Pratik Handore
FBI Agent Mark Putnam’s family life and his relationship with his wife are highlighted in the true story-inspired movie ‘Above Suspicion,’ directed by Phillip Noyce. The film is based on a real incident involving Susan Smith, an FBI informant who becomes embroiled in a torrid affair with FBI Agent Mark Putnam. While the movie explores the affair between Putnam and Susan and its tragic conclusion, the fates of Putnam’s wife and children are left relatively unknown. As a result, viewers must be curious to learn more about their current whereabouts and where Mark Putnam’s wife and children are now!
What Happened to Mark Putnam’s Wife and Kids?
Mark Steven Putnam is one of the central characters in the 1992 non-fiction book ‘Above Suspicion’ by Joe Sharkey and its subsequent film adaptation released in 2019. Putnam is based on a real-life FBI Agnet of the same name who was born July 4, 1959, in Coventry, Connecticut. Putnam graduated from the FBI Academy in 1986. Putnam married Kathleen “Kathy” Ponticelli, the daughter of a wealthy real-estate agent. She was born on January 06, 1960.
Putnam and Kathy had their first child, a daughter named Danielle Putnam before he was assigned to FBI fieldwork in Pikeville, Kentucky. After marriage, Kathy was mostly a stay-at-home mother to her and Putnam’s daughter. Shortly after moving to Pikeville, Kentucky, Kathy became pregnant with her and Putnam’s second child. The couple’s son was named Mark Jr. and was born when Putnam was working on cases in Pikeville, hoping to secure a promotion to a bigger office.
Putnam became involved with an informant named Susan Daniels Smith, the former wife of Kenneth Smith, a local drug dealer. Susan and Kenneth had two children together. She was helping Putnam catch a bank robber, Carl Edward “Cat Eyes” Lockhart. After working on the case, Putnam and Susan started having an affair in mid-1988. Furthermore, Susan had also befriended Kathy and became embroiled in Putnam’s personal life until she died in 1989. A year later, Putnam confessed to killing Susan Smith and pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter.
After Kathy’s Death, Mark Putnam’s Kids Were Raised by Grandparents
Mark Putnam’s family life was complicated because of his affair with Susan Smith. Susan was reportedly pregnant with Putnam’s child at the time of her death. After Susan’s death, Putnam was sentenced to sixteen years of imprisonment. Consequently, Kathy and her children were likely left on their own. According to sources, Kathy had developed an alcohol addiction. Kathy was raised in Manchester, Connecticut, and attended a Catholic School before dropping out. Kathy and her family had moved to Miami, Florida after Putnam was transferred to the FBI office in the city sometime in 1989.
Following Putnam’s imprisonment, Kathy and her children moved to Manchester, Connecticut. Kathy Putnam, who stood by her husband during his trial, passed away on February 05, 1998, in her Manchester home. She reportedly died from an organ failure, partially caused by her drinking habit. She was thirty-eight years of age. Kathy’s grave is located in Saint James Cemetery in Manchester, Connecticut. Following Kathy’s death, her children, Danielle and Mark Jr, were raised by Kathy’s parents, Raymond and Carol Ponticelli.
Putnam was released from prison in 2000 after serving ten years. He moved to start a new life in Georgia, likely accompanied by his children. However, the educational background or current details of Danielle and Mark Jr. remain unknown as the family has opted to maintain a low profile outside the media’s eyes. According to sources, the tragedy of losing Kathy brought Putnam close to his children, and the family most likely continues to reside in Georgia.
Read More: Where Are Susan Smith’s Ex-Husband and Children Now?
