright says he thinks he did away with her. But you know how people get, we think we are all blowing it out of proportion. Thanks and we will tell the police and maybe they will just do a simple check.
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More information from sources close to the family. Apparently during the divorce Alan was dating a young woman who, it turns out, was only interested in finding a sperm donor for her and her partner (the assumption is her same-sex partner but this is still unknown). My sources say that upon finding this out Alan agreed to help them and was apparently successful because there is now a child.
This has been confirmed by two separate sources and I believe this is a credible account.
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Interesting. I often add the disclaimer “hearsay” since no one wants to be sued for libel or slander, but people posting here seem to know that so I’m not overly worried about it. People are most concerned with justice, not tearing someone else down, and that’s how it should be.
My first thought was “whoa,” then, “wait, this is 2013 so it’s not unusual.” I also thought about how sociopaths love to spread their seed around, so to speak. That’s not to say this guy is a sociopath, but low to no conscience types seem to have a need to breed even though they might never be there for their offspring. If this is true I’ll bet there were no plans to take this kid out of the country with the others though…
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More activity at the smith home…
http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/212192871.html?mobile=true
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Im the same Diana that left earlier comments – and I have no new info to contribute other than that the complete lack of new info continues to be very interesting to me. I also found the previous comments intriguing, particularly the details about Alan’s mom. I had heard the same “fell off a cliff” story another commenter heard…it really points out how misinformation can fester and move around. It also makes me wonder if Alan has a habit of misrepresenting his past, perhaps and that’s how some of these impressions got out there prior to Susann’s death. Who knows.
His current female friend sounds like a piece of work herself, based on the news story….refusing to leave without her “kids” which turn out to be ferrets, etc. Such an odd side story – one would expect Alan to play it very safe and live his life as quietly and as normally (boringly, even) as possible while he is under scrutiny.
I hope they are able to make an arrest at some point in the not-too-distant future. It’s so disheartening when these things remain unsolved for too long and then fade into the background. Susann deserves better – and honestly, if Alan is innocent then he deserves to have his name cleared – if not then justice needs to be served.
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Thanks for checking in. I must say that your last sentence is spot on– if he’s innocent, all of the speculation and rumors need to be shut down so he can go on with his life. If he’s responsible, yep, justice is waiting.
Many times people who think of themselves as too smart to get caught are disgustingly outgoing about their affairs… they’re “above” the rest of us, remember?
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Thank you for this blog! I too live near the house, I am outraged at the police, lack of information, Shelton View Elementary for not allowing it to be talked about RUMOR has it the girls backpack and coat were in the classroom for months! I am saddened to think that the neighbors right by the house think they are alone they are not, we are all concerned. I can only hope, pray or beg that CPS does not return those children to him. I am now worried about leaving comments on Bothell Reporter because this man has RAGE, what was done to Susann was unbelievable RAGE, that is scary!
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When I wrote this blog post, I didn’t expect neighbors to be coming forward and sharing their concerns like this. But I’m glad that my little corner of cyberspace can be a place to discuss this. Maybe the way this case is being handled will all make sense in time, but it seems that there is a need for a community meeting and some basic information sharing. More could be done to ease the concerns the community has.
If the person of interest were a danger to the general public, I’d think that the police would be handling this differently. He might only be a danger to those close to him (with the caveat that he’s innocent until proven guilty). Even so, I remind myself that the police are not psychologists…
Glad you stopped by.
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Has the man been arrested yet???
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I’m shocked that this guy isn’t in jail. The poor neighbors. Why isn’t this all over the news?
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That’s one reason I felt so compelled to blog about this case– I’ve hardly seen it on the news. The local paper’s been covering it, but beyond that, coverage has been sparse. I realize that the police and victims’ families don’t always want coverage, but in this case it’s important. It’s yet another example of a person of interest in a murder case who could keep custody of his and the victim’s children. I realize that anyone being investigated is innocent until proven guilty, but there are two children involved whose safety should be paramount.
