Mum who left both sons in car that rolled into lake begs for freedom after 30 year prison stint

Susan Smith, the mum who was convicted of murdering her two young sons in 1994, has been denied parole despite a tearful plea for freedom during a recent hearing. The parole board unanimously ruled on Wednesday that Smith, now 53, should stay behind bars, three decades after she drowned her sons, Alex and Michael, by driving her car into a lake with them strapped into their car seats.

During the video-linked parole hearing, Smith attempted to express her remorse, saying "I'm very sorry," before breaking down in tears "I know what I did was horrible," she continued, her voice shaking. "And I would give anything so I could change it."

The board questioned Smith about the extensive police efforts to find her children, to which she responded that she was "just scared" and unsure how to reveal the truth. "I'm sorry, I don't know, I know that's not enough; I know it's not," Smith admitted three decades after killing her sons by leaving them to drown in a South Carolina lake.

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In her closing remarks, she turned to her faith, stating: "God is a big part of my life." She claimed God had forgiven her and sought the same from the board, reports the Mirror US.

A significant group of around 15 people attended the hearing to argue against her release. Among them were her former husband and father of the boys, David Smith, his family, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers.

Smith found it difficult to speak initially, pausing several times during his statement to regain his composure. He stated that Susan Smith had "free choice," and the deaths of his children were not a "tragic mistake."

"It's just not enough," Smith said, tearfully. "So I'm asking that you please, deny her parole today, and hopefully in the future, but specifically today."

He informed the board of his intention to attend each parole hearing in the future to ensure that Michael and Alex are not forgotten.

Smith continued to avoid taking responsibility for her actions. She partially attributed her recent conviction for attempting to capitalise on her infamy from prison to a documentary filmmaker with whom she had been communicating.

Smith also denied any wrongdoing for previous misconduct charges while in prison, asserting they were beyond her control. She confessed to the board that she had lost touch with reality when she murdered her sons.

This was the first parole hearing for Smith, who is serving a life sentence after being found guilty of murder by a jury, which decided against sentencing her to death. Under the state law at the time, she is now eligible for a parole hearing every two years, having spent 30 years in prison.

Smith's case shocked the world when she claimed she was carjacked in 1994 near Union, South Carolina, with her two young sons still in the back seat. Smith, a white woman, alleged that the carjacker was a black man.

Over nine days, she made tearful and desperate appeals for the safe return of her sons, three year old Michael and 14-month-old Alex. However, all along, the boys and Smith's car were submerged in nearby John D. Long Lake, according to authorities. She narrowly escaped the death penalty and was instead sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years.

Investigators quickly realised that Smith's story didn't add up, as carjackers typically only want the vehicle and wouldn't be interested in taking her children. They also questioned why the supposed carjackers allowed Smith to exit the car but not her children.

The traffic light where Smith claimed she had stopped when her car was stolen would only turn red if another vehicle was waiting to cross, and Smith stated there were no other cars around. Other aspects of her story also didn't make sense.

This led to Smith confessing to letting her car roll down a boat ramp into the lake with her two sons still strapped in the backseat. A re-enactment of the crime by investigators revealed it took six minutes for the car to sink beneath the water's surface.

The bodies of the boys were found upside-down in their car seats, one tiny hand pressed against a window.

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