INFAMOUS MURDERS - SUSAN SMITH

SUSAN SMITH:

Susan Leigh (Vaughan) Smith, age 35, is incarcerated at Leath Correctional

Institution, near Greenwood, South Carolina for the murders of her two
sons, Alex, 14 months old, and Michael, age 3 by deliberately drowning the
children inside a vehicle. She was sentenced to 30 years to life. She is not
allowed to give media interviews.

According to the Corrections Dept. Smith's projected parole date is

November 4, 2024, after she has served 30 years of her sentence.

Smith would be 52. David Smith, the boy's father, has stated his

intentions of being at each and every hearing and opposing parole.

1994 - Susan Smith hysterically contacted police, falsely claiming she had

been car-jacked by an African -American and that her two children were

still in the vehicle, and that they had cried for their mother as she watched

them being driven away.

Law enforcement and the public were galvanized into searching for the young

boys while Smith made pleas on television. David Smith, her estranged husband

and the father of Alex and Michael stood by her side and was visibly shaken by

events. His please for the return of Alex and Michael were heartfelt and heart-

breaking. Susan Smith's performance in front of the cameras led some to

believe she was hiding something.

Law enforcement's investigation came full circle- right back to Susan Smith.

After nine days Smith finally confessed. She claimed she had meant to

commit suicide with the children.

Susan Smith's cold hearted tale of exiting the vehicle, releasing the emergency

break, closing the car door and watching as the car took her sleeping children

down into the water of John D. Long lake was horrifying. Both children were
strapped into their car seats, and as the water rose, it is likely it awakened

them and they cried. One diver, testified with his voice cracking as he related

how the vehicle had been found upside down in 18 feet of water. "I was able

to see a small hand against the glass." During the trial a video was shown of a

re-enactment of the car submerging. It was a long six minutes as the car filled

with water before it submerged. An autopsy proved that both boys were still

alive when the water rose over their heads.

Although Smith and her family have had a history of depression and suicide,

and, Susan Smith is reported to have suffered frome sexual abuse, and tried

to commit suicide after relationship breakups, she was, and is, no stranger to

manipulating men.

Her family believes that she was in part responsible for the sexual encounters

with her step-father. From the two older married men she was juggling during

her senior year, to her husband David, to Tom Findlay, the lover she was

pursuing, to the corrections guards Susan Smith appears to have no problem

with playing the victim or mind games, irregardless of the cost to, or the feelings

of, the person she's manipulating. Even the FBI noted that Susan appears to cry

and go through the motions, but has no real tears.

2000 - Women's Correctional Institute, Columbia, South Carolina. Susan Smith

was found to have had sex with two male prison guards, both of whom were
fired.

A report by tabloids that Smith had been beaten in prison was investigated

and although no beatings were revealed, her records showed that she had

been treated for a sexually transmitted disease "other than HIV" and under

questioning, Smith admitted to having sex with Lt. Houston Cable, a prison

guard, and Capt. Alfred Rowe Jr., who pled guilty and was sentenced to

five years probation.

Circuit Judge Casey Manning said he took into consideration in sentencing

that the sex was "consensual."

2001 - Susan Smith was transferred to Leath Correctional Institute.

2003 - Susan Smith submitted a personal ad to a pen pal site.

Due to public outcry it was swiftly withdrawn but the ad did generate

interest and results. There are people online today who are seeking

to contact Smith.

In the book, "Beyond All Reason: My Life with Susan Smith" David

Smith tells the readers about his visit in jail with Susan three weeks

after her confession. Smith had asked to see David. "I felt I had to
see her."

It was breathtaking to see her, the murderer of my children, for the

first time since she'd confessed. "Why in the name of heaven didn't

you just give the kids to me?" "You broke my heart. You ripped my

life away."

Although she apologized again and again for killing the children, Susan

Smith did not, and has not, answered that question.

Smith has complained that her feelings were overshadowed by everyone

else's grief.

What chilled David Smith the most was this statement "David, when I get

out...if I get out of here, I hope that maybe we can get back together and

have more kids."

That May, their divorce was final.

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