Parole board to consider second chance for Susan Smith

COLUMBIA, SC (FOX Carolina) – On November 20, 2024, one of the most famous women in South Carolina history will have her chance at freedom.

Susan Smith, a Union mother who killed her two children in 1994, will appear before a parole board as they consider her request for release.

Smith was found guilty of killing her sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex. On Oct. 25, 1994, Smith buckled the boys into their car seats and let her car roll down a ramp to John D. Long Lake in Union.

Smith first told her family, law enforcement and then the entire country that a black man held her at gunpoint and stole her car while the boys were inside. Smith, along with the boys’ father, begged in front of the cameras to return her children.

The all-out search lasted nine days, and thousands of tips came in from all over the country. After those nine days, Smith confessed and the world learned the truth. There was no mystery suspect and no hope that the boys were still alive.

Instead, they were killed by Susan herself.

The prosecutor in the case, Tommy Pope, told FOX Carolina he has no choice but to seek the death penalty.

“I knew the challenges involved, but I knew we were going to do everything we could to get justice,” Pope told FOX Carolina.

Ultimately, after hearing Smith’s defense claim that the murders were the result of a failed suicide attempt, the jury instead decided on a life sentence.

Pope, who was 32 when he tried the case, said he accepted and respected the jury’s decision but considered the case a failure on his part.

South Carolina law at the time of Smith’s sentencing meant she would be eligible for parole after serving 30 years in prison. As per the law, the jury was not told that parole would be an option when considering her sentence, Pope told FOX Carolina.

“I think the jury truly believed that she would spend the rest of her time in prison,” Pope said.

It’s a sentiment echoed by the children’s father, David Smith.

“I’ve been dreading this year for almost 30 years,” David told FOX Carolina in an interview before his parole hearing. “It would be a complete injustice if she came out… it would not be any justice for Michael and Alex. They didn’t do anything to her, and she took their lives.”

South Carolina rarely grants parole to offenders, but it is still possible. The latest data from the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardons shows that only 6% of offenders’ requests are granted.

The parole board will receive Smith’s case file two weeks before her hearing, and members typically vote immediately after statements from the offender and victims.

Because Smith is a violent criminal, she would need two-thirds of the board to vote to grant her parole.

Governor Henry McMaster is responsible for appointing board members. There are seven seats in total, each representing a different region of the state.

However, as of 2022, one seat remains vacant. That means if everyone else is present on Nov. 20, Smith will need four board members to vote to grant her parole.

The commission will consider 15 different criteria, including the views of the prosecutor, investigators, victims and views, as well as any disciplinary violations committed by offenders while in prison.

Susan Smith is currently incarcerated at Leath Correctional Facility in Greenwood. Back in 2010, she received a number of disciplinary sanctions, most of which related to drug charges and allegations that she had an affair with a security guard.

Most recently, she was punished for talking to a documentarian. Smith agreed to provide contact information for victims, including David Smith. The documentarian also deposited money into Smith’s account.

“Obviously I can’t speak to her heart,” David said. “It’s between her and God… but in my opinion, I don’t think she’s really changed that much and I don’t think she will.”

FOX Carolina plans to attend Smith’s parole hearing on Nov. 20.

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