You made a great point– yeah, that has to be very difficult for the neighbors to live next door not only to the scene of a brutal murder, but to someone who might have done it. People keep telling me he hasn’t been arrested yet because the police are managing a complex investigation that has to be thorough. Sometimes crime lab results can take a while too. There could be many reasons, but the wait has some in the community very uneasy. I have an inkling of what strategy the police and prosecutor might use, but in these cases, there’s not always an arrest either.
If you’re a praying person, pray for justice. Sometimes God answers in surprising ways.
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Well hey, thanks for being a blogger, because you certainly informed me. There’s so much crime and criminals everywhere and it’s important people see it and hear it because honestly, until they become a victim of crime themselves, most people prefer to live in the dark and believe the best of everyone. And that, is a dangerous thing.
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I know Alan casually through work friends, though not terribly well. He’s also a member our flying club. One of our members was interviewed by the police regarding the murder, and during that interview our member was told by the police that they are also looking into the circumstances of Alan’s mother’s death in the mid-90s. According to the investigators Alan and his mother were hiking a cliff edge trail with a group when they both fell behind and were no longer visible to the other people. Supposedly his mother then fell off the cliff to her death. This is interesting because apparently he had always told people his mother was killed in a car accident. Granted this is all hearsay, but it still makes you wonder.
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Interesting. What you said substantiates an earlier comment left on this blog, that Smith is being investigated in connection with other deaths. I do wonder why the police are willing to share details like that when other parts of the investigation seem so under wraps. Like you said, though, this is hearsay and I for one don’t want to be responsible for starting any rumors. I’m glad you shared this, though, because it might shed light on why he’s still free even if the police think he did it.
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I’m writing this in response to the rumors that the police are investigating Alan Smiths past. We did a little of our own research and came up with a few things. A few people have stated that Alan Smiths mother died when he was twelve years old, the information we found has stated other wise. Whether or not Alan Smiths father, Craig Smith, remarried I’m unsure of. But Alan Smith was born a year after his mother and father were married, so I am assuming Teresa is Alans mother. If they are investigating his past and looking into his mothers death, if Alan Smith was involved, he would of had to do it when he was around the age of 25. I am attaching a link to the info we have found.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=20060216
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Thanks for the info. That’s interesting. Like you said, these are just rumors. That must be mentioned since I don’t have firsthand knowledge of what’s going on in the investigation.
If– and I’m putting a big strong IF here because I don’t want to falsely accuse anyone– the person of interest winds up being a person of interest in other cases, I wouldn’t be surprised. People with low to no conscience– IF that’s what he is– are often involved in patterns of behavior and a string of questionable activities.
Some of the most dangerous people among us are those who hide their sins the best– sociopaths in particular know how to cover their tracks. They often feel powerful knowing they’ve gotten away with crimes including the most heinous ones. I left law enforcement because of people like this and when writing about low to no conscience types often quote the Bible verse that says, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” I’ve learned the hard way that these types will stop at nothing to maintain an image of innocence and to make their victims look like the suspects.
They won’t get away with this forever though. God sees all. Hopefully justice will come soon in this case.
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Hi wildninja. Thanks for writing about this. This has been nearly consuming me since it happened. We have a child who attends Shelton View Elementary which is a few blocks away from the house, and we also live very close by. Aside from one letter sent by the principle (near the time of the murder) to inform parents that they were working with the Bothell Police Department and that a lockdown was not necessary (really?!?!), the school has taken zero action to ensure our childrens’ safety since it happened – not even with Alan moving back into the house recently. I’ve spoken with a few parents who also hold the same concerns but none of us know what to do about it. Isn’t it the school’s responsibility to ensure our childrens’ safety? It’s just ridiculous! I’m only thankful that school gets out in a couple of weeks but it doesn’t give me complete relief as we still live close to Alan’s house.
