South Carolina Mother Seeks Parole After 30 Years for Sons' Murder

In a shocking turn of events, Susan Smith, a South Carolina woman convicted of murdering her two sons in 1994, is seeking parole after spending three decades behind bars for her crimes.

At the age of 53, Smith is scheduled for a parole hearing this Wednesday, where she will present her case to a seven-member parole board on why she should be released. The heinous crime, which involved strapping her sons into their car seats and allowing the vehicle to roll into a lake, captured national attention and outrage.

The board will also hear from the boys' father and the prosecutor from her trial, both of whom will advocate for her continued incarceration. Prosecutors argued during the original trial that the motivation behind Smith’s actions was connected to her affair with a man who suggested her children were standing in the way of their future together.

Although she confessed to the offenses later, her defense attorneys claimed she was undergoing a mental crisis, citing a desire to end her life along with her children but faltering at the last moment. Initially, Smith had fabricated a story about being carjacked, publicly appealing for her sons’ return while they had already drowned in the water.

Under South Carolina law, Smith is eligible for parole hearings every two years after serving 30 years, and in order for her to be released, she will require the approval of two-thirds of the attending board members, as dictated by the state's Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services.