Parole Board Denies Release for Susan Smith, Infamous for Drowning Her Two Sons in 1994
A South Carolina parole board unanimously denied parole for Susan Smith on Wednesday, 30 years after she was convicted of murdering her two young sons. Smith had pleaded for forgiveness, citing her faith, but her request was rejected.
Smith, 53, appeared at her first parole hearing via video link, tearfully expressing remorse. “I know what I did was horrible,” she said, trembling. “I would give anything if I could go back and change it.” She asked for mercy, adding, “God has forgiven me.”
The board’s decision ensures that Smith will remain in prison, where she has been since her 1995 conviction for killing 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex by driving her car into John D. Long Lake with the boys strapped in their seats. Despite receiving a life sentence, Smith is eligible for parole hearings every two years.
A Community United Against Parole
Fifteen individuals opposed her release, including Smith’s ex-husband David Smith, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials. David Smith, visibly emotional, addressed the board with a photo of his sons pinned to his jacket. “She changed my life for the rest of my life that night,” he said, urging the board to deny parole.
Former prosecutor Tommy Pope, who helped secure Smith’s conviction, said the decision brought some relief but highlighted the ongoing trauma for the victims’ families. “In two more years, we’ll go through this again,” David Smith said, vowing to fight for justice at future hearings.
A Crime That Shocked the Nation
Smith’s actions and her fabricated story of a carjacking captivated the nation in 1994. For nine days, she falsely claimed that a Black man had abducted her sons, a lie that fueled racial tensions and led to the wrongful detention of innocent men. Investigators uncovered glaring inconsistencies in her account, and Smith ultimately confessed to letting her car roll into the lake.
A reenactment of the crime revealed the harrowing details of the boys’ final moments. The vehicle took six agonizing minutes to sink, with the children strapped in their car seats. Their bodies were later found dangling upside down, leaving haunting images that symbolized the atrocity of Smith’s crime.
Arguments for Mercy
During the hearing, Smith’s attorney, Tommy Thomas, described her as a low-risk offender who suffered from untreated mental health issues at the time of the murders. He emphasized her lack of prior criminal history and argued that her remorse was genuine. However, opponents countered that Smith’s actions, both before and after the crime, demonstrated self-centeredness rather than true contrition.
The parole board questioned Smith about the extensive resources used during the search for her children and the racial profiling caused by her false accusations. Smith attributed her lies to fear, stating, “I didn’t know how to tell them.”
Life Behind Bars
Smith’s time in prison has been marked by controversy. Records released under South Carolina’s open records law revealed inappropriate relationships with correctional officers, policy violations, and communications with journalists and men offering her support. These revelations further complicated her bid for parole.
Despite claims of remorse and personal growth, Smith’s crimes remain a touchstone in true-crime history and a source of enduring pain for her family and community. The parole board’s decision ensures she will remain behind bars for at least two more years.