Susan Smith’s ex-husband, David Smith, begged her not to be released from prison on parole after she was found guilty of killing their two sons in 1994.
During Susan’s parole board hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 20, David gave an emotional testimony to the committee about what he has been through since the tragedy and why he believes Susan should stay in jail for the rest of her life.
“It’s been a tough 30 years,” he said in a video released by WCNC. “I am not here to discuss what she has done in prison; you all have the documents, accounts, and so on. I’m only here to advocate on Michael and Alex’s behalf as their father.”
He stated that the act was “not a tragic mistake,” but that Susan intended to “end [Michael and Alex’s] lives.”
“It was not anything she intended to do. She intended to end their lives. I never felt sorrow from her about it. She never voiced them to me. “I’ve never seen it on paper,” David explained. He was struck with emotion as he discussed his life after losing his sons, revealing that he considered suicide due to the immense pain.
“That night, she changed my life forever. Not only did she harm Michael and Alex, but she also came dangerously near to killing me as a result of the pain she caused. Fortunately, she didn’t.
“When she was sentenced to life in prison, I assumed, like so many others, including the jury, that she would be there for the rest of her natural life,” David told WYFF ahead of Wednesday’s hearing. “Now that’s different,” David stated on Wednesday. “But at the time, that was what mattered. To me, that is only 15 years per child. She has her children. It’s simply not enough.”
He screamed, pleading with the board not to grant her parole now or in the future, “but specifically today, do not let her out.”
Susan reported to authorities on October 25, 1994, that a Black man took her automobile, which was carrying her and David’s two sons, Michael, three, and Alex, 14 months. She spent the next nine days making tearful pleas on national television for her children to be safely brought home.
However, she later admitted that she made up the carjacker tale and instead let her car roll into a lake while her tiny children were strapped into their car seats. Authorities claimed at the time that Susan committed the crime because she was seeing a man who did not want children.
Susan was denied parole during Wednesday’s hearing; however, she can petition the board for her release every two years. “I miss them very much,” David stated of his late children. “And I adore them. And I shall be here every two years from now on to ensure that their death is not in vain.
During a news conference after the hearing, David stated, “I haven’t seen any remorse from [Susan],” and added that the parole committee “made the right decision.”
