Woman with red backpack - Judy Smith

[JenniferS.]

I think her name was Christine. She went on a buisness trip with her husband. He said she left her id at home and went back to get and flew out on a later flight and he says last time he saw her was when was in the hotel and took a shower. There was a sighting in a diffret state of her shopping a store and then years later her remains were found at camp sight with back pack and sunglasses that were not hers and wearing unfamilar clothes. Apparently she was stabbed. They apparently found her ring and money still there. They have just aired that case and i think it was down freaky hoe ends up so far away from home.

[WishfulDreamer]

Originally Posted by JenniferS.

I think her name was Christine. She went on a buisness trip with her husband. He said she left her id at home and went back to get and flew out on a later flight and he says last time he saw her was when was in the hotel and took a shower. There was a sighting in a diffret state of her shopping a store and then years later her remains were found at camp sight with back pack and sunglasses that were not hers and wearing unfamilar clothes. Apparently she was stabbed. They apparently found her ring and money still there. They have just aired that case and i think it was down freaky hoe ends up so far away from home.

That's the case of Judy Smith and still unsolved, sadly. There's a theory that she was fighting with her husband and purposely left her ID at home so they could be apart for a while. However, she did fly out on a later flight and seemed just fine and happy when they reunited. I find this case incredibly bizarre. Even if she was quarreling with her husband, for her to decide to fly out and then wind up in a different state is crazy. They think she planned her disappearance and then met with foul play, but I find it kind of incredulous that she would do that, particularly since she had a daughter she was so close to. I think it's possible she went to the other state to cool off and enjoy herself after an argument with full intentions of returning, but that she met with the killer shortly after disappearing. I think I recall the segment saying she was very friendly and trusting and that perhaps that's how this terrible crime came about.

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Judith_Smith

[1990 UM fan]

I haven't seen the Robert Stack version of Judith Smith's case in many years but the Farina version was on TV awhile back. It was interesting to note that she was wearing a different outfit at the time her remains were discovered, and weren't the clothes she was last seen alive in. Some think she had been hiking in the area where she was killed at as to explain the change of clothes.

As WishfulDreamer pointed out, Judith may have wanted to cool down and get away from her husband for awhile and figured since she was already on vacation, that she decided to go to another state and explore around, and met foul play with someone because she was so trusting of people. It's a very sad case and I hope it's solved someday.

[JenniferS.]

Originally Posted by 1990 UM fan

I haven't seen the Robert Stack version of Judith Smith's case in many years but the Farina version was on TV awhile back. It was interesting to note that she was wearing a different outfit at the time her remains were discovered, and weren't the clothes she was last seen alive in. Some think she had been hiking in the area where she was killed at as to explain the change of clothes.

As WishfulDreamer pointed out, Judith may have wanted to cool down and get away from her husband for awhile and figured since she was already on vacation, that she decided to go to another state and explore around, and met foul play with someone because she was so trusting of people. It's a very sad case and I hope it's solved someday.

This thing is creepy. She also had a different back pack found with her remains . not her red one.

[TheCars1986]

The Judy Smith case is definitely bizarre in every sense of the word. The husband was ruled out as a suspect, IIRC. I seem to remember the husband saying that they weren't fighting the last time he saw her and that they had made plans to meet up after he attended some business meetings that day. No one knows why she just up and left and went to a different state. Maybe she was bored, figured she'd go on a road trip but met with foul play. The different clothes is just weird. I have no explanation for that one.

[soilentgreen]

http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-0...er-crime-scene

http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/073098/om1.shtml

a bunch of articles here: http://s2.excoboard.com/Courthouse_S...122599/1695938

While one of the witnesses claimed that they saw Judy with another individual around Asheville, I don't discount that she may have randomly encountered a local or even another hiker. The Biltmore estate and Pisgah Forest are regularly visited by tourists and backpackers, so it's not a big deal that she may have had an interest in traveling there, rather than milling around in Philadelphia. Gary Hilton has been mentioned as a potential suspect, due to similar murders he committed in North Carolina (of a couple in the Nantahala and Pisgah forests), Georgia and Florida, but it very well could have been someone from the area.

