Susan Smith’s latest parole bid has been denied, with the South Carolina parole board unanimously deciding she should remain in prison. The decision comes 30 years after Smith killed her two young sons by rolling their car into a lake while they were strapped in their seats.
Smith, 53, appeared before the board via video link and expressed remorse for her actions, stating that God has forgiven her. She claimed she would give anything to go back and change what happened, but prosecutors and family members argue that she is still not showing enough remorse.
The parole board’s decision is in line with state law, which grants parole only about 8% of the time, especially in notorious cases like this one. The board also took into account Smith’s mental health, citing her history as a low-risk offender with no prior convictions before her murder conviction.
In a statement after the hearing, Smith expressed relief that she would not be released yet, saying “In two more years, we’ll go through this again.” Her family and prosecutors had been cautiously optimistic that she would be denied parole, fearing it would be seen as a signal that she was remorseful enough to reintegrate into society.
The case remains a national sensation and a true-crime touchstone, with Smith’s initial claims of a carjacking gone wrong sparking widespread concern about racial bias in law enforcement. Investigators eventually found evidence that suggested Smith had deliberately killed her children, including a re-creation that showed water pouring into the vehicle and rising steadily over six minutes.
Smith’s lawyers have argued that she was suffering from a mental breakdown at the time of the crime, but prosecutors argue that she intentionally left the scene to avoid suspicion. Regardless of the motivation behind her actions, Smith remains in prison, facing the possibility of another parole hearing in two years.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/susan-smith-parole-south-carolina-3c7c12e0cd0a23eee0e42a599b689597