The Smolinski Trial
Janice and Bill Smolinski inside New Haven Superior Court.
Column by John Murray
Sdrawkcab.
That’s how you spell backwards, backward.
And that might be the best way to describe the civil trial of Madeline Gleason versus Janice Smolinski and Paula Bell taking place in New Haven Superior Court. It is so backwards, it is insane.
Here’s the background.....
Gleason is a named suspect in the disappearance of Billy Smolinski Jr., a Waterbury man who vanished from his life seven years ago. Gleason had been dating Smolinski for a year when he discovered she was also involved with another man, an influential politician in Woodbridge. Billy and Madeline argued over the affair and they broke up two days before he vanished.
Billy Smolinski and his dog Harley
On August 24th, 2004, Billy Smolinski called and threatened his male rival, Chris Sorenson, and left a message on his answering machine telling him to “watch his back”. It is the last phone call Billy Smolinski ever made. He climbed into his white pick-up truck around 5 p.m. and hasn’t been seen since. The truck made it back to his home that night, but was parked at the bottom of his long driveway, in a spot no one had ever seen it parked before.
The truck was home, but Billy Smolinski was gone.
Alarmed, the Smolinski family - Janice, Bill Sr. and Paula Bell (his sister) - contacted the Waterbury Police Department to report a missing man. They were told they had to wait three days to file a report, so they searched areas that Billy loved to hike and walk his German Shepherd, Harley. Three days later, shortly before midnight on August 27th, the Smolinskis filed an official missing person report with the Waterbury police. Afterwards, they decided to drive by Billy’s house in the South End of the city to see if he had come home.
A light was on and hopes surged that Billy was home. He wasn’t. Instead of Billy, the Smolinskis discovered Madeline Gleason and her friend, Fran Vrable, inside Billy’s home. Numbed, confused, and not knowing what to make of the scene, the Smolinskis left, but Bill Sr. returned in the morning to change the locks on the door.
“We didn’t know what she was doing there,” Bill Smolinski said. “It was real strange.”
Strange, yes, but the Smolinskis brushed the incident aside and beginning the next day, August 28th, focused on hanging missing person flyers throughout western Connecticut. The flyers, with Billy’s picture on it, were prominently displayed on every city bus in Waterbury. Flyers were hung on utility poles throughout Waterbury, Watertown, Prospect, Naugatuck, Woodbridge, Bethany, Seymour, Ansonia, Derby and New Haven.
“We hung thousands of flyers throughout the state,” Janice Smolinski, Billy’s mother, said. “When we weren’t looking along the river, or in the woods, we were hanging flyers. This was every day, seven days a week.”
Several weeks later, Bill Smolinski noticed that flyers were missing on poles he was certain he had stapled ones to. Chalking it up to exhaustion, he placed flyers on the pole again, and days later was shocked to discover they had been torn off the pole, crumbled up and discarded on the ground.
“Who would do something like that?,” Bill Smolinski said, and he looked around the pole for clues. He saw dual tire marks next to all the poles that had the flyers torn down. He thought it was a big truck and the family decided to hang another poster and hide in the woods to see if they could catch the person destroying the flyers.
Turns out the dual tires didn’t belong to a big truck, but to a bright yellow school bus, and the person driving the bus, and destroying the posters, was Madeline Gleason, Billy’s ex-girlfriend.
“We were shocked,” Bill Smolinski said. “It didn’t make any sense. Instead of helping us find Billy, she was interfering with our search.”
Madeline Gleason scrambling back to her bus, missing poster in hand.
The Smolinskis went to the Waterbury police with the information and were advised to videotape Gleason tearing down the flyers and to make sure they videotaped her license plate, get the school bus number, the name of the bus company and the utility pole number. They did, and when they brought the video back to the Waterbury police, nothing was done. They went to the Woodbridge police department and got the same response - nothing.
The Smolinskis went to see Congressman Nancy Johnson who advised them to get the video into court, they called Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, and went to see State’s Attorney John Connelly, who the Smolinskis say told them “to stay out of Woodbridge.” The Smolinskis contacted Madeline Gleason’s employer, Brad Cohen, of B&B Transportation, who was disinterested, so they contacted the Connecticut School Transportation Association (COSTA), whose mission is to promote and foster safety in the transportation of school children, and they went to the Woodbridge Board of Education to report Madeline Gleason’s bizarre behavior while driving a school bus.
“We were begging for help,” Janice Smolinski said , “and all the authorities were pushing us away.”
So they kept hanging flyers, and Madeline and her friends, emboldened by a lack of consequence, began ripping the posters down right in Janice Smolinski’s face. During one incident, Janice hung a flyer on a pole and Fran Vrabel tore it down and threw it at her feet. Janice didn’t speak, walked back to her car got a second flyer and stapled it to the pole. Vrabel tore it down and tossed it on the ground. This scene replayed five times before Janice got back in her car and left.
“We weren’t looking for violence,” Janice Smolinski said, “we were looking for answers.”
Fran Vrabel tearing down a flyer in Janice Smolinski's face.
The Waterbury police conducted an investigation into Billy’s disappearance, but 18 months after he vanished the deputy chief of the department, Jimmy Eagan, told the Observer that “Billy was probably having a beer in Europe and would come home when he was ready.”
