‘Wealth of institutional knowledge.’ Centre County prosecutor retires after 30 years
A longtime Centre County prosecutor who stepped in when former District Attorney Ray Gricar went missing retired last month, capping off a career that spanned more than three decades.
Mark Smith, 65, worked as Centre County’s first assistant district attorney from 1986 until 2021. He then served as deputy district attorney, knowing that retirement was on the horizon.
“He has been a cornerstone of the District Attorney’s Office for over three decades and a wealth of institutional knowledge,” Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna wrote in a statement Monday. “He will be missed and has served the County with honor and integrity.”
Smith was retained by five district attorneys, both Democrats and Republicans. His most high-profile work came in the wake of Gricar’s April 2005 disappearance.
Smith was named acting district attorney for eight months, assisting with different aspects of the Bellefonte police investigation. He never ran to be district attorney, saying Michael Madeira’s election prompted “one of those demotions that you don’t mind taking.”
He did not express a theory about what happened to Gricar. There is nothing conclusive about the disappearance of the man he knew for 20 years, Smith said.
He described it as a “surreal” experience.
“I look back on it and we made good decisions. We did what we thought was right. We kept on working through things,” Smith said Wednesday. “... It was tense at times, but you just work through it.”
Smith was the elder statesman of the district attorney’s office when he retired Sept. 22. He participated in about 182 trials during his career.
Among the largest changes during his tenure, Smith said, was the response to domestic violence.
Protections from abuse orders — a directive from a judge that typically bars people from certain activity — did not exist when Smith was brought onboard.
That often led to Smith getting phone calls in the middle of the night from frustrated police officers who knew someone could return to a home even after being arrested.
“Over the years, things have changed so much that we have a much better handle on how domestic violence cases and cases of sexual assault are handled and prosecuted,” Smith said. “That was the big thing.”
Smith, an avid hunter, fisher and sailor, isn’t certain what retirement may hold. He plans to keep his law license for another year or two, but acknowledged it’s unlikely he steps back into a courtroom.
“I was ready,” Smith said. “... At this point, the first year I’m going to see what retirement holds.”
Megan McGoron was promoted to fill Smith’s role as deputy district attorney, putting her third in command. She’s now responsible for overseeing daily operations of the office, including policy and personnel matters.
The Penn State and Ohio Northern alumna will continue to work as a full-time prosecutor. She is also responsible for the investigation and prosecution of cases involving public officials, corruption in government and law enforcement officers.