In one of the above articles, the police mentioned that the site where her body was located wasn't an area one could just easily come across. From the nearest road, it's a 20 minute walk up a steep incline through the woods. Judy was wearing thermal underwear when she was found and winter clothing was also discovered in the bag, so it's possible she had plans to do some hiking or camping and encountered someone around there, or someone forced her to go to the area. Her jewelry, some cash and other possessions were found buried nearby, but her red backpack and her wallet were never located.

Why she didn't mention her plans to her husband is another question. Judy was described as being independent and assertive, as well as being an experienced solo traveler, so she may simply have been more impulsive about going off without mentioning her itinerary.

[JenniferS.]

Originally Posted by soilentgreen

http://articles.philly.com/1997-10-0...er-crime-scene

http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/073098/om1.shtml

a bunch of articles here: http://s2.excoboard.com/Courthouse_S...122599/1695938

While one of the witnesses claimed that they saw Judy with another individual around Asheville, I don't discount that she may have randomly encountered a local or even another hiker. The Biltmore estate and Pisgah Forest are regularly visited by tourists and backpackers, so it's not a big deal that she may have had an interest in traveling there, rather than milling around in Philadelphia. Gary Hilton has been mentioned as a potential suspect, due to similar murders he committed in North Carolina (of a couple in the Nantahala and Pisgah forests), Georgia and Florida, but it very well could have been someone from the area.

In one of the above articles, the police mentioned that the site where her body was located wasn't an area one could just easily come across. From the nearest road, it's a 20 minute walk up a steep incline through the woods. Judy was wearing thermal underwear when she was found and winter clothing was also discovered in the bag, so it's possible she had plans to do some hiking or camping and encountered someone around there, or someone forced her to go to the area. Her jewelry, some cash and other possessions were found buried nearby, but her red backpack and her wallet were never located.

Why she didn't mention her plans to her husband is another question. Judy was described as being independent and assertive, as well as being an experienced solo traveler, so she may simply have been more impulsive about going off without mentioning her itinerary.

Als otheyr said there was money found scattered and her weding ring , and a pair sunglasses that wer not hers and they said the back pack there was not hers. And she died of a stab wound.

[soilentgreen]

Originally Posted by JenniferS.

Als otheyr said there was money found scattered and her weding ring , and a pair sunglasses that wer not hers and they said the back pack there was not hers. And she died of a stab wound.

The sunglasses are interesting, since they were a reasonably expensive brand that Judy's family or friends believed she had never owned. However, it's likely that the blue backpack was Judy's, since it had cash in it (some articles mention $80) and warmer clothing. Clothing alternately described in various articles as either a shirt or a winter jacket also had around $87 in the pocket, however her wallet and identification have never been found. She was found with a blanket, and I don't think it's impossible that she may have been planning on camping overnight (while it would have been reasonably warm during the day in April, the temperatures would have dropped up in the mountains in the evening). She may have been hiking on a trail when she encountered someone.

As far as the red backpack, either it was stolen when Judy was killed or Judy replaced it with the blue one for some unknown reason - possibly she felt that her red one was in too worn of a condition for the trip. One of the mysteries here is her mode of transportation - there's been no discovery of a paper trail of her taking a bus, flight, train, or renting a car from Philadelphia to Asheville, which would have been well over 600 miles.

[JenniferS.]

Originally Posted by soilentgreen

The sunglasses are interesting, since they were a reasonably expensive brand that Judy's family or friends believed she had never owned. However, it's likely that the blue backpack was Judy's, since it had cash in it (some articles mention $80) and warmer clothing. Clothing alternately described in various articles as either a shirt or a winter jacket also had around $87 in the pocket, however her wallet and identification have never been found. She was found with a blanket, and I don't think it's impossible that she may have been planning on camping overnight (while it would have been reasonably warm during the day in April, the temperatures would have dropped up in the mountains in the evening). She may have been hiking on a trail when she encountered someone.