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Thanks for your perspective. I understand why people feel this way– this has literally hit close to home for a lot of people in Bothell. I get the feeling that many people in Bothell wish the police would speak more directly to their safety concerns.
That said, whoever killed Susann Smith was likely targeting her and it’s unlikely it was a random murder. I don’t know if the police addressed that already, but I don’t recall hearing anything like that in the first couple of weeks after this happened. That’s when people needed to hear that someone wasn’t stalking their neighborhood killing randomly or that it was not the work of a serial killer.
Public agencies can do a lot to ease the concerns that the community has. Not sharing enough information can lead to fear and distress. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying, “We don’t believe the person/people we are investigating pose a threat to the public.” In the meantime, the rest of us can steer clear of those who might be involved and network with neighbors to discuss any issues.
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Love Thai aka Thai Nguyen. I was a former friend till she did the most unspeakable act of bat s*** crazy to me on 5/10/13 also on the night she met Alan.
Love / Thai is not an escort but could be but she’s very mentally ill. She been off her meds for the past month so Love is just another personality that she talks about. When she gets mad or goes ballistic, she calls herself Thai.
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Thanks for stopping by. From the comments left on this blog this sounds like a volatile mix and I hope it doesn’t lead to further trouble. I hope that he isn’t exploiting her or any existing issues and using them to his advantage. I’m also sorry if you were dragged into it. This situation definitely needs prayer.
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A little bit of info that I was unaware of when I posted my comment yesterday about Alan Smith having a domestic disturbance with his new girlfriend Love Thai (I encourage you to look her up)…
I was told later on that after the police arrived around 7:00am, Love Thai was taken away from the home in a police car so that the two could be separated. This occurred around 7:30am. A few minutes after that Alan Smith left his home in his SUV. I was also talking to neighbors Friday afternoon and was told that police were called to Alan Smiths home by Love Thai herself at 1:20am Friday morning. Only about five hours before we called the police on him later that morning. I was told that they were at Alan Smiths for about one hour.
After finding this news out it makes me wonder if this was a fight that had gone on all night? I know that when I heard them fighting in the front yard it sounded to me like she wanted to leave and he was not allowing it…
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At a glance all I’m seeing that Love Thai was a new name for someone in King County as of last December. Already there is speculation over whether this woman is an escort-type, to put it politely. She could also be a victim regardless of her role.
Smith has probably had it in his head that once he’s divorced and/or “rid” of his children’s mother he’d find the perfect, submissive match and live out his fantasies. How quickly those fantasies will shatter.
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I am still unsure why Thai left her apartment in Tukwila to stay over his home in Bothell. I can confirm Alan has been at her apartment from 3 different sources since they first met.
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Thanks for your article about Susann. I can assure you there is outrage in the community and that the Bothell police is working relentlessly on the case. Many of us have thought of going there and punching him in the face and confronting him but he can’t become the victim.
I can’t imagine how it must be for the neighbors but although it’s troublesome to imagine what he’s doing in there, getting rid of Susann’s stuff, remodeling the whole place and having female friends over, it gives some peace that we and the police know his location.
We have to be patient and it’s excruciating to wait but I feel confident in the work of the police on this case as they’ve been dedicated to solving it from day one. They’re doing everything by the book and following every lead so nothing can’t be held against the way the investigation was conducted and only the evidence against the suspect is relevant in court.
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Thank you for taking the time to talk about the investigation. I’m so glad that people have the restraint not to do anything that, like you said, would evoke sympathy or make him into a victim. Sounds like you know as well as I do that some of the big name defense attorneys around here love anything that can be twisted into making their client look like the “real” victim, which then takes the spotlight off of their crime. Plus vigilante justice won’t help anyway– and then there’s always the chance that the suspect isn’t who we think.
Bothell has some excellent investigators and I don’t doubt their abilities. I’ve just been a bit puzzled why, if they’re creating an airtight case, are some evidence items being discussed openly. I think some people would feel safer if the unrest in the community was addressed as well. It will be interesting to see what Bothell does next and how this all comes together.
