Susan Smith, who is currently serving time in prison for the murder of her two young sons in 1994, is preparing for a parole hearing in six weeks. Family members have revealed that Smith plans to make several arguments in her bid for freedom, including the claim that she has behaved well in prison and that her traumatic upbringing in a sexually abusive household affected her moral compass. Smith also intends to argue that she may have suffered from undiagnosed mental illness at the time of the murders when she let her car roll into a lake with her sons inside.
Additionally, Smith is planning to bring up a disciplinary incident from 2000 when she was caught having sex with two guards while behind bars. She maintains that the sex was not consensual due to the power dynamics, portraying herself as a victim in the situation. Smith also aims to highlight the positive changes she has made in prison, such as holding down a steady job and avoiding disciplinary actions for nearly a decade. However, she has had past infractions for possessing narcotics or marijuana while incarcerated.
Despite Smith’s assertions and efforts to present herself as a changed woman, the father of the murdered children, David Smith, has expressed strong opposition to her potential parole. He plans to contest her bid by reminding the parole board of the heinous crime she committed and the lives of the victims, emphasizing that she should not be released. Susan Smith has been imprisoned for over two decades after confessing to drowning her sons in a lake and falsely claiming a carjacking to cover up the murders.
The details of Susan Smith’s crime involve her standing by as her vehicle sank into a lake with her young children inside, leading to a nationwide search under false pretenses. She eventually admitted to the murders and the motive behind them, citing an affair with a wealthy man who did not want children as the reason for the killings. Although she was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years, experts do not believe her parole bid will be successful due to the nature of her crime and the impact it had on her victims.
Susan Smith’s optimism about her chances for release contrasts with the views of experts and the opposition from the father of her children. She believes she has paid her debt to society and is no longer a danger to others, expressing a desire to live her life outside of prison. Her parole hearing will likely involve a review of her arguments and past behaviors, determining whether she should be granted parole based on her conduct and rehabilitation while incarcerated. The outcome of the hearing remains uncertain, with both supporters and opponents presenting compelling cases for Susan Smith’s potential release or continued incarceration.
