Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother convicted of killing her two sons nearly 30 years ago by rolling her car into a lake while they were still strapped in, is set to be up for parole next month. The now 53-year-old Smith has been serving a life sentence in prison since her 1995 murder trial, where she escaped the death penalty. According to the law at the time, she becomes eligible for parole after serving 30 years behind bars.
Scheduled for a hearing on November 20, Smith’s parole case will be reviewed virtually by the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services in South Carolina. Parole is granted in only about 8% of cases in the state, with first-time appearances, high-profile cases, and opposition from prosecutors and victims’ families making it less likely. Smith’s case falls into all of these challenging categories.
Lead prosecutor in Smith’s trial, now South Carolina House Republican Speaker Pro Tem, Tommy Pope, expressed his stance on her potential release, stating that the jury believed she should serve a life sentence. He criticised her lack of remorse and focus solely on herself during her time in prison. Smith gained international attention in 1994 when she falsely claimed her children were kidnapped during a carjacking by a black man. Tragically, the truth revealed that she had deliberately drowned her sons in the lake.
During the trial, it emerged that Smith had been having an affair with a wealthy man who did not want to be with someone who had children. In a callous attempt to solve her “problem”, she decided to end her children’s lives. Despite her lawyers’ claims of remorse and mental breakdown, Smith’s actions spoke volumes about her true character. Her former husband, David Smith, has vehemently opposed her parole, asserting that she should not be released after just 30 years for the heinous crime she committed.
As Smith prepares to present her case before the parole board, the community and her victims’ families remain divided on whether she should be granted parole. With emotions still raw and hearts still broken after nearly three decades, the upcoming parole hearing for Susan Smith will undoubtedly stir up strong feelings and conflicting opinions on justice, punishment, and the possibility of redemption.