Poppy Bilderbeck
Pamela Smart has 'accepted responsibility' in the murder of her husband after spending over 30 years maintaining her innocence.
In 1991, Smart was convicted of being an accomplice of first-degree murder and in the conspiracy to commit murder of her husband Gregory Smart, alongside witness tampering.
In the 34 years she's been in prison, she's maintained her innocence. However, for the first time she's spoken out and taken responsibility for his death.
In 1990, Gregory was fatally shot in Derry, New Hampshire by a 15-year-old boy that Pamela - a 22-year-old high school media coordinator at the time - was having an affair with.
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Pamela denied any knowledge of the plot to kill her husband, however, she was convicted of being an accomplice and conspiring to commit the murder and was ultimately sentenced to life in prison - currently residing at maximum security prison, Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Westchester County, New York.
While the shooter was freed in 2015 after serving a 25-year sentence, Pamela's appeals for her life sentence to be reduced have been dismissed - the latest one rejected in 2022 - however in her latest appeal, she's admitted 'responsibility' in Gregory's murder for the very first time.
In her latest petition to have her sentence reduced, Pamela included a videotaped statement.
Obtained by USA Today, the clip sees her say: "I found myself responsible for something I desperately didn't want to be responsible for – my husband's murder."
As quoted by AP News, she added it was 'really hard' to 'go into those places' that led her to 'dig deeper into [her] own responsibility'.
She continued: "I had to acknowledge for the first time in my own mind and my own heart how responsible I was, because I had deflected blame all the time, I think, almost as if it was a coping mechanism, because the truth of being so responsible was very difficult for me.
"I am such a different person than I was, and more thoughtful than before. Thirty-four years is a very long time, and during that time, I've done a lot of work on myself and a lot of spiritual work."
In the petition, she requested to have an 'honest conversation' with Governor Chris Sununu and the state's Executive Council about her incarceration, her 'acceptance of responsibility' and any 'concerns' they might have.
Pamela's attorney, Mark Sisti, told USA Today: "Pam is ready, willing and able to take full responsibility for the murder of her husband Gregg.
"We think there's been a wonderful turn around. We think that the governor and council should take notice of this and deal with her one-on-one."
Gov. Sununu told the outlet: "New Hampshire’s process for commutation or pardon requests is fair and thorough. Pamela Smart will be given the same opportunity to petition the Council for a hearing as any other individual."
UNILAD has contacted State of New Hampshire Executive Council for comment