It took two full years before the Waterbury police would go so far as to categorize Billy’s disappearance as “suspected foul play”. The Waterbury police had jurisdiction over the investigation, so the Smolinski’s calls to the Connecticut State Police and the FBI went nowhere.
“How would any parent respond to this situation?” Janice Smolinski said. “The authorities weren’t doing anything, so we had to. We weren’t going to coil up and go home.”
Vigilantes? Hardly. They re-hung posters every day on utility poles, cleaned up the tattered debris at the base of the poles, and videotaped Madeline Gleason and Fran Vrabel from public property.
For these actions, Janice Smolinski was arrested on her birthday, May 13th, 2005, by the Woodbridge police for trespassing on school property. She denied the complaint made by Frances Vrabel, and the prosecutor in New Haven did not pursue the charge.
In March 2006, the Waterbury Observer published an in-depth account of the disappearance of Billy Smolinski, and his family’s exhaustive effort to find out what happened to him. We published images of Madeline Gleason tearing down missing person flyers, we wrote about the explosive love triangle and the Waterbury police’s indifferent response to the report of a missing 31-year-old male.
As a result, several months later the FBI got involved in the case, and the Observer, Janice Smolinski and Paula Bell, were sued by Madeline Gleason and B&B Transportation. The lawsuit was filed by high-powered-lawyer, John Williams, who wanted $345,000 in damages for Madeline Gleason. Gleason claimed the Smolinskis had harassed her, and the Observer had violated her right to privacy.
Five years later, on November 29th, 2011, the lawsuit went to trial in New Haven Superior Court. Charges against the Observer had been dismissed a year ago when our lawyer, Attorney Mark Lee, successfully argued that the charges against the newspaper had no merit. But the lawsuit against Janice Smolinski and Paula Bell moved forward as little more than a “she said - she said” case. The Smolinskis also retained the legal counsel of Attorney Mark Lee and they went to court to square off against Atty. John Williams and Madeline Gleason.
Atty. Mark Lee, Paula Bell, Bill Smolinski and Janice Smolinski.
An effort was made by Judge Jonathan Silbert to settle the case and avoid trial. Silbert suggested to Attorney Lee that his clients should throw a little something to Gleason so the case could be closed. Lee brought the offer to the Smolinskis, who replied, “Never. We’re dealing with evil people and we’re not giving them one dollar.”
Day #1
Brad Cohen, co-owner of B&B Transportation, Madeline’s employer, was the first witness to testify. Cohen told the court that Madeline had worked for him for 20 years and was his friend. He testified that Gleason had complained about people following her and interfering with the safe operation of her school bus. Cohen also told the court that someone called B&B Transportation customers - school districts - stating that Madeline was a murderer. Several school districts called Cohen to check on the allegations, and he said he assured them everything was okay, that the kids were safe.
Cohen testified he had talked with Bill and Jan Smolinski and asked them to stop hanging posters on poles around his business. Cohen said the Smolinskis told him they didn’t think Madeline had killed Billy, but she knew what happened, and they wouldn’t stop hanging posters until the mystery was solved.
Under cross examination from Mark Lee, Cohen said he had no proof who called the school districts and had no knowledge that it was either Janice Smolinski or Paula Bell.
Melissa DePallo, Madeline’s best friend, testified in court that the Smolinskis had harassed Madeline by hanging the flyers which made Gleason emotionally distraught. DePallo said Gleason cried a lot and was very emotional about seeing her name on television. DePallo said Gleason was living with her at the time of Billy’s disappearance at 4 Brothers Court in Seymour.
Another Gleason friend, and poster ripper, Fran Vrabel, testified minutes later that Gleason was living with her in Ansonia when Billy disappeared. The significance of the conflicting accounts of where Madeline Gleason lived is that law enforcement has developed leads that point to Billy Smolinski being strangled by Shaun Karpiuk (Madeline’s son), inside Madeline’s apartment. Where she lived is a possible murder scene.
Vrabel, a Waterbury resident, testified that she and Gleason tried to help search for Billy after he disappeared, but the Smolinskis shooed them away. She told the court that Janice Smolinski had tried to staple her hand to a utility pole and that Janice Smolinski had threatened to kill Madeline Gleason.
During one memorable exchange between lawyers, Mark Lee objected to John William’s asking leading questions of Vrabel and said, “Judge, he’s making this up as he goes along.” Williams bristled, and said, “I resent that remark.” Judge Tom Cordino, who had been badgered by Williams all morning, smiled.
Vrabel ended her testimony by stating, “The Smolinskis assume we know where Bill is. I wish we did.”
Then Madeline Gleason was called to the stand. She was dressed in black, had her hair frosted like Tina Turner and it was sprinkled with glitter. She wore knee-high black leather boots with long black tassels.
Gleason testified that she was hysterical when Billy disappeared and had tried to help find him. She said she had searched in a cemetery and a gravel pit with Paula Bell in the days after Billy’s disappearance, but the family quickly turned hostile towards her, so she backed off. Gleason said she began receiving phone calls from Paula Bell threatening to kill her, and missing person flyers were saturating where she lived, and where she worked.
Gleason told the court of the emotional distress she experienced by hearing her name “at least 70 times on national TV” during an hour-long Discovery ID show spotlighting the mysterious disappearance of Billy Smolinski.
“I begged the Woodbridge police to stop the Smolinskis from following me into my gym, into restaurants and telling people I was a murderer,’ Gleason testified. “But the police were reluctant to get involved because the situation involved an influential Woodbridge politician.”
