Mark Alan Smith

Overview

Mark Alan Smith, born on June 27, 1949, is notorious as an American serial killer and rapist, linked to the murders of at least four women in Illinois and Arkansas during the late 1960s. He was sentenced to an astonishing 500 years' imprisonment for three of these brutal killings. But here's where it gets even more chilling: Smith later confessed to the murders of eight women while stationed as a soldier in West Germany. Although he was never prosecuted for these confessions, authorities suspect he may be tied to numerous other unsolved murders both in the United States and abroad.

Quick Facts

• Date of Birth: June 27, 1949 (Age 76)
• Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
• Other Names: "The State's Forgotten Serial Killer," Remington Steele
• Convictions:
  • Illinois: Murder (3 counts), Attempted escape
  • Arkansas: First-degree murder
• Criminal Penalty:
  • Illinois: 463 to 518 years imprisonment
  • Arkansas: Life imprisonment
• Details of Crimes: 4–12+ victims
• Span of Crimes: 1969–1970
• Countries Involved: United States; possibly West Germany and elsewhere
• States Involved: Arkansas, Illinois, and potentially others
• Current Imprisonment: Danville Correctional Center, Danville, Illinois

Early Life

Mark Alan Smith was born at the Illinois Masonic Hospital, the son of Charles Gilbert Smith, a Marine, and Delores Rechlin, who later had four more children. Following a separation when Mark was just 2 or 3 years old, his mother received primary custody. By the time he was seven, she remarried, leading to a move to McHenry County, Illinois. This new environment presented challenges for young Mark, and he soon returned to the bustling city of Chicago.

His violent tendencies began to surface early. While attending Edgebrook Public School, he attempted to strangle a female classmate behind the school building. The following year, his aggression escalated when he stabbed a 6-year-old playmate over 20 times with a pen knife. Luckily, the boy survived, but Mark was promptly sent to see a psychiatrist.

In 1966, Smith enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War and was stationed in West Germany. His military career was not without its troubles; in 1967, he was court-martialed for assaulting four African-American colleagues. After three years in the Army, he returned to the United States, settling once again in McHenry County.

The Murders

Obie Fay Ash

On December 3, 1969, Smith committed his first known murder when he abducted 32-year-old Obie Fay Ash from Cotter, Arkansas. After raping and strangling her, he stabbed her multiple times. This horrific crime unfolded in Mountain Home, where Smith worked as a handyman at a local TV repair shop. He tied Ash up with wire and dumped her lifeless body in the backseat of her own car, which he then parked close to the repair shop. Tragically, Ash left behind three children, and her body was discovered later that same day. Smith later confessed to the murder during a bench trial.

Jean Bianchi

Just weeks later, on January 27, 1970, 27-year-old Jean Bianchi was last spotted at a laundromat in McHenry. She had called her husband that evening, promising to return home shortly, but she never did. Her laundry and an unfinished letter were found at the laundromat, raising alarm. Three days later, her body surfaced in a partially frozen creek, showing clear signs of sexual assault and multiple stab wounds.

Investigators uncovered that Smith had forced Bianchi into his car at knifepoint, where he brutally raped and assaulted her. After ensuring she was incapacitated, he stabbed her repeatedly, even claiming to have heard her lungs collapse. He dumped her body in the creek, where it was eventually discovered.

Janice Bolyard

On February 27, 1970, Smith was working at the Resin Research Laboratory in Mount Prospect when he targeted 22-year-old Janice Bolyard. After making unwelcome sexual advances, which she resisted, he lost control and began to beat her. Choking her into unconsciousness, he raped her before strangling her to death with her own pantyhose. Bolyard was reported missing by her fiancé and found the next day, her lifeless body confirming the horror of Smith's violent tendencies.

Jean Lingenfelter

The final known victim during this gruesome spree was 17-year-old Jean Ann Lingenfelter, an honors student who left home on May 27, 1970, to study at a friend's house. She was last seen entering Smith's vehicle, and when she failed to return, her parents reported her missing. The following day, her naked body was discovered on a beach, showing signs of extensive sexual assault and severe trauma.

Smith later confessed to killing Lingenfelter, stating he had raped her and even inserted a beer bottle into her body post-mortem. He then placed her in the trunk of his car before disposing of her at McCullom Lake.

Suspected Additional Crimes

Beyond the known murders, Smith claimed to have killed between three to eight women in West Germany during his military service, although he later recanted to just two. Despite the credibility of his confessions, German authorities never pursued prosecutions. Prosecutors estimated that Smith's total victim count could exceed 20, given the extensive geographic area and timeframe of his crimes. Various investigations also linked him to murders in Vietnam, South Korea, and even the unresolved 1966 murder of Valerie Percy in Kenilworth, Illinois.

Capture, Trial, and Imprisonment

The community of McHenry was rocked by the murders of Bianchi and Lingenfelter, prompting widespread public involvement in the search for the killer, including Smith himself. Ironically, he was arrested after discovering Lingenfelter's body with alarming precision. During police interviews, Smith displayed chilling indifference towards his victims, even noting at a prior parole hearing that "everybody has got to die sometime."

He ultimately confessed to the murders of Bianchi, Ash, Bolyard, and Lingenfelter and was sentenced to 500 years in prison in 1971. Remarkably, he avoided the death penalty due to a moratorium in place at that time.

On April 27, 1977, Smith attempted to escape from Pontiac Correctional Center through the boiler room, for which he later received an additional 18-year sentence. During his incarceration, Smith collaborated with his defense attorney Harold C. McKenney and Jon K. Hahn to co-author a book titled "Legally Sane," detailing his life and criminal activities, including his confessions regarding the alleged murders in Germany.

Now claiming to be a rehabilitated individual, Smith has adopted the pseudonym Remington Steele. He faces mandatory parole hearings every three years but acknowledges that release is unlikely. Should he ever be released, he would have to be transferred to Arkansas to serve a life sentence for the murder of Obie Fay Ash. As of now, Smith remains incarcerated at Pontiac Correctional Center, where he reportedly engages in painting and is pursuing a third college degree.

Sources

• Jeff Madsen (July 11, 1990). "Serial Killer Wants to be Forgotten". Chicago Tribune.
• Chelsea McDougall (August 21, 2014). "Decades later, victims' families fight serial killer Smith's parole". Northwest Herald.
• "Obie Fay Ash, 32, murdered in MTN. Home. Part 5". Baxter Bulletin. 17 December 1970.
• Chelsea McDougall (July 18, 2014). "Admitted serial killer up for parole". Suburban Life Media.
• Charles Keeshan (June 23, 2008). "Reliving the pain, over and over". Daily Herald.
• Jon K. Hahn and Harold C. McKenney (1972). Legally Sane. Henry Rengery Company.

For more information, you can view the original Wikipedia article here.