As one of America’s first high-profile cases involving a student and school staff, William Flynn, aka Billy, was sentenced to 28 years in prison for second-degree murder. But on June 4, 2015, he received parole and agreed to move to Maine and lead a rightful life.
The homicide was initiated by a threat from his lover, Pamela Smart, the wife of the victim, Gregg Smart.
Flynn, 16, at the time, said the homicide on May 1, 1990, was because he loved Smart, 22, then, who threatened to break up with him if he did not kill her husband as she feared losing everything if they divorced.
22nd March 1991. Pamela Smart is found guilty for her role in the murder of her husband Gregory. Smart had convinced her lover, 15 year old William Flynn to carry this out. Smart was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and has exhausted all her appeals. pic.twitter.com/qd1OqGte7l
— 🐊Ashleigh Tonks (@creepyghoulx) March 22, 2024
William Flynn testified against Pamela Smart in the 1991 trial, which eventually led him to receive parole on his first attempt in 2015, after he celebrated his 41st birthday in March 2015.
In the parole video released by the board, Flynn promised to leave Hampshire and move to Maine to stay far from Smart’s family.
According to sources, William Flynn actually moved to Maine and lived in an upscale home on 3½ acres with his wife, Kelly Flynn.
Kelly Flynn and William Flynn met and married when he was in prison
There was no news of any disciplinary action against William Flynn for the last 10 years of his total 25 years of prison time.
Flynn received a college degree behind bars and was involved in social activities like organizing Christmas gifts for the kids in the community with inmates.
Later, although the exact timeline of Billy Flynn’s relationship with Kelly is unavailable, he met and married Kelly while he was still in prison.
Kelly Flynn wrote a letter to the court during the 2008 hearing, saying she is a 39-year-old lady with a teenage daughter. However, whether the daughter is of Billy Flynn remains a mystery.
Continuing through the letter, Kelly mentioned that Flynn has become her everything and that she cannot imagine her future without him.
In contrast, Kelly’s daughter also wrote another letter indicating her intention to not live in the same house as Billy Flynn.
So, it is impossible to know whether the daughter is living with Flynn and Kelly now, as Flynn is pursuing a very private life away from the media, and the board strictly warned him to avoid media spectacle.
At the time of the hearing, William Flynn also mentioned that everything might go well except for his employment, as his portfolio would give his employer a bad impression.
So, when Nancy West from New Hampshire tried to talk to Flynn about his job, he said nothing. But he really wanted to be a journeyman electrician, as he had mentioned during his parole hearing.
Nevertheless, William Flynn promised the parole board that he would reflect on his actions and contribute to society’s welfare. Let’s hope he is doing that for now.
Additional Information
- Pamela Smart has been serving her life sentence without parole at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County, New York, since 1991.
- She has earned three Master’s degrees while serving her time in prison and is now working on her doctorate in ministry.
- Smart had her lawyer file a petition last week to reduce her life sentence around June 5, 2024, and her videotape accepting full responsibility for her husband’s demise came out on June 11, 2024.
