Principal Suspect

Book excerpt: In the early hours of June 25, 1979, a gruesome scene unfolded. The body of Susan Reinert, a suburban Philadelphia high school teacher, was found jammed into the hatchback of a car. She was in the fetal position. She was naked. Her two young children were missing. Thus began one of the most prominent murder cases in Pennsylvania's history. The Main Line murders, as they came to be known, would grip the nation and become the target of a seven-year investigation by the FBI and the Pennsylvania State PoliceDthe most massive homicide investigation in American history. The main suspect in the brutal murder turned out to be Jay Smith, the Principal of Upper Merion High School, where Reinert taught. The local and national media went on a rampage, especially as rumors of Smith's bizarre sexual habits emerged. There was one sensational headline after another about the "Prince of Darkness". There was a TV miniseries. Yet the truth, the whole truth, was never told. Until now. This legal drama is about crossing the fine. It's about fixing cases, rigging testimony, plandng evidence, and overzealous prosecutors. William Costopoulos, Smith's lawyer, takes you inside the case, right to the heart of the cover-ups, the corruption, and finally to the floor of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. You'll read portions of the actual transcripts. You'll meet the players in the case. You'll hear Costopoulos argue for Smith's life and fight for truth. Even if you know the outcome, this story will grip you with breathtaking suspense, and at times, make you want to rage at a legal system that went haywire. To this day, Susan Reinert's murderer has never been conclusively identified. The bodies of her childrenhave never been found. Many people think they know exactly who the real murderer is. But ultimately, when a legal system fails so miserably, it is you who must weigh the evidence. Did Jay Smith do it? It is you who must decide.t