Mark Alan Smith

Serial Killer

Mark Alan Smith: The Crimes of a Forgotten Serial Killer

Overview

Mark Alan Smith is an American serial killer and sexual predator responsible for the murders of four identified women in Arkansas and Illinois between December 1969 and May 1970. He also claimed that he had killed several unidentified women while serving with the United States Army in West Germany, although those additional confessions never resulted in criminal charges. Smith's known crimes were characterized by abduction, sexual violence, strangulation, stabbing and deliberate efforts to conceal or distance himself from the victims' bodies. Smith was born on June 27, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois. Accounts of his childhood describe disturbing acts of violence beginning at an early age. As a schoolboy, he reportedly attempted to strangle a female classmate. In another incident, he repeatedly stabbed a six-year-old boy with a small knife. The child survived, and Smith was sent for psychiatric evaluation. These attacks did not result in the kind of long-term intervention that might have prevented his later escalation into lethal violence. Smith entered the United States Army during the 1960s and was stationed in West Germany. He was court-martialed in 1967 after assaulting several fellow soldiers. After leaving the military and returning to the United States, he moved through Arkansas and Illinois, committing four confirmed murders in less than six months. His victims included a mother running errands, a woman using a laundromat, a young chemist working late and a high school student preparing for graduation.

Confirmed Victims

• Obie Fay Ash, 32 December 3, 1969 Mountain Home, Arkansas: Ash lived with her husband and three children near Cotter, Arkansas. She disappeared while running errands in Mountain Home. Smith abducted her, sexually assaulted her and killed her by strangulation and stabbing. He bound her body with wire and placed it inside her own automobile. The vehicle and her body were discovered later that day near the television repair business where Smith was working.
• Jean Irene Bianchi, 27 January 27, 1970 McHenry, Illinois: Bianchi was a married mother of two who disappeared from a laundromat on Elm Street in McHenry. Her laundry and an unfinished letter remained inside, indicating that she had not intended to leave for long. Smith forced her into his vehicle at knifepoint, sexually assaulted her and stabbed her repeatedly. He abandoned her near a partially frozen creek beneath a bridge. Her body was recovered three days later following an extensive search.
• Janice Louise Bolyard, 22 February 27, 1970 Des Plaines, Illinois: Bolyard was a Northwestern University graduate employed in the research and testing division of a chemical company. She was engaged to be married in June 1970. While she was working late at the company's facility, Smith followed her into a secluded area, attacked and sexually assaulted her, and strangled her with an article of her clothing. Her body was discovered at the workplace after her fiance reported her missing.
• Jean Ann Lingenfelter, 17 May 27, 1970 McHenry County, Illinois: Lingenfelter was an honors student at McHenry West High School and was approximately one week away from graduation. She left a friend's home after studying for final examinations and was last seen entering Smith's vehicle. Smith sexually assaulted, beat and strangled her before placing her body in the trunk of his car. He abandoned her near McCullom Lake in the Lakeland Park subdivision, where her body was discovered the following day.

...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Obie Fay Ash Age: (32), Date of Death: 1969-12-03

Mark Alan Smith - Wikipedia