COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Next month, Susan Smith will have a chance to request parole, nearly three decades after she was found guilty of a horrific crime in which she drowned her two young sons by rolling her car into a lake in South Carolina while they were secured in their car seats.
At 53 years old, Smith is currently serving a life sentence after a jury chose not to impose the death penalty during her 1995 murder trial. According to South Carolina law at the time, she can seek parole after serving 30 years of her sentence.
The South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services announced that Smith’s parole hearing is set for Nov. 20. In South Carolina, these hearings are conducted virtually, allowing inmates to join via video call from prison.
However, obtaining parole in South Carolina is a challenging process, typically granted only about 8% of the time. It is especially rare for inmates to be granted parole on their first appearance before the board, particularly in high-profile cases like Smith’s where victims’ families and prosecutors oppose her release. Smith’s case fits all these criteria.
Tommy Pope, the lead prosecutor in Smith’s trial and currently the Republican Speaker Pro Tem of the South Carolina House, stated, “The jury believed she got a life sentence, and that’s what she should serve.” He emphasized that Smith’s behavior in prison has indicated a lack of remorse, suggesting that she has been more focused on herself than reflecting on her past actions.
In October 1994, Smith captured international attention when she claimed she was the victim of a carjacking in Union, South Carolina. She reported that a man had stolen her vehicle with her two sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex, still inside. Notably, she mentioned that her assailant was Black, which added a racial dynamic to the case.
For nine days, Smith publicly pleaded for the safe return of her children, all while both boys and her vehicle lay submerged at the bottom of John D. Long Lake. Investigators grew skeptical of Smith’s account as it became clear that her story contained numerous inconsistencies, particularly regarding her description of the supposed carjacking.
Eventually, Smith confessed to allowing her car to roll down a boat ramp and into the lake, drowning her sons. A re-enactment revealed that it took approximately six minutes for the vehicle to sink, while cameras captured the water flooding into the Mazda.
Prosecutors argued that Smith was motivated by her affair with a wealthy man, who ended the relationship because of her responsibilities as a mother. Faced with losing him, she believed that this tragic act would resolve her predicament. While the jury convicted her of murder, they ultimately decided against the death penalty, leading to intense media coverage of the case, despite it not being televised due to concerns over the impact of cameras on the concurrent O.J. Simpson trial.
Defense attorneys contended that Smith was mentally unstable and remorseful, asserting that she had intended to die with her children but changed her mind at the last moment.
Smith’s time in prison has been tumultuous. Although she is barred from giving televised interviews, she has actively communicated with reporters, true crime enthusiasts, and even potential romantic partners throughout her incarceration. She has previously attempted to appeal her conviction, claiming abuse by her now ex-husband David Smith, a claim which he vehemently denied, expressing that there was no evidence to support her allegations.
Pope noted that David Smith plans to join him at the parole hearing to oppose his ex-wife’s release. In a recent interview with Court TV, David expressed ongoing pain from the loss of their sons, stating, “I have forgiven Susan Smith, but that doesn’t change the fact that she killed our children. She deserves to stay in prison for more than 30 years.” He vowed to do everything in his power to keep her behind bars.
Pope intends to impress upon the parole board that the jurors at Smith’s trial believed that a life sentence meant she would spend the rest of her life in prison, not that she would have the opportunity for early release after 30 years.
As Smith prepares for her hearing, expectations are that she will use her own narrative of remorse and hardship to plead her case. Pope remarked, “She’s been rehearsing what she’ll say to the parole board for 30 years.”