Gleason said when she began dating a New Haven police officer that his co-workers would tease him that he was dating a murderer. She said Paula Bell would call her a “ho”, and that “Janet (sic) would swear at me and call me a slut, and a whore.”
At hearing that, Janice Smolinski yelled, “Stop it”, and Judge Cordino told her not to interrupt.
Gleason complained about the Waterbury Observer and how every 3-4 months she had to read about “how many times she’d been married (4) and how her children had died (one suicide, one drug overdose and one in a suspicious drowning in Sag Harbor, L.I.)”.
And then Gleason began to cry. “Of all people,” she said, “I know what it’s like to lose a child.”
She said the Smolinski’s harassment had affected her entire life, including her effort to gain custody of her granddaughter, Brianna, in the spring of 2004. Gleason said the continued harassment from the Smolinskis made her fear for her life and the safety of her teenaged son. “These people will never stop,” she said. “Everywhere I go they follow me and hang posters on every pole. These people would not stop until I attained (sic) a lawyer. These people have no mercy.”
On cross examination Mark Lee showed Gleason a Woodbridge police report that stated she was a suspect in the disappearance of Billy Smolinski until she took a lie detector test. Lee asked why she hadn’t taken one.
“I asked Janet (sic) if I take a lie detector test and passed with flying colors will you leave me alone,” Gleason testified. “She said never.”
Bill Smolinski had heard enough. He stood up and left the courtroom.
Madeline Gleason videotaped heading back into her school bus.
Mark Lee asked Gleason if she realized she was a suspect in Billy’s disappearance. Her upper lipped curled, and John Wiliams immediately objected to the question.
Gleason testified that she was living in Ansonia when Billy disappeared and that she had gone into Billy’s house three days after he vanished to get her night gown and make-up. She testified that she used a spare key in a loafer to gain entrance, and that she had permission to do so.
“Permission from who?” Lee questioned.
Gleason had no response, but she recounted in detail a confrontation she had with Janice Smolinski and Paula Bell in the lobby of the Woodbridge police station in early April 2005.
As Janice Smolinski sat and listened to Gleason’s testimony she said her whole body started to shake and her heart began pounding out of control. In physical crisis, and about to pass out, Janice shouted out, “Stop it, that’s my son you’re talking about, my son......” and she collapsed into tears. In the back of the courtroom, Bill Smolinski, who had re-entered the proceedings, leapt to his feet and shouted, “You’re lying”, and pointed directly at Madeline Gleason. “Enough,” he yelled, and then he stormed back out of the courtroom.
Judge Cordino called the two lawyers into his chambers to try and cool the situation off, and when the proceedings resumed he delivered a thoughtful talk about the case.
“This is a stressful case and emotions are flying high,” he advised. “Either party wouldn’t be human if they weren’t emotional, and sometimes it’s impossible to control emotions. If anyone reaches a point where the testimony is too much, raise your hand and we’ll take a recess.”
Outside in the hallway the Smolinskis vowed to continue plowing ahead. ‘I can’t take sitting here and listening to all these lies,” Bill Smolinski said. “But we have to get through this.”
Minutes later the proceedings ended for the day and would resume on Monday, December 5th.
“This was a tough day,” Janice Smolinski said, “ we were all shaken in the courtroom today. “They’re making a lot of allegations against us, but they have no proof. We’ll get our chance in court on Monday.”
Paula Bell, Janice Smolinski and Bill Smolinski.
Day #2
The second day of the trial was fast and furious and provided the Smolinskis the opportunity to refute much of Madeline Gleason’s testimony. Chris Sorenson was called to the stand, but Judge Cordino had advised Mark Lee in chambers that he did not want him to badger Sorenson about the love triangle. Handcuffed, Attorney Lee was only able to ask Sorenson a few questions, before letting him go. One question involved Sorenson’s business interest with Brad Cohen and B&B Transportation. Sorenson said he had no business relationship with Cohen, but that his father had.
The Smolinskis have long wondered why B&B Transportation was involved in the lawsuit, and wondered who was paying John William’s hefty legal fee. The direct tie of B&B Transportation to Sorenson’s family raised some eyebrows in the courtroom.
Paula Bell took the stand and denied almost all of Madeline Gleason’s direct testimony. Paula said she had not called Madeline Gleason and threatened her life, never called her a “ho”, did not block a school driveway and had never climbed on a school bus to confront Gleason. Bell explained why she videotaped Gleason and Vrabel (on advice from Waterbury PD) and explained to the court how she did it - while standing on public property and keeping her distance. John Williams asked a few quick questions and let her go.
Bill Smolinski testified about hanging posters and the shocking discovery that it was Madeline Gleason in a school bus that was tearing them down. Bill testified about an incident that occurred with Gleason that involved him and his two brothers. They were hanging flyers in Bethany when they encountered Gleason driving the opposite way. Bill testified that Gleason pulled a dramatic U-turn and yelled at them. “She told us to wait until we get to Woodbridge, that the police would take care of us there,” Bill Smolinski testified. “My brother yelled to her to call them, and say we’d be there in ten minutes.”
Bill Smolinski denied he had ever heard Paula or Jan threaten Gleason’s life, and testified that “all we were trying to do is find my son.”
