Susan Smith, the South Carolina woman who drowned her two sons in 1994, will reportedly seek parole next year.
Smith was 22 when she let her car roll into a lake with her sons Michael, 3, and Alex, 14 months, strapped in their car seats. A family member told The Messenger that Smith feels ready to be released, which could happen in November 2024.
Smith — who blamed her sons’ disappearances on a Black carjacker — killed them because she was dating a man who did not want children. However, her family member told The Messenger that Smith is telling people close to her that she is a changed person.
In 1998, Smith was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. She remains housed at the Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood.
The Messenger reported that Smith had been disciplined at least five times between 2010 and 2015 for various offenses, including self-mutilation and possession of narcotics or marijuana. In 2000, she was reprimanded for having sex with a prison guard.
“She’s working very hard to change the perception of her, especially when it comes to a parole board,” the family member said. “[But] she doesn’t deserve to get her life back.”
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[Featured image: Susan Smith/South Carolina Department of Corrections]
