Susan Smith

2024 - 11 - 20

Susan Smith: 30 Years Later - Can She Swim to Freedom?

1994 - child murder - mental health - parole hearing - race and justice - South Carolina - Susan Smith

Susan Smith is back in the spotlight as she faces the parole board 30 years after her notorious crime. Is freedom on the horizon or is the lake still too deep?

In a chilling reminder of one of America's darkest moments, Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother who gained infamy for drowning her two young sons, is seeking parole after nearly three decades behind bars. In a case that captivated the nation back in 1994, Smith was sentenced to life in prison after she rolled her car into a lake while her boys, Michael and Alex, were strapped inside. Back then, her tearful pleas and false claims of carjacking by a Black man only added to the chaos and heartbreak that unfolded, igniting discussions about race and motherhood in America.

On Wednesday, November 20, 2023, Susan Smith will stand before a parole board, marking a pivotal moment not only in her life but also in the lives of those who havenโ€™t forgotten her heinous act. Her upcoming hearing is set to be a media spectacle, reigniting interest in the tragic events that transpired nearly 30 years ago. With Smith's emotional pleas of love for her children still echoing in the minds of many, the question remains: can she persuade the board to grant her freedom, or is she destined to remain in the depths of the system she once exploited?

The infamous case has been dissected time and again, drawing attention to issues of mental health, accountability, and justice. Smith's initial claims of a carjacking diverted attention from the shocking reality of her actions, fostering deeper racial tensions in her mostly conservative South Carolina community. As she prepares to face a panel that will determine her future, thereโ€™s an undeniable weight that hangs over her re-emergence into public life.

Regardless of the outcome of her hearing, Susan Smith's story serves as a potent reminder of the fragility of justice and the enduring questions surrounding forgiveness. Will she ever find redemption, or is her name destined to be forever linked with despair? Interestingly, Susan Smith's case sparked the creation of several nonprofit organizations focused on helping at-risk families, emphasizing that even the darkest tragedies can sow the seeds of positive change. And for those keeping track, the public's mixed feelings about Smith's potential freedom serve as a stark reminder of how one event can echo through generations, shaping discussions about crime, punishment, and societal values.

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Image courtesy of "CBS News"

Susan Smith seeking her freedom 30 years after drowning her 2 ... (CBS News)

Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother convicted of killing her two sons by rolling her car into a lake in 1994 with the boys strapped in their seats inside ...

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Image courtesy of "ABC NEWS 4"

Susan Smith, notorious child murderer, faces parole board ... (ABC NEWS 4)

Notorious child murderer Susan Smith will find out if her time behind bars for the death of her two boys will be cut on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Susan Smith killed her 2 young children by pushing her car into a ... (CNN)

I want to say to my babies that your mama loves you so muchโ€ฆโ€ Susan Smith, then 23 years old, tearfully said to the scrum of news cameras.

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Image courtesy of "WYFF Greenville"

LIVE: Susan Smith faces parole board 30 years after she was ... (WYFF Greenville)

Susan Smith will face a parole board Wednesday, nearly 30 years after she was convicted of drowning her two young boys in a South Carolina lake.

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Image courtesy of "FOX Carolina"

LIVE: Susan Smith parole hearing (FOX Carolina)

Susan Smith is up for ...

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Image courtesy of "WIS10"

WATCH LIVE: Infamous convicted murderer Susan Smith asks to get ... (WIS10)

Convicted murderer ...

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Image courtesy of "USA TODAY"

'Ultimate betrayal': Susan Smith killed her sons 30 years ago. She ... (USA TODAY)

Amid racial tensions and in a conservative part of the Deep South, Smith falsely claimed a Black man carjacked her and took her sons.

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Susan Smith to appear in front of parole board 30 years after killing ... (ABC News)

A South Carolina woman who admitted to drowning her two young sons 30 years ago is set to appear before a parole board on Wednesday and make a case for her ...

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Image courtesy of "WIS10"

WATCH LIVE: Convicted murderer Susan Smith appears before ... (WIS10)

Convicted murderer ...

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Image courtesy of "NBC News"

Susan Smith, who drowned her two children 30 years ago, denied ... (NBC News)

Susan Smith, the young mom who shocked the nation 30 years ago when she rolled her car into a lake with her two sons inside and watched them drown, ...

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Image courtesy of "PBS NewsHour"

Susan Smith, who drowned her two children 30 years ago, is asking ... (PBS NewsHour)

Susan Smith will ask a parole board in South Carolina for her freedom for the first time on Wednesday. The 53-year-old rolled her car into a lake in 1994 ...

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Image courtesy of "WIS10"

WATCH LIVE: Convicted murderer Susan Smith denied parole (WIS10)

Convicted murderer ...

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Image courtesy of "WLTX.com"

Notorious SC killer Susan Smith denied parole for murdering her ... (WLTX.com)

Susan Smith is serving a life sentence for killing 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex back in 1994 in Union County, South Carolina.

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Image courtesy of "NewsNation Now"

Susan Smith denied parole after serving 30 years for sons' murders (NewsNation Now)

A South Carolina parole board denied Susan Smith's release on Wednesday, 30 years after she received a life sentence for murdering her 3-year-old and infant ...

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Susan Smith: South Carolina mother denied parole 30 years after ... (BBC News)

The South Carolina mother was convicted of killing her boys by strapping them into a car which she allowed to roll into a lake.

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Image courtesy of "KPLC"

Susan Smith to ask parole board for her freedom after serving 30 ... (KPLC)

She was convicted of ...

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Image courtesy of "SC Daily Gazette"

Parole denied for SC mother Susan Smith, convicted of murdering ... (SC Daily Gazette)

The state parole board denied parole for Susan Smith, a mother convicted of murdering her two young sons three decades ago.

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Image courtesy of "Greenville News"

Susan Smith will stay in prison; South Carolina board denies parole ... (Greenville News)

The mother convicted of killing her two toddler sons 30 years ago appeared before the board; her ex-husband vows to show up for every future hearing.

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Image courtesy of "WSPA 7News"

Susan Smith denied parole (WSPA 7News)

A parole board denied on Wednesday a request for parole for Susan Smith, a Union County woman who in 1994 made national headlines after she rolled her car ...

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