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Him speaking of her abusing their boy while she’s sadly dead and unable to defend herself reminds me of Jodi Arias calling Travis Alexander a pedophile and also claiming to have been abused by him, after she killed him. Sad. I’m in Edmonds and never heard a peep about this brutal slaying. I’m shocked.
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Thanks. It’s always interesting to hear different perspectives and I’m glad you’re sharing yours. He might be a calm and nice guy. Or he might only be a calm and nice guy in some situations (like when others are looking).
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To add to your comments above: My personal opinion is that the DNA came back inconclusive or in some was not rock-solid. Surely if the DNA was air tight they would have moved on this earlier. Everything we are discussing here is circumstantial so I’m sure they will want every stone upturned before making an arrest on anyone if they will have to prosecute a circumstantial case.
Ive heard (and this is 2nd hand) that there are some questions about Alan’s past that the police are looking into. I heard this from someone who claims they heard it directly from an investigator in a private conversation….so I dont personally claim to know this to be factual: That Alan’s mother died in an accident when he was young (12 ish?) and he was the only witness – the reason for that being of interest is that she was apparently very abusive towards him. Also, there was apparently a couple Alan & Susann knew when they were living in Germany that died in an unsolved homicide. If these two items are factual, then the police have quite a bit to look into and that would take some time. Lastly, and I leave this to your discretion to include or not in this post – the same person told me that Susann was found in the bath tub (public knowledge) and that it appeared that someone had been intending to dismember her (not public to my knowledge, but not particularly secret either since I heard it at work from the same person referenced above.) If all these tings are factors, then the police are undoubtedly being very thorough and cautious.
Alan is unquestionably a smart guy – I quite liked him at work – my feeling is that he either knows he’s innocent and therefore doesnt care about appearances ( after all his divorce was over a year prior) or else he is commiting a classic error of many killers – overconfidence.
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I’m approving this comment since someone else has already made this information public by sharing it– if it wasn’t supposed to get out at all, then you’d think the police would protect that. Plus it’s technically speculation and could be just rumors. I do wonder why the police are letting some details out that would seem vital to a successful prosecution but it can also be a useful strategy. Also, if your source told you these things in confidence– it doesn’t sound like it– then please let me know and I’ll edit the comment.
There are already thoughts flying around the whole issue of the bathtub, so I can’t say I’m surprised to hear that someone would move a body there. I appreciate you sharing this information and wonder if the person of interest reads them as well. People in at least two countries are keeping tabs on this case and I hope that those in Germany especially will come forward with additional information. People know more than they think they do… the smallest detail they don’t think much of can sometimes be the clue that secures a conviction. This case can be successfully prosecuted with the help of people who knew both the victim and the person of interest even if the person of interest did not commit the crime, and we have to allow for that possibility.
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To comment on your latest post: Unfortunately, I didn’t get to know Alan here in Germany. One of my former classmates told me, she and her husband had got to know him and had had the impression that he was very calm and nice. That’s everything I know about that.
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My friend was murdered by her husband at the beginning of Sept. 2007 and he wasn’t arrested until after Valentine’s Day 2008. The state police labs are so backed up that getting evidence evaluated takes a ridiculous length of time. Coincidentally he also worked at Boeing and was termed odd by coworkers.
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http://amarillo.com/stories/071800/new_wrecks.shtml
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Being a neighbor of Alan J. Smith’s, it is infuriating to have to see him on a daily bases carrying on with life as if nothing has happened. His ex wife has had her life ripped from her brutally as he sits in his back yard singing and playing his guitar, taking weekend trips, and having his new female “friend” over for stays. As for the female friend, I had to call the police on him just yesterday because I witnessed Alan J. Smith in his back yard with her and she was naked! Someone had posted a flyer on a telephone pole close to his home with Susann Smiths picture on it and info about her murder. It also had a phone number posted for anyone who had information to call. Curiously, it was removed. How can an arrest take this long with all the evidence that has been released? I too feel her murder is going unnoticed by many, but in our household it is a daily topic and we can not wait to see the person put away.
