206 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Janet Smith

Death by Force
Case Description
Any updates on this case? Let us know!
In the quiet town of St. Albans, Vermont, the life of 66-year-old Janet Smith, a female who had just made history, was tragically cut short on March 14, 1980. Only days after being sworn in as the first female mayor in Vermont's history, she was fatally shot in her own home. The promising start to a groundbreaking political career ended in an act of violence that shook the community.

The circumstances of her death unfolded within her residence, where she lived with her ailing husband. The ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (4)
See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • ImgBB: Female-mayor-killed-by-gunman
  • Admitted killer of Vermont's first woman mayor says, 'I'm sorry ...' - UPI
    •     ...View 2 additional sources
    Victim Details

    Janet Smith

    Female

    St Albans

    VT

    1980-03-14

    66

    Janet

    Smith

    Yes

    11/04/2025

    Forum Posts (3)
    Has anyone else looked into the mental state of Tauno Jurva leading up to the tragedy? It seems he w... ...Read More
    12/02/2024
    Has anyone looked into the impact Janet Smith's murder had on the community's perception of gender e... ...Read More
    07/19/2024
    I’ve been following the case of Janet Smith, and I can’t help but think about the impact on the ... ...Read More
    07/26/2023
    Other Cases from Vermont

    Brittany Bouthiette

    Death: Sep 15, 2021
    On the evening of September 15, 2021, a distressing scene unfolded inside a vehicle traveling along g ...Read More

    Cheryl F Lunna

    Death: Apr 26, 1992
    In the spring of 1992, the quiet community of Bethel, Vermont, was unsettled by a tragedy that would l ...Read More

    Lorraine Currier

    Death: Jun 08, 2011
    Lorraine Currier, a 55-year-old White woman, and her husband, William, were last seen on the evening n ...Read More

    Lara Sobel

    Death: Aug 07, 2015
    On a summer afternoon in Barre, Vermont, the life of Lara Sobel, a 48-year-old White female social w ...Read More

    Denise Hart

    Death: Dec 22, 2015
    An African-American woman named Denise Hart, a 24-year-old mother from Hartford, Connecticut, travel e ...Read More

    Heidi Martin

    Death: May 21, 1984
    In the spring of 1984, the small community of Hartland, Vermont, was a place where neighbors knew ea e ...Read More