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Jan Hartman

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Janice Elaine "Jan" Hartman (March 2, 1951 - c. November 17, 1974) was a woman who disappeared in 1974 after marital problems with her then husband, John Smith. After their divorce in 1974, Hartman was killed by Smith, who concealed her body in a makeshift coffin until its discovery by family members in 1979. Afterwards, her killer disposed of her remains out of state, where they would be discovered the following year and remained unidentified for two decades. As a Jane Doe, Hartman was nicknamed "Lady in the Box."

Case[]

Hartman was murdered by her ex-husband, John Smith, and placed in a makeshift coffin, which was stored at Smith's house until his relatives opened it and discovered her body. The pair had divorced after a brief marriage, and the victim had been supporting herself as an exotic dancer. The remains were then dumped at a roadside in Indiana, and were later discovered in 1980. She remained unidentified and was dubbed "Lady in the Box" until a DNA comparison in 2000.

Related cases[]

John Smith is believed to have murdered his estranged wife Fran Smith in 1991, whose remains have yet to be discovered. Photographs of two previously unidentified women were discovered in Smith's suitcase; one was found to be alive. The second woman was never identified, and the FBI later closed their investigation without success. An additional unidentified subject was discovered in one of his storage units in Ohio, consisting of skull fragments and teeth.

Gallery[]

Media[]

  • Hartman's case was detailed on Forensic Files.
  • Cold Case Files featured the investigation on an episode titled "Lady in the Box."
  • The New Detectives included the case on the episode “Loved to Death” on the fourteenth episode of their ninth and final season.
  • I Lived Wih a Killer documented the case on the sixteenth episode of their debut season.
  • The 2006 television drama Murder on Pleasant Drive was based on the crimes of John Smith.

Sources[]

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