Suvechha Sarkar
In November 1974, the tight-knit community of Wayne, Ohio, was left searching for answers when 23-year-old Janice Elaine Hartman suddenly disappeared. Years passed until, in 2000, authorities discovered that her remains had been discovered inside a wooden box in April 1980, but had remained unidentified. The episode titled ‘Chameleon’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline’ sheds light on the case and how it was reinvestigated decades later while officials were searching for another missing woman. The episode also chronicles the tireless efforts of the officials, whose determination brought several answers to light.
Janice Hartman’s Remains Were Identified 26 Years After She Disappeared
Janice Elaine Hartman arrived as a ray of light into the lives of Neal Leroy Hartman and Betty Darlene Lippincott on March 2, 1951. She grew up alongside her brothers, Sherman Ross and Gary Hartman, and sister, Tim Holscher, in their loving household in Ohio. She was a dedicated student and graduated from high school. During her time there, Janice crossed paths with John David Smith, and they began dating. In 1970, shortly after her graduation, the pair ran off to Detroit and got married there. Eventually, they returned to Wayne, Ohio, where she began working as a go-go dancer.
According to reports, Janice was also serving as a police informant regarding drug-related offenses. Cracks soon began to appear in her marriage, leading her and John to get a divorce on November 14, 1974. According to official records, three days later, Janice suddenly disappeared. When her family members were unable to contact her, they filed a missing persons report. However, despite an extensive search, law enforcement was unable to find her. In April 1980, local road workers near Morocco, Indiana, spotted a four-and-a-half-foot-long handmade box made of plywood.
When the workers peeked inside, they discovered human skeletal remains wrapped in several clothes and bedding. When officials were alerted, they rushed to the scene and discovered that the human remains belonged to a woman. Forensic experts reportedly noted that her legs were severed right below the knees, suggesting it was to ensure the remains fit in the box. The initial autopsy report revealed that her legs were removed after her death. However, it could not determine the woman’s identity or her cause of death due to the advanced decomposition. It is essential to note that the remains were identified as Janice using DNA testing on April 24, 2000.
A Shocking Witness Testimony Led Authorities to the Prime Suspect
During the initial missing-person investigation into Janice’s case, authorities first questioned John, who claimed she might have gone to Florida and that he hadn’t spoken with her. Due to a lack of leads, the case gradually went cold, and John reportedly moved away from Ohio. Things changed on October 4, 1991, when his second wife, Betty “Fran” Gladden-Smith, suddenly went missing from their West Windsor, New Jersey home. According to reports, during the second investigation, authorities tracked down John’s brother, Michael Smith, but he refused to provide any information about Janice. However, that changed in May 1999 when Michael’s attorney reportedly contacted the authorities.
According to court records, the prosecution offered Michael immunity in exchange for information. Reports state he told the officials that in 1974 he had seen John making a box out of plywood, and that the latter had claimed he was making it to store Janice’s belongings after she left him. In his statements, Michael revealed that the box was kept in his grandfather’s garage until June 1979, when he and his grandfather discovered Janice’s remains inside. According to investigative records, Michael alleged that his grandparents chose to keep the information within the family rather than alert the authorities. He went on to claim that when he called John and told him about the situation, the latter returned to take the box and left.
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The Killer Was Convicted of Janice’s Murder More Than Two Decades Later
In February 2000, detectives reportedly sent letters to several medical examiners’ offices and law enforcement departments in search of a wooden box in which a woman’s remains might have been found. As per records, a detective who recalled a similar finding contacted the investigators working on the case, revealing that a woman’s remains were found in a box in April 1980 in rural Indiana. The remains were eventually exhumed, and DNA testing in April 2000 confirmed it was Janice. According to official reports, officials even made John take a polygraph test, which investigators stated indicated deception.
When one of John’s “lovers,” Sheila Sautter, called him in front of the authorities and asked about his first wife, he claimed that Janice had left him after the divorce and he didn’t know where she had gone, per the records. Court records specify that during that recorded call, he admitted to having lied to the police during the polygraph test. By then, he was reportedly married to his third wife, Diane Smith, and was living in Escondido, California. Further reports state that when Michael called John with officials listening nearby, he informed John that he was going to tell authorities about Janice’s remains.
Shortly after, John disappeared for a few days before returning covered in dirt, according to the statements of Diane’s daughter on the show. Ultimately, on August 30, 2000, he was indicted on one count of aggravated murder of Janice and was arrested in October 2000. John’s jury trial commenced on July 2, 2001, after he was extradited to Ohio. He was acquitted of aggravated murder on July 19, 2001, but was found guilty of the lesser charge of murder. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. In November 2019, John was indicted for the murder of his second wife, Fran; however, it is essential to note that those charges were officially dismissed in 2023.