As far as the red backpack, either it was stolen when Judy was killed or Judy replaced it with the blue one for some unknown reason - possibly she felt that her red one was in too worn of a condition for the trip. One of the mysteries here is her mode of transportation - there's been no discovery of a paper trail of her taking a bus, flight, train, or renting a car from Philadelphia to Asheville, which would have been well over 600 miles.

I seem to remember therm saying the money was found scattered round her not in the back pack. And the unsolved mysteries segment seemed to think the killer took the red back pack and left his.

[nikkspence]

What I find interesting about this case is the fact that she had only been married for 5 month yet investigators said that she may have planned her disappearance.
So therefore she cannot have been happy with her marriage if this was the case? Could the husband of had something to do with this?
He has a perfect alibi & hires a killer to find his wife who he knows has left for a camping/hiking trip. It seems strange to me that obviously money was not the goal of the attack, there is no mention of a sexual motive so I believe it may have something to do with the husband

does anyone else see my point ?

[lilmissd]

If anyone wants to "bump it up" posted a thread with my feeling/opinion on this case a couple years back, yes; a strange case indeed!

[JenniferS.]

Originally Posted by nikkspence

What I find interesting about this case is the fact that she had only been married for 5 month yet investigators said that she may have planned her disappearance.
So therefore she cannot have been happy with her marriage if this was the case? Could the husband of had something to do with this?
He has a perfect alibi & hires a killer to find his wife who he knows has left for a camping/hiking trip. It seems strange to me that obviously money was not the goal of the attack, there is no mention of a sexual motive so I believe it may have something to do with the husband

does anyone else see my point ?

I been reading about this case. The husband had hired three investigators to find her and they found nothing. The policce said he co-operated with them. except he had never taken a polygraph test. I thought I read that north carolina city were she was found was somewhat familair to her and her husband.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by JenniferS.

The husband had hired three investigators to find her and they found nothing. The policce said he co-operated with them. except he had never taken a polygraph test.

That information makes it appear to me that Judy's husband had nothing to do with it (the polygraph test notwithstanding, as it's a wise legal move in many cases to refuse one).

I don't think it would make sense for him to hire anyone to murder her. They'd been married for less than six months--it probably would have been far less expensive to divorce, and Judy's death would have to be the most ridiculous attempted life insurance fraud case there ever was. I think it's highly unlikely he was involved.

Asheville is a pretty popular tourist destination. There is no telling who Judy could have encountered during her time there.

There's so much about this case that makes zero sense.

[nikkspence]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

That information makes it appear to me that Judy's husband had nothing to do with it (the polygraph test notwithstanding, as it's a wise legal move in many cases to refuse one).

I don't think it would make sense for him to hire anyone to murder her. They'd been married for less than six months--it probably would have been far less expensive to divorce, and Judy's death would have to be the most ridiculous attempted life insurance fraud case there ever was. I think it's highly unlikely he was involved.

Asheville is a pretty popular tourist destination. There is no telling who Judy could have encountered during her time there.

There's so much about this case that makes zero sense.

I totally see your point that it's cheaper to divorce however what if Judy wanted a divorce & the husband could not live with the humiliation of his wife leaving him after such a short period of time.
I find it very interesting that the couple were familia with the area she was found and did not know this previous. Maybe they had a favourite secluded spot that he knew she would be.
To refuse a polygraph to me speaks a 1000 words all pointing to some involvement. Personally if I was innocent I would take it. He hired 3 PI well it's a good way to make him look innocent.

If this was the case maybe the story isn't as strange as it seems!

[nikkspence]

Does any one know if there was any record of a sexual motive?