In one outburst that Judge Cordino let flow unrestrained, Bill Smolinski described the emotion he felt picking up hundreds of crumbled missing person flyers with his son’s photograph on it. “Those women tearing down our flyers, that’s harassment if you ask me.”
Atty. Williams asked Bill Smolinski a few quick questions and let him go. Clearly his legal strategy was not to confront the Smolinski family - which might create sympathy - but to get them off the witness stand as quickly as possible.
Janice Smolinski, who has used police mistakes in the investigation to trigger local, state and federal reform into the way law enforcement respond to a report of a missing adult, had difficulty answering yes or no questions posed by both lawyers. She had seven years of frustration to uncork, but this was not a murder trial, she was the defendant in a civil lawsuit about harassment. Her son was murdered and buried in the Naugatuck Valley seven years ago, and here she was, finally in court, and she was reduced to answering questions about missing person flyers and refuting accusations from Madeline Gleason.
Several times Janice attempted to explain the case and was cut off by the judge and instructed to answer the lawyer’s question. A murdered missing man loomed over the proceedings, but the chaos from that bungled investigation was not allowed into the courtroom. It was the Smolinskis on trial this day, and all they could do was counter Gleason’s testimony and hope Judge Cordino found them credible.
Janice Smolinski testified directly to Judge Cordino at one point, looking him straight in the eye for several minutes while she explained her version of what transpired during a heated confrontation in April 2005 with Gleason and Vrabel.
“I never threatened Madeline Gleason,” Janice Smolinski testified. “I was just looking for Billy, and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t look for my son.”
Other witnesses on the final day were Nancy Kurdy, who was called in to refute Gleason’s testimony that the Smolinski’s had adversely affected Gleason’s bid to gain custody of her granddaughter. After a dispute, Kurdy, the child’s great aunt, was granted custody instead of Gleason. The Smolinskis have reports from the Seymour PD recounting domestic disputes inside Gleason’s home, but were not allowed to use them in court. One sexual assault report from December 2002 details a bizarre incident between Madeline Gleason and her then husband, Bill Gleason, but the information could not be used to establish an unstable home. Madeline Gleason’s claim that the Smolinskis ruined her chance of gaining custody of her granddaughter was further undermined by the fact the custody battle was in the Spring of 2004, months before Billy Smolinski disappeared.
The final witness in the trial was Waterbury police officer, Captain Edward Apicella. Mark Lee had subpoenaed the Waterbury PD to gain access to reports involving Madeline Gleason, but when Captain Apicella showed up, he carried one single sheet of notarized paper. The Smolinski’s had obtained copies of portions of the file years ago during a controversial FOI request filed by private investigator Andy Thibault, and Mark Lee, thinking quickly on his feet, introduced a police report obtained from that FOI request in as evidence. Attorney Williams looked the report over and cited no objection. In the report is confirmation from Madeline Gleason that she had been in a full blown, and on-going affair with Chris Sorenson at the time of Billy Smolinski’s disappearance.
While that doesn’t mean Gleason or Sorenson have anything to do with Smolinski’s disappearance, it does establish a credibility problem for Gleason, who testified under oath that there was no love triangle, and that the Smolinski family had fabricated it.
At the end of a frustrating day in court for the Smolinski family, Janice said, “This was our first time in the court system, and it wasn’t a pleasant one.”
Attorney Lee said the case is at half-time. The direct testimony is over, and now Judge Cordino will read the transcripts and submit questions to the two lawyers, who will present the answers to the judge during oral arguments in open court. Then both sides will submit a final brief and the judge will render his decision afterwards. The process may take several more months to resolve.
In the hallway outside the courtroom Janice Smolinski went up to private investigator Todd Lovejoy, who has lead 17 private seaches for the body of Billy Smolinski, and expressed her frustration at the legal system.
“It’s a big chess game,” Lovejoy said. “God is not inside the courtroom.”
Janice Smolinski looked at Lovejoy for a second, smiled, and said, “God is everywhere.”
| Login or register to post comments | Tags: Attorney Mark Lee, Bill Smolinski, Billy Smolinski, Frances Vrabel, Janice Smolinski, Madeline Gleason
Fear and worry are not from the Lord. There is a large amount of emotion from people not directly involved in this situation that is so negative. Give peace and hope. It is not our place to judge anyone. When we enter the kingdom of God, He will judge and give a sentence of enternity for the right or wrong we have committed in this life. To the family of Billy, my thoughts and prayers are with you. I pray one day you will have the closure you need to know this is happening for a reason greater then us. My prayers are for all those who are in pain over this and pray for God's work to be done and His will to prevail and provide comfort to all those who seek it. In Jesus name! Amen.
It took HOW LONG for them to DNA search his truck and dust for prints? It seems that there was no real investigation done at all! I feel SO BAD for the smolinski family :( and Madeline Gleason, she doesn't need anyone defaming her character seems she is doing that just fine for herself. I bet anything her and her man she was having an affair with set this entire thing up, and her kids (who have a horrible history with the law) probably aided with disposing of the body. I can't believe this guy she was having the affair with wasn't scrutinized. Did ANYONE do anything in this investigation? Sickening. I am thinking and praying for you, Smolinski family. Keep up your amazing efforts. Hopefully your good will and tireless days& nights will help because it looks like no one else is on your side. As for Madeline, you ought to be ASHAMED.
