Union, South Carolina woman Susan Smith was the subject of headlines in the ‘90s after she reported her two sons were kidnapped, but later confessed to killing them. The case gained national attention, and the public was outraged after learning about the tragic end of the two innocent boys who became victims of their mother’s actions.
In 1994, 23-year-old Susan was the mother of two young boys, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex. She was married to David Smith, but they were separated at the time of the incident. She was in a relationship with Tom Findley, the son of the owner of the textile mill where she worked as a secretary. On Oct. 17, however, Findlay sent Susan a Dear John letter stating that he was ending their relationship because despite having qualities that he liked, they weren’t a good match because he didn’t want children.
The day of the incident
On Oct. 25, Susan left work in the afternoon and headed to the daycare center to pick up her sons. It had been a week since Findlay broke things off with her, but she was still distraught about the end of their relationship. Susan said she headed home but went out again with her kids at about 7:30 pm to drive around and clear her head. Afterward, she said she stopped at Walmart and was about to head to a friend’s house but at a traffic stop, a Black man holding a gun ambushed her, got into her vehicle, and commanded her to drive while pointing the gun at her.
Fearful for her life, Susan did what she was told and drove while her children were hysterically crying. The man told her to stop near John D. Long Lake. She claimed the man pushed her out of her car before driving away with her sons. Susan ran to the closest house to call 911 and report the kidnapping.
The investigation
Authorities immediately sprang to action to search for the kidnapped children. Days went by and they were still nowhere to be found. Investigators questioned Susan and her estranged husband stood by her side throughout the ordeal. The case gained national attention, and Susan went on several news programs to plead for the return of her children.
Meanwhile, authorities had a suspicion that Susan wasn’t being truthful. There were inconsistencies in her story, and the description of the alleged perpetrator she provided was generic. Employees at Walmart on the night of the kidnapping said they never saw her, and the friend she was supposedly visiting before the attack happened told police that they didn’t have plans and she wasn’t even home that night.
Little by little, the public raised questions about whether or not Susan was involved in her children’s kidnapping. Investigators repeatedly interviewed her about the incident until eventually, her resolve crumbled and she confessed to murdering her children. According to Susan, her initial plan was to die by suicide but she didn’t want her children to be left without a mother, so she decided to kill them as well. She drove in the direction of John D. Long Lake but left the vehicle at the last minute. On Nov. 3, her car was discovered in 18 feet of water more than a hundred feet away from the shore. Michael and Alex were still inside. That same day, Susan was charged with two counts of murder.
Susan Smith was found guilty
Michael and Alex were laid to rest three days after they were found, and hundreds of people attended the funeral to mourn the loss of two innocent children. Susan’s trial began in July 1995, wherein the prosecution stated that Susan killed her children as they saw them as a hindrance to continuing her relationship with Findley. The defense, on the other hand, said that Susan was mentally unstable and what happened was a suicide attempt gone wrong.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours and decided that Susan was guilty of two counts of murder. During the penalty phase, the jury voted against the death penalty, and Susan was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
She has several infractions in prison
In the early 2000s, Susan received disciplinary action after it was discovered that she had sex several times with two prison guards. By 2019, her prison reports showed that she had lost prison privileges throughout the years for infractions, such as self-mutilation as well as drug possession and drug use. She’s also had her share of jailhouse suitors and based on jail call records, she had been romantically involved with at least 12 men. One of those men spoke to the New York Post and revealed that he had a romantic relationship with Susan for close to two years and was genuinely in love with her but decided to stop communications after learning that she was also involved with several others.
Susan’s family said she has changed and is looking forward to the future. She seems convinced that she will be released after her first parole hearing this November. Experts, however, believe there’s little chance of that happening. Susan is incarcerated at the Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood County, South Carolina.