Laurence Smith
THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF
About the author
Laurence Smith was raised in Flossmoor, Illinois and then after High School moved to the fabled North Shore, north of Chicago along Lake Michigan. After transferring from Northwestern University in Evanston,
Illinois after his sophomore year, Laurence then obtained his BS
degree in psychology and Masters degree in clinical psychology from
the University of Chicago.
He has spent nearly 28 years in various areas of the psychology milieu, including; clinician, counselor, and psycho-therapist. Laurence Smith has often testified as an expert witness in; civil legal proceedings, felony criminal trials, and criminal grand jury hearings. He also has credible knowledge of forensic pathology, along with medical insight in criminal investigations.
Personal Info
Mr. Smith was adopted at age 5 by two loving Christian parents. His favorite childhood memory is that of his father bringing home a large
2-year-old Irish Setter dog that became his constant companion. A lifelong romantic, he savors the great loves of the women in life, though he regrets never marrying, and possibly having a son. His
many interests include; classical music, opera, and most of all tennis, in which he has won numerous awards since the age of twelve. He remains an accomplished player today.
Why I wrote this book
I wish this was a fictional murder case that I was writing about, but unfortunately it is not. This murder case is truly a human tragedy.
After learning all the details in this case and reading the various
media material that had been written about it, I came to believe this case demanded that it be approached from a multi-dimensional perspective in order to better understand how and why the life of Jon Benet came to be taken from her.
Initially, upon learning of this child’s tragic death, I believed that her murder was the result of an act perpetrated by a mentally unbalanced sexual predator. With the emergence of more details, I realized that
an intruder could not have been responsible for Jon Benet’s death. Purest of logic dictated this could not be the case. I then thought that perhaps a parent panicked after this child had a fatal accident, and then proceeded to cover up her death because of some form of guilt.
However, after the autopsy report was finally released stating that Jon Benet’s death was due to the dual factors of strang-ulation and head trauma, this then brought a new perspective to the circumstances surrounding her death. It was no longer a case of possible involuntary manslaughter, but murder. I soon came to see that there was a strong possibility that JonBenet’s life could have been saved if 911 call had been made. called, rather than having her life taken to serve mis-placed self-interest by a parent.
I came to see this young child’s death as being all too symbolic of current American culture, where self-centered concerns are at times placed above everything else, including one’s own child. JonBenet did not have to leave this life as a 6-year-old girl who was so fascinated with the world she lived in, still believing in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.
“It is up to future authors to document the conclusion
of this drama, probably years from now.”
Steve Thomas -
Former lead detective On this case
Perhaps, I am that author.
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM LAURENCE SMITH
I wish you good health and personal fulfillment. I
appreciate your interest in this book. And I hope
you can avail yourself to reading it cover to cover.
I believe you will find my accounting of this case
to be an interesting journey in understanding the
logic and aberrations of the the human mind when
unable to cope with a crisis situation; that it may
be a fascinating reading experience for you as well.
All the very best to you,
Laurence L. Smith
