* Unofficial Statehouse historian John Amdor pointed to this Wikipedia entry last night during our conversation about how the comptroller’s office has never been much of a political springboard. Somehow, we moved on to former state treasurers…

Donald R. Smith (November 13, 1926 – February 4, 1982) was an American politician.

Smith graduated from York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois and then joined the United States Navy in 1944 during World War II and served until 1946. He went to Loyola University Chicago and John Marshall Law School In Chicago, Illinois. He served as County Treasurer of DuPage County, Illinois and served on the DuPage County Commission. He was a Republican. From 1965 until 1977, Smith served as chief fiscal officer in the office of the Illinois Treasurer. In 1977, he was appointed Illinois Treasurer when Alan J. Dixon resigned to serve as Illinois Secretary of State. Smith served until 1979.

On February 4, 1982, Smith was found murdered in the Radisson Hotel on North Michigan Avenue. His hands were tied, towel had been stuffed into his mouth, and he had been strangled to death. On February 5, 1982, two suspects held for questioning in the death of Smith were released by the police after passing polygraph tests.

An unsolved murder mystery of a former statewide officeholder? And, wow, that’s a very unusual way to die. I’d definitely watch that true crime doc. UPI…

A police spokesman said a security guard found Smith’s body in a ninth floor room at the Radisson Hotel on North Michigan Avenue, the posh shopping and business district that runs north of the Chicago River.

Police said no one was immediately arrested in the slaying and refused to say if Smith’s room had been ransacked or if he had checked in alone. He had been at the hotel since Tuesday.

State Treasurer Jerome Cosentino, Smith’s successor, said the state’s chief fiscal officer was in town to meet with him.

‘We were supposed to meet this afternoon to work on the 1983 budget,’ Cosentino said. ‘Mr. Smith is a very punctual man. When he didn’t show up, my secretary became concerned and called the hotel.

‘We figured he might have gotten sick. The hotel checked on him and then they notified me.’

Cosentino described Smith as ‘just a good family man. I don’t think he had any enemies anyplace.’

Anyway, I thought we could use a much-needed election day diversion.