It was May 1, 1990. A quiet Tuesday in Derry, New Hampshire. Most people were winding down, but for 24-year-old Gregg Smart, the night ended in a pool of blood on his own foyer floor. When his wife, Pamela Smart, walked into their condo later that night, she found the place "ransacked." A burglary gone wrong. That was the story, anyway. Honestly, it was a story the world would spend the next thirty-plus years pulling apart.
The murder in New Hampshire the Pamela Wojas Smart story isn't just a cold case from the nineties. It was the first "trial of the century" before O.J. Simpson ever stepped into a courtroom. It had everything: a 22-year-old media coordinator, a 15-year-old lover, a group of teenage hitmen, and a hidden wire.
The Night Everything Changed in Derry
Gregg Smart was a local insurance salesman. He had a life ahead of him. But when he walked through his door that evening, two teenagers were waiting. One was William "Billy" Flynn, a 16-year-old (some reports say 15 at the start of the affair) who had been having a sexual relationship with Pamela. The other was Patrick Randall.
The scene was brutal. Basically, Randall held Gregg down with a knife while Flynn fired a single shot into the back of his head. They made the place look like a mess to throw off the cops. It sort of worked at first. But the Derry police weren't exactly buying the "random robbery" angle for long. Too much didn't add up. Why was so little actually stolen? Why did the crime feel so staged?
Pamela Smart was the media coordinator at Winnacunnet High School. She was young, blonde, and—to the tabloids—"killer" looking. She met Billy through an anti-drug program. Yeah, the irony isn't lost on anyone. While she was supposed to be teaching kids to stay on the right path, she was allegedly leading one into a murder plot.
The Secret Wire and the "Smoking Gun"
If you've ever watched the movies or documentaries about this, you know about Cecelia Pierce. She was a 16-year-old intern who worked for Pam. She was also the one who eventually broke the case wide open. After an anonymous tip led police to the teenagers, Cecelia agreed to wear a wire.
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The recordings were damning. You've got to understand how heavy this was back then. In one of the tapes, Pam is heard telling Cecelia that they needed to "get their stories straight." She famously said something along the lines of, "If you tell the truth, you're going to send me to the slammer for the rest of my life."
That was it. The smoking gun.
The 1991 Trial: A Media Circus
The trial was a total zoo. It was the first time a trial was televised gavel-to-gavel in the U.S. People were obsessed. They talked about her hair bows. They talked about her outfits.
The prosecution, led by Diane Nicolosi, painted Pam as a "Black Widow" who manipulated a bunch of naïve kids. On the other side, the defense argued that Billy Flynn acted on his own because he was obsessed with Pam and wanted her all to himself. Billy took the stand and told a different story. He said Pam threatened to break up with him if he didn't kill Gregg. He said she told him she couldn't get a divorce because she'd lose her house and her dog.
On March 22, 1991, the jury made their choice.
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- Accomplice to first-degree murder: Guilty.
- Conspiracy to commit murder: Guilty.
- Witness tampering: Guilty.
The sentence? Life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Where Are They Now?
The crazy part of the murder in New Hampshire the Pamela Wojas Smart story is the disparity in sentences. The kids who actually pulled the trigger? They’re all out.
- Billy Flynn: The shooter. He was paroled in 2015. He’s married now and living a quiet life.
- Patrick Randall: He held the knife. Also paroled in 2015.
- Vance Lattime Jr.: The getaway driver whose father’s gun was used. He was paroled in 2005.
- Raymond Fowler: He was in the car. He got out in 2005 as well.
Then there’s Pamela. She’s currently at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York. She has spent over 30 years behind bars. During that time, she’s earned two master's degrees and a doctorate. She’s been a model inmate. But for decades, she refused to say she did it. She always maintained she had the affair—which she calls a "mistake"—but had no part in the murder.
The 2024 Confession
In a massive turn of events in June 2024, Pam Smart finally did something she said she’d never do. She accepted "full responsibility."
In a videotaped statement aimed at the New Hampshire Executive Council, she admitted she had deflected blame for years. She said she was immature and selfish. It was a huge moment. For her supporters, it was the growth they needed to see to push for her release. For the Smart family, it felt like too little, too late.
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Val Fryatt, Gregg’s cousin, wasn’t moved. She pointed out that Pam didn't even say Gregg’s name in the video. Honestly, the wounds in New Hampshire still run incredibly deep.
Why This Case Still Matters
The murder in New Hampshire the Pamela Wojas Smart story changed how we consume true crime. Without Pam Smart, we might not have had the media frenzy around O.J. or JonBenét Ramsey. It turned a tragedy into a soap opera.
It also raises huge questions about justice. Should the person who didn't pull the trigger serve more time than the person who did? New Hampshire law says yes, if you're the one who planned it. But as of January 2026, her legal team is still fighting. They just filed a petition for habeas corpus, arguing that the media coverage made a fair trial impossible and that the transcripts used in the 90s were inaccurate.
The New Hampshire Governor, Kelly Ayotte, recently denied her a commutation hearing again in late 2025. She basically said the crime was too heinous to warrant a second look.
Actionable Insights for True Crime Fans
If you're following this case, there are a few things to keep an eye on:
- Follow the Habeas Corpus Petition: The latest legal move in 2026 is focusing on "modern science" regarding audio recordings. They claim the jury heard words like "killed" and "murder" because they were written in a transcript, even if they weren't actually audible on the fuzzy 1990 tapes.
- Watch the Documentaries: "Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart" (2014) gives a really balanced look at how the media influenced the jury.
- Check the Executive Council: In New Hampshire, the Governor can't act alone. Keep an eye on the five-member Executive Council; they are the gatekeepers for any potential freedom for Pam.
The story of the murder in New Hampshire is a messy, tragic, and complicated piece of American history. Whether you think she’s a victim of a media circus or a cold-blooded manipulator, one thing is certain: the case is far from forgotten.