Betty Fran Gladden-Smith and John Smith

When Betty Fran Smith vanished in 1991, her family was desperate for answers. Recovering from a broken hip, it seemed unlikely she could have left home to travel as her new husband claimed. Determined to find the truth, Betty Fran’s sister and daughter began digging into John David Smith III—and uncovered disturbing secrets from his past. What followed was a search for justice that would stretch across decades and state lines.

Today's snack: Peanut butter stuffed brownies

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Sources:

• Fleeman, Michael. The Stranger in My Bed: The True Story of Marriage, Murder, and the Body in the Box (St. Martin's True Crime Library). 2003. Kindle Edition.
• Hilland, Robert. Edward, John. Chasing Evil. (St. Martin’s Essentials). 2025. Kindle Edition.
• https://archive.org/details/mysisterismissin0000glad/page/26/mode/2up Sherrie Gladden-Davis book
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhbnIQp5tJ4 Dateline episode
• https://people.com/chasing-evil-john-edward-robert-hilland-excerpt-exclusive-11798903 People magazine article about John Edward and Robert Hilland
• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fran-smith-husband-murder-charges-dark-secrets-dateline-exclusive-rcna149097
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/153553431/?match=1&terms=Fran%20Smith
• https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=forensic+files+deadly+matrimony
• https://people.com/john-edward-robert-hilland-chasing-evil-interview-exclusive-11798647
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/151547651/
• https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ohnd-5_04-cv-02353/pdf/USCOURTS-ohnd-5_04-cv-02353-1.pdf
• https://people.com/john-edward-robert-hilland-chasing-evil-interview-exclusive-11798647