I am a person of faith and I would want my family to be as resilient as yours in trying to discover the truth. I do not claim to be a psychic but i have a feeling something was overlooked when searching for his body. I feel your family and the police were so close in the search. I saw Billy's story on Netflix on the "disappeared," series. I have a feeling something is located off Bungay Rd between the properties 117-121. A tree keeps coming to mind, something marked by a slash. (just a feeling). Best wishes to your family and blessing that you find Billy in your lifetime.
Jan and Bill are two of the strongest and kindest people I know! Jan reached out and helped me in a time where I would not have otherwise made it (all while she was going through her own hell). It was because of Jan that I was able to locate and confirm my MISSING mother's remains! The fact that she is being treated like this by the court systems is a JOKE! I can not believe it! I pray every day that those who deserve it --meet judgement for what they've done in this case... Jan stay strong and just remember to trust in God... it is all in his time! I waited thirteen years and then he sent you in to my life like a guardian angel with all the answers to help solve my mystery! I know that you are not the kind of monsters that GLEASON is trying to make you out to be. God Knows the truth Jan, Bill and Paula and he will see you through.
** I just have to say this one thing-- if the SMOLINSKIs were harassing her, they would have put fliers in the places where she lived, worked, etc... ONLY! The fact that they placed fliers EVERYWHERE all OVER CONNECTICUT tells you that it was not a deliberate attempt at harrassment!**
JUSTICE and LIBERTY for ALL! Come on. This is an absolute embarrassing circus for this COUNTRY! Jan, Bill and Paula are doing what any loving family members would do, plus they are resilent, courageous God loving people who care a great deal. They are not radicals by any means, everyone can see that. Please don't insult this country and the families in it by entertaining this absolutely ridiculous embarrassing law suit any longer. Time to focus those energies and money and effort at..gee.... FINDING THE MISSING PERSON. If all the energy, drama, court efforts are focused correctly we could find the answers to this devoted families missing son. Yes, in America we have the right to search for our missing. Imagine that. Enough with the games, and the drama queen's manipulations, lets get to finding the answers to Billy's dissappearance!
First off i want to say to the Smolinski Family and to all the other families that are missing a loved one, "My heart goes out to you all"
Second: Why are people dropping like flies, it seems its only happening on the other side, the other party involved, or if anyone gets to close they want the truth dead. And they want to be far away from this case, because they have too much too lose. Or we will be reading about another suicide. I read all of the above comments, and that word/suicide came up again, someone is claiming that Billy might have killed himself.....NOT
Third: I read the article that this other women is in fear for her younger sons life, and trying to put the blame on the Smolinski's. Why??? Because the Smolinski will not give up the fight of finding their son, and wanting to know the truth. Someone out there wants this lady/ex to nip this case in the butt right now,so they are not found out about/the Truth. I think that person also had something to do with the other so call suicides, if fact they might have been murdered. I think there have been major payoff not to talk, or too afraid to talk, because this person is so POWERFUL. It has to be a man with a lot of money and influence. This women knows damn well what happened, and can't stop or make the Smolinski's go away. I bet she was threaten, now its going to only get worse for her. Because this certain person was dragged into COURT, and they both LIED under OATH... She in her police records admitts she was dating this man at the time she was seeing Billy, now in court he and she claims they were NOT...can we all say PERJURY. Now!!! the game is on. Someone needs to protect her younger son, and she knows neither of them are safe any longer. And the WALLS are closing in on her. When i saw her face/pic i saw EVIL, and when i saw the other party involved...I saw the DEVIL..they go hand n hand D-EVIL...I see fear in faces around her. a Quote comes to mind " Whatever mom says"
Fourth: I feel The Smolinski's will prevail in this case/2012. Hopefully before something serious happens to the other party and her new found family. All you have to do is follow the trail of death, and see who the last person standing. But, beware of the GIANT that stands before you. He is untouchable.
Last: Don't give up the Fight, and remember intimidation is a sign of FEAR, it only means your getting closer to the truth...and God 4bid, if anything ever happens to you or your family, the truth will be known. So please Stay Safe, but never give up
This is so sad! Madeline Gleason... tearing down posters of a missing person is not human. I pray that Billy Smolinski shall return one day... God be with you, Billy,
This story is so sad and it sickens me that Madeline Gleason and Fran Vrabel were tearing down these posters and nothing was done about it. The still shot of the video of Vrabel ripping down the posters as Janice hung them shows harrassment of Janice to me. It is very obvious by these women's behavior that Gleason had something to do with Billy's murder. Otherwise wouldn't you think that someone who supposedly cared about this man at one point would be helping to hang fliers instead of tearing them down? These poor people just want to find there son and get some closure and instead they are being sued by the person who very obviously had something to do with it. Disgusting.
This is one of the most blatant examples of failure by law enforcement and the justice system that I have ever read. Parents who have had their son taken from them, whose lives have been torn apart, being brought to court by the very person who caused the harm. Can this be happening? Here in the United States? I am shocked and disgusted. There should be a full investigation of all who were involved, and those who are found at fault should be held accountable. Reading this article I bristle at the unfairness of the system, the cruelty of the people who are obviously to blame for Billy's disappearance and the poor treatment of a family that only want to find a loved one. It is a total disgrace.
Maria Ferencz Hadley
Just watched Disappeared which was about Billy.. No doubt in my mind the ex was involved.. If my ex just went missing, I would be posting the damn posters, only a person with something to hid would be tearing them down.. The FBI needs to really get answers instead of letting this case just go no where.. I pray this family finds their son and brings him home to rest.. God Bless You.....
