Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother convicted of killing her two sons by driving her car into a lake in 1994, is asking a parole board for her release. Now 53, Smith has been serving a life sentence since her conviction, though she was spared the death penalty. After spending 30 years in prison, she is eligible for parole hearings every two years.
On Wednesday, Smith will make her case for freedom in a video call with the parole board, which is made up of seven members. Her ex-husband and the prosecutor who tried her case will argue against her release.
Back in 1994, Smith made headlines when she claimed her car was stolen by a carjacker while her two young sons, Michael and Alex, were inside. For nine days, she pleaded for their safe return. But investigators quickly became suspicious of her story, as it didn’t add up. It was later revealed that Smith had driven her car into a lake with her children strapped inside, causing their deaths.
Prosecutors said Smith killed the boys because her boyfriend at the time suggested they were standing in the way of their future together. Smith later admitted that she did it, explaining that she had a mental breakdown and was attempting suicide, though she didn’t intend to kill her children.
Over the years, Smith’s case has remained a national talking point. Despite spending years in prison, Smith has attracted attention for phone calls and messages from interested men. Some of these messages were released to the public, which upset Smith, especially when they showed she had been talking to several men about her future. Smith also faced backlash for breaking prison rules by sharing contact details for a documentary project.
Even though Smith says she still grieves for her children, the prosecutor from her trial believes she’s more focused on her own situation than the pain she caused. He doesn’t expect her to get parole, and he doesn’t want her to.
