Susan Smith, a South Carolina woman who shocked the nation 30 years ago when she admitted to drowning her two young sons, was denied parole on Wednesday. This was her first time facing the parole board, but their decision was unanimous: she won’t be released.
Through tears, 53-year-old Smith addressed the board via Zoom, expressing deep regret. “What I did was horrible,” she said. “I’d give anything to go back and change it. I love Michael and Alex with all my heart.”
It was October 25, 1994, when Smith, then just 23 years old, drove her car to a nearby lake. Inside were her sons—3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander—strapped into their car seats. Smith let the car roll into the water, drowning both boys.
At first, she didn’t admit what she’d done. Instead, Smith told police a horrifying lie: she claimed a Black man had carjacked her and kidnapped her children. Her then-husband, David Smith, believed her, and the couple even went on TV, pleading for their boys to be brought home.
But by November 3, 1994, Smith’s story fell apart. Confronted by police, she confessed to killing her sons.
During Wednesday’s parole hearing, the board reminded Smith of the massive resources spent searching for her boys during those nine days of lies. They asked what she’d say to the officers and volunteers. “I’m sorry I put them through that,” she said, her voice trembling.
Smith explained that fear, not malice, drove her to lie. “I didn’t know how to tell the people who loved them that they’d never see them again,” she said.
Now a devout Christian, Smith said she has found peace in her faith. “God is a big part of my life,” she told the board. “I know He has forgiven me.”
Her ex-husband, David Smith, doesn’t share that peace. Fighting back tears, he begged the board to deny her parole, describing the deep scars her actions have left.
“This wasn’t some tragic mistake,” he said. “She meant to end their lives.”
David shared how the loss nearly pushed him to take his own life. “She destroyed me,” he said, adding that serving “15 years per child” isn’t nearly enough punishment.
David’s current wife, Tiffany, also pleaded with the board to keep Smith behind bars, describing how the grief still cripples her husband some days. “Michael and Alex didn’t get a chance at life,” she said. “They were given the death penalty.”
Tommy Pope, the prosecutor from Smith’s trial, also weighed in, saying her parole would be premature. “Susan has always focused on Susan,” he said, adding that her crime wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.
During the 1995 trial, the prosecution argued Smith killed her children because she believed they were standing in the way of her love life. They claimed she wanted to be with a man who wasn’t interested in a relationship with a single mom.
Smith’s defense told a different story. They said she’d been suffering from depression after the birth of her second son and had planned to die by suicide, taking her boys with her. But at the last second, they argued, she left the car and let it sink.
Prosecutor Pope dismissed the idea. “She wasn’t wet, and she wasn’t hurt when she went for help,” he said.
Smith’s past also played a significant role in her defense. Her stepfather testified in court that he had sexually abused her for years, painting a picture of a deeply troubled young woman.
In the end, Smith was convicted of the murders but spared the death penalty. She was sentenced to life in prison and became eligible for parole after 30 years.
Since being incarcerated, Smith hasn’t had a spotless record. She’s faced disciplinary action for having inappropriate relationships with prison staff, drug possession, and sharing personal information with a documentary producer.
Smith’s lawyer, Tommy Thomas, told the board her actions stemmed from untreated mental health issues. “This case is about the dangers of untreated depression,” he said, pointing out that she had no prior criminal history. He argued that if paroled, Smith would live with her brother.
But for David Smith, parole will never be an option for his sons. “I will be here every two years,” he vowed, “to make sure their deaths don’t go in vain.”
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