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Detective Perspective

64: MURDER: Judy Smith

Detective Perspective

Detective Perspective

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture, History

51.7K Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2024

⏱️ 45 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On April 10, 1997, 50-year-old Judy Smith, a beloved nurse and mother, set off on her first trip to Philadelphia, planning to explore historic sites while her husband attended a conference. But when Judy didn’t return to their hotel that evening, her husband grew worried and reported her missing. Months passed without a word from Judy.

Then, in September, hunters stumbled upon her remains over 600 miles away in a remote part of North Carolina. Judy had been murdered, her body wrapped in a blanket and left in a shallow grave. 

It’s been over 27 years since Judy was murdered, and investigators are still searching for the person responsible...

Judy Smith left her Philadelphia hotel on April 10, 1997 and never returned. Months later, on September 7, hunters in the Pisgah National Forest near Asheville, North Carolina, discovered Judy’s remains partially buried in a shallow grave. Her body was over 600 miles from where she was last seen, dressed in clothing her family did not recognize. 

If you have any information about the murder of Judy, please contact the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department at 828-250-6670.

Editor: Shannon Keirce
Research/Writing: Haley Gray and Anna Luria

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Transcript

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0:00.0

On April 10, 1997, 50-year-old Judy Smith, a beloved nurse and mother, set off for her first trip to Philadelphia, planning to explore historic sites while her husband attended a conference. But when Judy didn't

0:22.3

return to their hotel that evening, her husband grew worried and reported her missing. Months

0:27.8

passed without a word from Judy. Then in September, Hunter stumbled upon her remains over 600 miles

0:34.2

away in a remote part of North Carolina. Her body had been wrapped in a blanket and left in a shallow grave.

0:40.5

It was clear that Judy had been murdered.

0:42.9

It's been over 27 years since Judy was killed,

0:46.0

and investigators are still searching for the person responsible.

0:48.9

The The Hey, everyone back to Detective Perspective.

1:21.3

My name is Derek Lavasser.

1:22.7

I'm a licensed private investigator and former police detective.

1:25.9

Each week I'll be covering an unsolved case and story format.

1:29.1

I'll then give you my perspective on the investigation and provide contact information

1:33.1

for the individuals and organizations connected to the case so that if you have any tips,

1:38.4

you can contact them directly and maybe you can help solve a case.

1:41.9

So if you're someone who's interested in true crime,

1:48.8

specifically unsolved cases, and you would like to hear my opinion on those investigations,

1:53.9

please consider subscribing whether you're watching on YouTube or listening on Apple Podcasts,

2:00.2

Spotify, or whatever platform you use. Okay, Judy Smith. Older case, definitely different than last week's case, which was only five months old.

2:03.3

So why are we covering it? Well, the same reason we cover any case on Detective Perspective.

2:08.5

We want answers. And from what I've researched, from what I've found, there's not a lot of coverage on this case now.

2:16.1

And that's a problem because time is of the essence here, many witnesses, many people actually involved with this investigation, they're deceased now. And so as time progresses, it becomes less and less likely that we'll get answers that we're all seeking in this case for not only the friends and family

2:34.6

of the victim, but everyone from those communities affected by this, not only in Philadelphia,

...

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