Yes, sure seems that way to me too.
Why does common sense always seem to take back seat to the protection of the suspicious? The police don't need to take a swat team and hassle Gleason, just ask politely for her cooperation to search her cars, her house, her son's house, etc. for clues of Billy. No need to be jerks about it. If Gleason refuses to cooperate than the suspicion rises and get more aggressive.
Just to get suspicion off me, if I was innocent, I’d invite the police to turn my place upside down. Gleason is hiding something it seem obvious, but the police aren’t doing anything. Jeez, pay Gleason to search her property and son’s work place, etc. Of course, now I think it actually may be too late to find much evidence. . . I pray these folks can find their son and some truth.
Shame on Madeline Gleason and Frances Vrabel whether or not they know anything about the disappearance of Billy Smolinski they are doing everything in their power to harass the Smolinski's. My heart goes out to Janice and her family in their neverending search for Billy. As for Mrs. Gleason and her friends the truth will come out in the end whether its while your on this earth or when you have to explain your actions to your maker. Mrs.Gleason needs to grow up and stop being childish and turn her energies towards helping find Billy instead of hurting his family. She needs to stop and remember before there were bad times there were good times something that drew her to him. As a parent myself i can say this no matter what age your child is they will always be your baby. i hope that you can get some peace of mind within your relationship with god Mrs,Smolinski if no where else. Billy where ever you are i hope you know how much your mom,dad,sister and friends love and miss you and want you home.
Yes, couldn't agree more.
[cue Dueling Banjos] "Woodbridge...Deliverance in A North Land"
from Doctor Disgusted
You couldn't pay me to live in Woodbridge.Sounds like it's safer in the New Haven projects.At least there you have some remote chance of getting justice and not being beaten down by a bunch of inbreds who have their hands in each other's pockets and their boots under each other's beds.Woodbridge?.... Um, no thanks ! Sincerely, Dr A.
From your article: "....it does establish a credibility problem for Gleason...."
I've read about this case for years. It's pretty certain Ms. Gleason has some serious issues and I'm sure the Smolinski family (and perhaps the deceased Billy Jr.) wishes they'd never crossed paths with her.
Has anyone in the legal proceedings explained why she was so determined to tear down missing person's posters? That "it upset her" to see them stuff is completely laughable. She couldn't just ignore the posters that his family felt might lead them to some closure? She actually had to tear them down...while she was being paid (indirectly) by the taxpayers of a school district?!
Major issues with that woman.
The Smolinksis are in my prayers and thanks John M. for keeping this story in the public eye.
How could anyone not support the Smolinski family?? Only a criminal would be against them. Only evil people would try to heap more hell to the hell this family is already experiencing.
I pray that courtroom, that judge, sees that the families of the missing around the world stand in support of the Smolinski's. We all ask that not only this horrible injustice but all injustices done to this great family be investigated, corrected, apologies made and from this point forward cooperation and collaboration with all entities be conducted to help this family get answers, to find Billy.
Maureen
Namus Victim Advocate - Kansas
Admin Peace4 the Missing
Reading this story just broke my heart. What the Smolinski family is going through is a travesty of justice! This woman's credibility in non existent if you ask me!! Janice was right "God is everywhere" and Madeleine Gleason will have to one day face God for all she has done to this family! I pray, as I do everyday that the Smolinski family will one day find Billy and bring him home.
agreed, God is everywhere. I'm so glad she's held on to her faith through this trying time. More proof that God is greater than evil. No matter how strong satan's grasp is on people, God still prevails.
I also will be praying for this family..
I have been reading about Billy Smolinski for a couple of years now, and this is one of the better articles I have seen about him. But I am a little confused now about a couple of things :
First, the address thing. Madeleine said under oath that she was living at 4 Brothers Court , Seymour when this happened. Then her "very good friend" Frances Vrabel took the stand and said under oath that Madeleine was living with HER in Ansonia when this happened.So why was the only place searched in connection to this case, the address was 5 Nichols Street Seymour(and it wasn't even searched until September 2008. What was the connection with 5 Nichols Street? Was that address mentioned in court?
Also, I know this trial is not a murder trial, it was just the Smolinskis defending themselves against Madeleine Gleason-Sodins and B and B Transportation. But I know that the name Chris Sorensen was mentioned in the trial, partly because his father had something to do with B and B. I know that Shaun Karpiuk , Madeleine's son, has been mentioned , in a Crimestoppers tip, as having killed Billy. I know that Shaun was a gravedigger. I also know that Chris Sorensen's name is on a website for a beautiful old cemetery called East Side Burying Grounds. I don't know if any of that was mentioned during this trial so far. Again, I know it's not a murder trial, but there seem be to lots of connections and I just wondered if any came up. Thanks. A White
You ask some very good questions. It frustrates me that police don't seem to act on people's suspicions. The family is the ones closest to this terrible disappearance, if they have suspicions why didn't the police act on them?
So much evidence gathering and questioning should have been done early in this investigation. And when the police heard of this odd behavior from Gleason and friends, why didn’t they consider that a red flag to investigate more thoroughly?
If the gravedigger strangled Billy, then where’s the body? More than likely it is in the ground somewhere. Any unaccounted fresh digs at the cemetery? And why wouldn’t Gleason take the lie detector test? I pray the truth will come out.
