Suvechha Sarkar
NBC’s ‘Dateline: Chameleon’ delves deeper into the mysterious disappearances of 23-year-old Janice Elaine Hartman and 49-year-old Betty “Fran” Gladden-Smith. It led to a complex investigation spanning several states, including Ohio and California. Eventually, the spotlight fell on Janice’s ex-husband and Fran’s husband, John David Smith. The episode also features in-depth interviews with the officials, who discussed how years of investigation into John revealed that he was connected with both disappearances.
John David Smith’s First Wife Disappeared 16 Years Before His Second Marriage
John David Smith was born on April 2, 1951, and spent his early years in Seville, Ohio. There, he grew up with his two brothers, including Michael Smith. After completing his higher education, he entered the workforce as an Engineer. During his time in high school, he dated Janice Elaine Hartman, and shortly after graduation, they eloped and married in Detroit, Michigan, on June 30, 1970. Court records state that it wasn’t long before he was accused of abusing her physically and verbally. Ultimately, he and Janice returned to Ohio, and their divorce was finalized on November 14, 1974. On November 17, the 23-year-old suddenly went missing, but when officials questioned John, he denied knowing her whereabouts, as per records.
Janice was reportedly declared legally dead as the years passed by. John then moved to Florida, where he met Betty “Fran” Gladden at his workplace. Soon, their connection grew deeper, and they tied the knot in March 1990. However, John again came into the spotlight when he reported his second wife missing on October 4, 1991. According to reports, when detectives questioned him about Fran’s whereabouts, he claimed she had gone on a trip and had taken her yellow suitcase. He further insisted that he was unable to find Fran’s car keys, as per the records. As investigators dug deeper, they discovered that John had been married before to Janice, who had also mysteriously disappeared.
According to one of the detectives on the show, when John underwent a polygraph test, he reportedly failed. Police records indicate that, during the search of his home, authorities found Fran’s car keys in his briefcase. They also reportedly found her yellow suitcase inside a storage unit attached to his condo, which contradicted John’s earlier statements. As per investigative reports, officials then learned about the home he owned in Connecticut. There, they discovered that a woman named Sheila Sautter was staying in the house. Official reports state that during questioning, she disclosed she had been John’s girlfriend for almost eight years. However, in her statements, Sheila emphasized that she had no idea he was married.
John Was Arrested Based on a Witness Statement and Forensic Evidence
Sheila eventually agreed to call John in the presence of the authorities to ask about Janice and Fran. As per court records, during the recorded call, he denied knowing the whereabouts of Janice and Fran but confessed that he had lied during his polygraph test. The case gradually gained momentum when the FBI joined the investigation. By September 1998, John had already married a third woman, Diane Susan Bertalan, and had settled in Escondido, California. According to investigative reports, his brother, Michael Smith, received an immunity agreement from the prosecution and agreed to provide information about John in May 1999.
In his statements, Michael admitted seeing John making a long plywood box in their grandparents’ garage. According to reports, when Michael asked his brother about Janice after learning about her disappearance, John claimed that she had entered a witness relocation program since she worked as a police informant. As per Michael’s statements, in June 1979, his grandfather partially opened the box stored in his garage and found human remains, following which he called John’s brother. When Michael arrived and opened the box completely, he discovered Janice’s remains inside, per the court records.
Further reports suggest that when John learned about it, he immediately returned to Ohio and took the box away, but his family decided never to report the incident to the officials. Court records indicate that as investigators began searching for any record of such a wooden box, they learned about one that was found in rural Indiana in April 1980, containing a woman’s remains. In April 2000, the remains were exhumed and identified as Janice through DNA testing. On August 30, 2000, the grand jury indicted John on one count of aggravated murder in relation to Janice’s case. He was taken into custody in October 2000 in Escondido.
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John is Currently Incarcerated at an Ohio Correctional Facility
John’s jury trial for Janice’s murder commenced on July 2, 2001. The judge had reportedly excluded evidence related to the disappearance of his second wife, Fran. During the trial, the prosecution introduced forensic evidence and several witnesses, including Michael, who testified against his brother. In his testimony, he recounted seeing John building the box where Janice’s remains were found. On the other hand, the defense challenged the witnesses’ credibility and emphasized that most of the evidence was circumstantial. On July 19, 2001, the jury acquitted John of aggravated murder but convicted him of the lesser offense of murder. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
In 2001, Fran’s daughter, Deanna “Dedy” Childers, reportedly filed a wrongful death lawsuit against John. The Civil Court eventually held John responsible for the death of his second wife on December 21, 2001. The court also awarded Fran’s family $1 million in damages. Court records specify that a grand jury indicted John on one count of first-degree murder and fourth-degree tampering with evidence on November 28, 2019. However, the prosecution decided to drop the charges against him in July 2023 after a judge ordered that no evidence from Janice’s murder should be included during the trial. The prosecution reportedly entered into an immunity agreement with John in exchange for information about Fran’s remains.
According to a detective on the show, John told the authorities that he had wrapped Fran’s remains in a blanket before disposing of them in one of the industrial dumpsters at the plant where he used to work. It is essential to note that none of those statements was substantiated. Fran’s remains have reportedly never been recovered. Following that, John appealed his conviction and sentence multiple times, but each time the court upheld the judgment. His first parole hearing took place 9 years into his sentencing, but he was denied. As of writing, he is serving his sentence at the Marion Correctional Institution in Marion, Ohio. His next parole hearing is scheduled for October 2029, and his expected release date is set for December 1, 2029.
