As a career school-teacher over the past 25+ years, it’s fair to say I’ve known my share of school Principals.

For interests’ sake I’ll mention at least two of those principals could reasonably be classed as ‘high-functioning psychopaths’. But even these triple-A type-oddbods have nothing on the school Principal you’re about to meet.

In 1979, the body of High School English teacher Susan Reinert was found in the boot of her car, parked outside a hotel in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.

The Principal at Susan’s school, a man by the name of Jay Smith, was convicted of her murder. Smith spent six years on death row awaiting execution. His conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 1992. 

The real killer turned out to be another teacher at the school where both Susan and Jay Smith worked. This case had more twists than a circa 1980’s Rubik’s cube, with no less than three books published on the murder.

Time to delve deeper…

In 1979, Dr Jay Smith (the ‘Dr’ title being due to his PhD in Education) had been Principal of Upper Merion High School – located 20 minutes drive west of Philadelphia – for 12 years. He was also a colonel in the Army Reserves. To say that he had a shady past, however, would be a large-sized understatement.

Dr Jay was convicted in the late sixties of robbing a Sears department store by posing as a Brinks security guard. The attempted heist included using a bogus Brinks ID card and dressing in a guard’s uniform. How someone with a history that also included convictions for drug possesion was able to enter the education system and rise to the position of school principal is a mystery belonging to that time.

Jay Smith also had a daughter who was a heroin addict. Both she and her husband went missing in 1978. Smith was accused of murdering both.

Dr Jay’s shady side also extended to him subscribing to what used to be colloquially known back in the 70’s as ‘swingers’ magazines and was rumored to be the head of a love cult at the school that included after-hours orgies and satan worship.

Spice? This case had more of it than a jumbo-portioned vindaloo Indian curry.

At the time of Jay Smith’s conviction for the murder of Susan Reinert, at least four other teachers at Upper Merion High School were under investigation for criminal offences.

The clip below will give you a little more vibe for Principal Jay Smith…