New "IMPACT x Nightline" Episode Reexamines the Infamous Pamela Smart Case

ABC News Studios has announced a provocative new installment of the award-winning series IMPACT x Nightline, diving deep into one of the most sensationalized trials in American history.

What’s Happening:

• The Widow and the Wiretap episode is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, offering a modern lens on the 1990 murder of Gregg Smart.
• Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang sits down with Pamela Smart for her first broadcast interview since filing a new petition for freedom in January.
• After decades of maintaining innocence, Smart is now taking responsibility while arguing that advances in forensic science and flawed original testimony warrant a vacated sentence.
• The episode features insights from ABC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams and Nancy Grace, contrasting the defense’s claims against the enduring legacy of the prosecution.
• Investigative journalists and podcasters discuss how the media circus of the early '90s may have influenced the jury and the public's perception of the then-22-year-old "Ice Queen."

The Evolution of the True Crime Genre

• The Pamela Smart trial was a precursor to the modern true crime obsession, occurring just years before the O.J. Simpson "Trial of the Century."
• At the time, the idea of a school media coordinator seducing a 15-year-old student to kill her husband was so cinematic it inspired the 1995 film To Die For, starring Nicole Kidman.
• Today, the true crime landscape has shifted from tabloid sensationalism to investigative advocacy.
• Shows like IMPACT x Nightline reflect a growing cultural interest in conviction integrity units and the application of 21st-century forensics to closed cases.
• As forensic psychology evolves, the legal system is increasingly forced to grapple with the long-term impacts of pretrial publicity and the reliability of witness testimony gathered under intense media scrutiny.

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