I think you take side too easily. If you look at Billy for little you know what someone suicidal looks like you'll see he looked suicidal. Beside you don't mention the fact that he asked his neighbor to watch over his dog. He loved this dog so if he planned to disappear that made sense. Maybe you're just attacking someone innocent. I don't find that cool really. Must be the season of the witch.
PS: I don't know Mrs Gleason or any of her friend, I'm a ttotal stranger to the case so not taking sides myself. I just think maybe you're not helping here. If someone is in denial why comfort her in this direction?
When someone is dumped if a murder occur they are the killer, the contrary rarely ever happened in the history of crime... Please be more factual instead of joining the conspiracy theorist camp without thinking for yourself.
Anyone with any common sense at all can tell just by reading even your first paragraph that you are either (a) one of the evil witches that you are defending that did nothing but make themselves look guilty because they couldn't stand to look at the pictures on the posters because they knew where he was or (b) you are a patient at a mental facility and they accidentally left the computer room door open and you got to type what you did or (c) you are still in grade school and just trying to put on your big people panties and show your self.
Stay out of something you know nothing about and maybe you won't come out stinking so bad when they finally get caught and you are shown to be the total ass you are for defending them.
Karma's a bitch, what the court's can't solve and do justice for, thankfully, GOD CAN! And it's always a much sweeter justice then we simple humans could have done to them anyway, ladies who are tearing down posters, the cowards you are, I hate to be you when your judgement day comes, you are in for it babes!!! I hope Billy gets to stand on the side lines and cheer when you hit the pits!
Sucide?!!! How does a dead person drive their truck back to their own damn house?!! Before you start making any silly suggestions you need to read the facts!!
Suicide? and he must be Harry Houdini Junior to hide his own body so well afterward.
So explain to me just what suicidal looks like. I am pretty sure my 13 year old daughter didn't look "suicidal" when she decided to try to take her life. I'm pretty sure i didn't overlook the fact my child was depressed. Before you make a comment about suicide and the people who are suicidal you should do a little research on the subject. If billy did commit suicide the where is his body he didn't hide it after he died and if he committed suicide where is his note he was super close to his parents his sister and his friends I'm pretty sure he would have took into consideration his parents and families feelings. Just because your depressed it doesn't mean you have no feelings for the ones you love and who you know love you. I as well do not know the family of Billy Smolinski nor do i know Billy. But I do know the pain of suicide and your child..... Do you
There are differences between a child committing suicide and a adult. I am sorry for the loss of your child nothing could be so devastating. Children don't think or reason it out. They don't think about the consquences and the long term affects. A adult usually plans. They also have a history of metal illness, depression, drug or alcoholism. They start giving things away and saying their good byes. They don't leave without telling someone how they feel.
Again I am very sorry about your child. This man didn't sound suicidal to me. He left nothing to show any indication that this was his path...no good byes to his family, no depression he didn't have a history of suicidal problems. No history of mental illness. If nothing else he would have taken his dog to someone so they would have fed it. He would have made sure his daughter was taken care of and said good bye to.
They have a support group called compassionate friends that can help you with the grief, they also have grief counseling. I would suggest you reach out to others that understand your pain.
You really need someone to talk to and reason things out. I do understand what your going through and can tell you it takes a long time to heal. But you can heal. Your daughters death isn't the same as this man's disappearance. If it was he would have been found.
I hope others find compassion for this woman and understand her grief. I don't want to take away from the plight of the smolinski family but I felt this woman needed a some kindness...I am praying for Billy and his family.
Adult or child when you contemplate suicide I would imagine that you wouldn't be in the right frame of mind. What I am pretty sure of is no one who commits suicide thinks wait I might not wanna do this. All I'm saying is there is no " look " to suicide it comes In all shapes colors sex creed ect.... To say that someone " looks" suicidal is a moronic statement. But the main thing is the people who want to jump on the band wagon and discuss what Mr. Smolinski was feeling or thinking before he disappeared need to stop and think about his parents,friends and family members feelings. It's hard enough to not know where your child and loved ones are but to then have disrespectful ignorant people make snap judgements only makes it worse. I hope that the smolinski's find the answers they are looking for and the closure I am sure they need. All my love and prayers go out to you billy and the rest of his family.
(PS: I don't know Mrs Gleason or any of her friend, I'm a ttotal stranger to the case so not taking sides myself. I just think maybe you're not helping here. If someone is in denial why comfort her in this direction? )
This comment alone tell's everyone that you do know the case and most likly are part of the Gleason clan.
( If you look at Billy for little you know what someone suicidal looks like you'll see he looked suicidal. Beside you don't mention the fact that he asked his neighbor to watch over his dog. He loved this dog so if he planned to disappear that made sense.)
This comment tells us that you knew Billy or part of the group that he was around , Why would you make a comment like this ? .
(When someone is dumped if a murder occur they are the killer, the contrary rarely ever happened in the history of crime... Please be more factual instead of joining the conspiracy theorist camp without thinking for yourself.)
WHAT??? By the looks of your post i seriously doubt you are of sound mind.
When someone is guilty of a crime or are trying to hide a crime for someone else they will do everything they can to point the blame in the other direction.. Factual ? FACT Gleason and her band of Bitches were tearing down Billies Missing person flyers . Since you seem to be in the know . Can you tell us all why you think that happened ?How can there be a Conspiracy when there is hard evidence that they were doing this . Sound to me like you are one of the clan or someone who is so bored with their life they felt like jummping on the band waggon with out knowing what the hell they were talking about .