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Thanks for sharing your story. I have the sense that a lot of people feel how you feel– why is this dragging on and on? I know the police can have excellent reasons for being thorough and I’m mulling over a couple of theories about that, but it seems like more could be done to assure the public that they’re doing their best.
From a distance it seems that Smith had moved on emotionally long before the divorce was finalized. Many people date before they are officially divorced but his emotional disconnection from the case bothers me. And while I realize the latest girlfriend might not know or care about the allegations looming over him, if I were her I wouldn’t feel comfortable cavorting around nude in a murder victim’s backyard. And– really? This is his top priority right now?
I’m not surprised that the flyer was removed. Neighbors can often be the best source of those little tidbits of information that wind up cracking a case wide open. Little things neighbors have seen or heard and don’t think anything of may be crucial to an arrest or conviction. I hope that everyone is sharing any details– no matter how irrelevant they think they are– with Bothell PD. Let Bothell decide what information is relevant.
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LW, this morning I noticed that the comment you posted here is quoted verbatim in the Bothell Reporter at http://www.bothell-reporter.com/news/208187841.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bknball+%28All+Stories+-+Bothell+Reporter%29.
The way it’s written it implies that the paper talked to you directly, but I’m wondering if those quotes were copied from here because they match word for word. I realize that you might have sent the exact same comment to the paper… I’m curious to get your take on this. Thanks.
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I have also made comments to the bothell reporter and am in contact with them constantly. The quote was not copied from this page but said on my own accord to the Bothell Reporter.
On another note….
We AGAIN had to call the police on Alan Smith this morning because he was having a fight with his current girlfriend in the front yard. She was very vocal about needing to leave the premises but Alan Smith seemed to be refusing to let her go. Police officers in two separate cars came and talked to Alan and his girlfriend for a half hour or so. I don’t know whether or not she knows what he is a person of interest in but I would think if she was sane at all, she would run the other way. Someone really needs to put Alan Smiths ego in check. The longer this takes the more worried I am he is going to get his kids back. The more I talk about the case to people the more I notice how few and few people actually know the details about it or have read the news reports. A month or so back I had spoken to the persecuting attorneys office about the case, he stated he had a lot of faith in the Bothell Police Department and they were very much actively working on the case so that they could “arrest the right person”. I of course did not expect him to say anything different. I had mentioned to him that I hoped this case was not going to be one that was placed on the back burner and forgotten. Absolutely not was his answer. I’m starting to question his statement’s myself…
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Thanks for stopping by again. It’s fascinating to get your take on this. This situation must be intensely stressful for you. At the same time, I’m glad that you care so much and that you involve the police as appropriate. So many people just stick their heads in the sand and don’t consider domestic violence their business. That’s why it persists in civilized society. But we never know when our intervention could wind up saving a life.
Offhand I can’t recall if this crime happened in King or Snohomish County since Bothell sits on both sides of the county line. But either way, both have some amazing prosecutors who know how to try domestic violence-related cases.
You mentioned something that’s bothered me deeply since the beginning and that’s the lack of coverage of this case. Some cases become national dramas that dominate the talk shows and others are just shrugged off. In this case there are people in at least two countries that have potential insights into this case and exposure could draw their input out.
It’s also strange– and I’m sure you recognize this– that more people aren’t interested after what happened to the Powell boys. I know it’s not the exact same thing but it’s similar enough to cause alarm. Even without the Powell case there’s a creepy factor.
Lastly, I feel sorry for the woman Smith is currently involved with. Dishonest and manipulative men (sociopaths in particular) can have a mind control effect on their victims and I wonder if that spell’s starting to wear off. And then there’s women who find danger and drama exciting emotionally and/or sexually, thinking that he’d never do the same thing to her… look at all the Klingons O.J. Simpson attracted after his trial.
