This is the fourth and final portion of Tom Lingenfelter’s letter to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board asking that Mark Smith, the man who strangled his sister, not be released early from his 500-year sentence for his admitted multiple murders.

“Jean Ann never hurt anyone, she was honest, she was a good student, a loyal friend, a loving daughter and my best friend.

“Mark Smith took that all away that night of May 28th, 1970.

“For those of you on the Parole board that have children or brothers and sisters just imagine for one minute of that person being removed from your life forever at a young age.

“I am now living in California and I have a daughter who is about to turn 6 years old.

“She will never be able to know who her Aunt Jean Ann is except for some pictures. All she knows is that her Aunt Jean Ann died a long time ago.

“She doesn’t know how she died and won’t know the truth for a long time. All she knows is that her Daddy misses his sister.

“Now, lets look at the facts.

“Jean Ann is only one of three women that Mark Smith killed in Illinois.

“She is also only one of the many that he killed in other places such as Arkansas and Germany as well.

“How many families’ lives did he destroy?

“Why does out system even give someone like this any kind of a chance to start over?

‘”I wish my family could start over but we can’t. We have to continue to live on and just only have memories to keep us going.

“I will tell you this much, as the years go by, more and more memories of my sister and I growing up together seem to fade away. I guess that is just natural.

“But, that long and unforgettable nightmare of May 28tjh, 1070 will never go away.

“As long as Mark Smith still breathes my family will have to live this over and over.

“The very least anyone can do is at least make his last breath be behind the walls that he is kept today.

“Please think of the people that have to live on.

“We need this nightmare to end so we can all put this behind us.

“Please do the right thing.

“Thank you for listening, I hope this letter helped.

“Sincerely,

“Tom Lingenfelter”

For those wishing to communicate to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board should send letters about inmate Mark Smith, the address is 319 E. Madison, Suite A, Springfield, IL 62701. Be sure to include Smith’s inmate number: C10587.