Unreal. Surreal and just absolutely unfathomable! Ignorance just really isn't bliss! First right off the bat here, Madeline and her cheerleaders have quite obviously been practicing very hard for this presentation, but they need more brains. They keep contradicting themselves and outright lying, for gods sake. This is a courtroom and it represents our legal justice system. Come on, this is not a game, a little come and see what we can get by play acting. We've manipulated everyone so far, so we should just be able to manipulate our way through this, and get some $$ to get some new toys. This is about a missing human being, not Madeline's games. Lies by her and her crew should just not be entertained. Mr. Sorenson still has many many political connections and his force is behind a lot of this, no doubt. How he has escaped the pressure? America is better than this! Integrity, hard work, empathy, ingenuity is what this country has been founded on, this trial is making a mockery of that. Someone should be on trial for Billy's dissapearance. There are over 100,000 missing persons in the U.S.A., shall we all let the family members of them be sued too when their families, friends, spouses try to find their missing too? Why stop there, why not put everyone on trial who loves and cares about someone who has gone missing? Let the criminals go free and lock up the innocent. I know that there are a lot of people who are seeing right through this, and now let's hope our judicial system still has the integrity to act on the the right path. Many many wishes of strength and truth to the Smolinski family and their many supporters all over the world.
I don't think you understand, Billy's family is being sued by this Gleason (female dog). She has been tearing down posters to help find their son. How is this infringing on Gleason's rights? Unless she is feeling guilty about something.
In the court room it was proven that Gleason lied and stretched the truth regarding many things. Billy's family was not attacking Gleason. How is putting up posters considered attacking. If anything Gleason should have felt compassionate toward them. Who cares if someone thinks you had something to do with harming someone when it is not true. I find Gleason's aggressive actions so queer that it actually points to a guilty attitude.
The police blew it. They should have as politely as they could assertively searched Gleasons residence for evidence of Billy being there. Why they didn't act on the suspicions I don't know. If someone is not guilty why would they care if the police looked around.
Jusy by the way you wrote what you did, implies that you really do know these people. Be careful of what you write and how you write.
Are you serious?
You OBVIOUSLY haven't been following this case for "a couple of years", otherwise you'd know what you're saying is totally wrong.
You're outta your mind! YOU should be more factual before you open your face and let STUPID fall out!
And where the hell did you learn to speak and/or type English?
You'd get your point across a lot better, if people were able to read what you're spewing instead of having to figure out what it is exactly you're blathering on about....
You need to practice your English before you make comments in English about a case you appear to know nothing about.A good place to start would be on the Internet by googling "Billy Smolinski", "Madeleine Gleason(or Gleason-Sodins)" , "B and B Transportation, Bethany" ,"Frances Vrabel", "Shaun Karpiuk" and "Chris Sorensen, Woodbridge". If that's too ambitious for you, watch the Discovery ID program called Favorite Son which is available now on Netflix. Sincerely Mrs Tommy R.
Ok...who wrote this, John Williams? I ask that because to my knowledge he is the only one who ever tried to push that theory! Was quoted on tha Help Find the Missing website as saying "I think it's obvious". Inferred same when interviewed for the Discovery ID program called Favorite Son (which by the way is available on Netflix. Watch and learn.) Puhleez!!! Billy broke up with Madeleine, sure, but if you knew anything about this case you would know that AFTER that he ran into his ex-girlfriend with whom he was still close and they made plans to go to an amusement park that coming weekend.And not for nothin' that girl was young, pretty and nice. Unlike other people Billy had known.Sincerely, G Penguini
This is the most disgusting thing i have ever read , To see the injustice that has gone on since billy went missing and now this . It is my hope that some good will come out of this as it will show what nasty people these ladies are . You are right Jan, God is everywere and there will come a day when they will drop to their knees before him and have to answer for what they have done . You are so strong and have helped so many families in your fight for justice. I will continue to pray for you all .
so so sorry to hear that u are on trial the best of luck to you both,''god is everywhere'' is right, and those people or person who may be involved I pray for them as well hope they could sleep well because they have to answer someday.
This is just a note that our legal system is screwed-up. The Police and FBI need to stand up and find the truth. This story needs to go on 60 Minutes or some other good TV show to get to the bottom of this. There seems to be alot more to this story than what we have been told. Stories like this give the police dept and FBI bad names, they should want to clear this up.
First of all why would anyone tear down a missing flyer poster? Especially if they knew that person. Instead of doing that it should of been a united front to help solve the mystery of what happened to Billy Smolinski.Billy Smolinski deserves justice and that is all this family wants is to find him and the answer to what happened to him. It breaks my heart that this family has to now go to court because they were putting up missing flyer posters all over the state. This case should not even be in court for her issues that clearly show that she knows something about that fateful day. To lose a child/adult as a missing person is one of the most heartbreaking thing that could happen to a person. God and the whole world support the Smolinski family and justice will prevail.
My daughter, Jessie Foster, has been missing since March 29, 2006. We are from Canada, she lived in North Las Vegas, NV. We went down there and put up posters in the area she lived in, and her so-called fiance tore them down. He even asked me why we put them up!!! So, IN MY OPINION: I think the guilty tear them down.