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I worked(ed) with Alan (Boeing has placed him on on “administrative leave”) and although I don’t know him well, I did have a few interesting conversations with him about his wife prior to her murder. He comes off as a gentle guy, but very intense. For example,when asked a simple, social courtesy question such as “how are things?”, he is likely to look very intently at you for 10 seconds and then answer you very seriously. It didnt bother me, but it was off-putting for some. For that reason he was labeled at work as slightly odd.
He didnt make any secret over the last year at work that his divorce was contentious, either. He described his wife as verbally abusive and said that he was trying to recover from living “under her thumb”. From what he said, he was in counseling and came out of the marriage situation feeling very emotionally abused. Im neither defending or condemning anything, just repeating my impressions from having conversations with him at work.
He was at work the day they found her body, and incredibly – he came to work the day AFTER as well, and never said one word about it to anyone there that I know of. He did come in the following day as well, but then left early (he stopped my my desk to say there had been a “death in the family”and took the next several days off.) Boeing then placed him on Leave due to other employees freaking out and to this day he remains on Leave to my knowledge.
My understanding from convos with him, was that he was due to get the house back shortly in the divorce as his name is on it. So he is tied to the house to some degree. I thought it looked bad for him to move back in, but my husband pointed out that he owns it so whats he supposed to do…?
By the way, she wasnt killed in the bath tub, she was moved there. There are some non-public facts about the case that I only know bc of an acquaintanceship with one of the detectives on the case. If true, then if Alan is responsible then it really was a premeditated and gruesome killing.
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Wow, thanks for this insight. I also appreciate the corrections to facts in this case. In this particular case I only know what the media’s saying and hope I’m reporting accurately.
Divorces are often contentious and just because someone seems different doesn’t make them a murderer. It sounds like people including yourself, however, have noted the person of interest’s emotional detachment from the case. “A family member died”…?
Your husband’s point about the house is an excellent one. It just seems strange that someone would want to bring children into the house that their mother was killed in. I understand if there are no other options economically, but from the little I know it seems that if he was already maintaining a separate residence, perhaps he could afford to move on.
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Thank you very much for this comment on the horrible murder! I met Susann in 1988, when we both were at school in Germany. We were good friends, some time ago I found her entry in my friendship book and I remembered a lot of different funny, strange, hilarious experiences we had made as school girls. At university we met from time to time, but when she left Germany, I lost contact. I never experienced her as contentious, verbally abusing or in any way violent. She was lovely, nice, empathic. She was interested in justice at every level and she would never leave a student alone if there was a conflict with a teacher – she also discussed (sometimes harshly) with teachers who were treating some student in an unjust way.
Therefore, I (and all of my former schoolmates as well) am shocked to read that her murderer hasn’t been caught yet, that there is so much evidence around Alan Smith, but that he is still free, living on as if nothing had happened. I know that in the USA it’s essential not to make any kind of mistake during investigation and interrogation, as it isn’t possible to accuse somebody for the same crime twice. However, when talking with friends and former teachers who are really concerned about this murder, because Susann was such a special person, so kind and loving, all of us have the impression that everything’s going on too slowly.
I hope that soon there will be a solution to the case. I hope that, if Alan Smith was the murderer, he realizes what he has done to her and to their children and finally confesses. I hope and I pray that his conscience may help him.
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Thank you so much for your insight. I’m sorry that you lost a friend you have such fond memories of and are willing to speak out on her behalf. It’s great to hear from people who have personal connections to this case and if you know anything that would help the police, I’d encourage you to contact them.
You’re right; in the U.S. people are innocent until proven guilty and the police have to make sure their case is tight and evidence in order before an arrest is made. No matter who did this, I’m with you in hoping that the killer is brought to justice swiftly. It’s been over three months since her murder.
Thanks again!
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