COLUMBIA, S.C. – Susan Smith, a convicted murderer who has spent 30 years in prison, is set to ask for parole this Wednesday. Smith, now 53 years old, was found guilty of drowning her two young sons in a lake in Union County. Initially, she claimed that a Black man had kidnapped her children during a car theft, a story that gained widespread media attention in October 1994. However, after a nine-day investigation, it was revealed that she was responsible for their deaths.
As of Monday afternoon, 471 individuals have submitted their opinions to the state about her upcoming parole hearing. Officials from the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services reported that only six of these submissions favored her release.
During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Smith was involved in a relationship with a wealthy man, who ended their affair because of her children. In a desperate act, Smith chose to harm her sons as a response to the breakup.
Smith’s legal team argues that she has shown remorse and suffered a mental breakdown, claiming that she intended to die with her children but changed her mind at the last moment.
In 1995, a jury convicted her of murder but chose not to impose the death penalty. According to current laws, she is eligible for parole now. However, reports suggest that her chances of being released are slim; in South Carolina, parole is granted only about 8% of the time, and it is usually even less likely for first-time hearings.
