Editorial: Pamela Smart

SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD. WMUR PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER ANDREW ANDREW VREES. SHE’S MADE HEADLINES FOR YEARS, AND SHE’S DOING IT AGAIN. PAMELA SMART IS BACK IN THE NEWS WITH ONE MORE DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO GET OUT OF PRISON BY THRUSTING HERSELF BACK INTO THE SPOTLIGHT. HAVEN’T WE HAD ENOUGH? SMART HAS BEEN IN PRISON FOR 33 YEARS FOR HER ROLE IN THE MURDER OF HER HUSBAND, GREG, A CRIME SHE ORCHESTRATED BY MANIPULATING FOR WINNACUNNET HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BILLY FLYNN AND PATRICK RANDALL CONFRONTED GREG SMART IN HIS HOME. PROSECUTORS SAY FLYNN AND RANDALL FORCED GREG SMART TO HIS KNEES IN THE FOYER AS RANDALL HELD A KNIFE TO HIS THROAT, FLYNN SHOT HIM IN THE HEAD, KILLING HIM. FLYNN, WHO WAS 16, WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH PAMELA SMART, WHO WAS 22. SHE WAS HIS INSTRUCTOR IN A SELF AWARENESS PROGRAM AND RAN THE SCHOOL’S AUDIOVISUAL PROGRAM. ALL FOUR TEENAGERS REACHED PLEA DEALS AND TESTIFIED AGAINST SMART. THEY’VE ALL BEEN RELEASED FROM PRISON, THEIR LIVES SHATTERED BY THE DECISION, SMART LED THEM TO. SMART WAS CONVICTED OF BEING AN ACCOMPLICE TO FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. FOR YEARS FOLLOWING HER CONVICTION, SMART DENIED ANY ROLE IN HER HUSBAND’S MURDER, AND SHE’S EXHAUSTED EVERY LEGAL OPTION JUST TWO YEARS AGO, THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL REBUFFED HER REQUEST TO COMMUTE HER SENTENCE, BUT SHE’S ASKED AGAIN WHAT SHE HAS THE RIGHT TO DO. AND NOW SHE SENT A SLICK FOUR MINUTE VIDEO TO NEWS 9 PLEADING HER CASE. IT WAS ANOTHER GOOD PERFORMANCE FROM THE CONVICTED KILLER. THERE WERE DRAMATIC PAUSES, DEEP BREATHS. SHE HELD BACK TEARS. SHE’D HAVE YOU BELIEVE SHE’S SORRY. AND AFTER MORE THAN 30 YEARS, SHE FINALLY ADMITTED SHE, QUOTE, FOUND HERSELF. RESPONSE FOR SOMETHING SHE DESPERATELY DIDN’T WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HER HUSBAND’S MURDER. NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEING THE MASTERMIND OF GREG’S MURDER LED TO THE HARSH SENTENCE, AND CERTAINLY DIDN’T HELP HER CHANCES FOR AN APPEAL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHE’S EVEN COME CLOSE TO ADMITTING SHE’S GUILTY AND SHOWING ANY REMORSE. GREG SMART’S UNCLE ISN’T BUYING PAMELA’S PLEA. HE SAYS THE FAMILY WOULD BE OPEN TO CONSIDERING HER REQUEST IF SHE ADMITS THAT SHE PLANNED IT AND SHE’S GUILTY OF IT. DO PEOPLE DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE? GREG SMART CERTAINLY ISN’T GETTING ONE. PAM WIPED AWAY HIS YOUNG LIFE AND LEFT HIS FAMILY WITH A LIFE FULL OF LOSS. IF SMART WAS TRULY SORRY, SHE’D CONSIDER STAYING OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT AND REALIZE THE DEBT SHE’S PAYING MAY BE THE RIGHT ONE. SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO NH