Susan Smith, the woman who killed her two young sons 30 years ago, was denied parole by the South Carolina Board of Paroles and Pardons during an emotional hearing on Wednesday. Smith, who has served three decades of a life sentence for drowning her sons in 1994, appeared before the board via video from the Leath Correctional Institution, where she has been incarcerated.
Smith, now 53, testified in her defense, tearfully admitting the horrific nature of her crime. In 1994, Smith confessed to driving her car into a lake in Union County, killing 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex. She told the parole board, “I know that what I did was horrible,” expressing remorse for her actions. Smith also acknowledged her past prison disciplinary issues but claimed she had learned from her mistakes, and pleaded for the board to grant her release.
“I am a Christian, and God is a big part of my life,” Smith said. “I know He has forgiven me, and I ask that you show me the same mercy.”
However, Smith’s plea was met with resistance from witnesses, including her ex-husband, David Smith, who spoke on behalf of his late sons. David, flanked by 14 supporters, argued that 30 years was insufficient for Smith’s crime. “That’s only 15 years per child, her own children. It’s just not enough,” he said, emphasizing that Smith’s actions were intentional, not an accident. He also described the deep emotional toll her crime had taken on him, saying he nearly ended his own life because of the grief.
David Smith’s statement reflected the pain of losing his children and his belief that Smith had not shown true remorse. “She never expressed any remorse to me,” he said. “What she did not only to Michael and Alex, but to me, has affected me in ways I can’t describe.”
Smith’s parole application had drawn significant public attention, with the South Carolina Department of Victim Services receiving hundreds of letters, emails, and messages, nearly all opposing her release.
The case dates back to 1994 when Smith initially fabricated a carjacking story, claiming that a Black man had abducted her children. The media frenzy that followed soon turned to shock when Smith confessed to the crime. She admitted to driving her car into John D. Long Lake, strapping her sons into their car seats before letting the car roll into the water. During her trial, it was revealed that Smith had been having an affair with a man who didn’t want children, and that she was suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts at the time of the killings. Despite her attorneys’ arguments, Smith was convicted of murder.
In the years since, Smith has faced disciplinary actions in prison, including a recent incident in which she communicated with a filmmaker without permission. The filmmaker had reportedly discussed making a documentary about Smith’s crime, leading to a 90-day loss of privileges for Smith.
The prosecution originally sought the death penalty, but the jury ultimately handed down a life sentence instead. Tommy Pope, the prosecutor in Smith’s case, voiced his belief that the jury had intended for Smith to spend her life reflecting on the crime, rather than focusing on her own needs.
Pope, speaking at the parole hearing, noted, “Susan has always focused on Susan.” He argued that the evidence before the parole board suggested Smith had not fully confronted the gravity of her actions, which caused irreversible damage to the lives of her sons and her ex-husband.
As of now, Smith remains incarcerated, with her next parole hearing likely many years away.
