Smith family shares its concern

To the editor:

I've been hearing a lot about Greg Sparkman's character, what a good businessman he is and all the things he's done to help the community. This is good. But does anyone care to think anything but the worst about Scott Smith?

Scott made a terrible mistake by getting involved with drugs, but he has paid for it with more than two years of his life in prison. He was given four years. For good behavior and entering into a drug-treatment program while there, his time was reduced. He was due to get out Jan. 26 without help from anyone. He only found out he was getting out Dec. 1 in September.

No matter what people want to think or how bad they want to make it sound, most of what's being said is not true. Scott has a good family who loves him very much, and they understand how hard this is for the Sparkman family. They went through the same thing in 2003 when Scott went to prison.

Scott was given a polygraph test -- not once, but three times -- and proved he was telling the truth. When something like this happens, it's hard to accept.

The Smith family didn't want this to happen as it did, and their thoughts and prayers are with the Sparkman family.

WANDA SMITH, Scott City