The South Carolina mother convicted of murdering her two young sons and sentenced to life in prison may be released as soon as 2024 thanks to the good behavior she’s displayed in prison. Susan Smith trapped 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex into their car seats and drove into a lake during a depressive and suicidal episode, but she may soon have a new start in life should her parole hearing be successful, People reports.
- Smith’s act was deliberate murder. Back in 1994, Smith drove the children around in the dark, considering killing herself but ultimately deciding to end the boys’ lives instead. She then drove onto a boat ramp and put the car in neutral, waiting for the lake to pull the car under. The boys were awake and totally conscious when their mother killed them.
- Her motive for doing it is still unknown. It was posited that Smith chose to kill her children since the man she was dating at the time wasn’t into the idea of a “ready-made family” and dumped her because of it. However, Smith insists that’s not the case and that she actually has no idea what made her snap.
- She was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole in 30 years. Those 30 years will be here in 2024, and many are unhappy that Smith should ever have the opportunity to walk free given the heinous act she’s committed. It’s believed that she has cleaned up her behavior in recent years, but spent the first two decades behind bars getting in lots of trouble.
- Smith turned to even more crime behind bars. In 2000 and 2001, Smith was caught having sexual relations with two prison officers, with former director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections Joe Ozmint describing her as a “manipulative person” who will always be that way, according to NY Post. In the five years following those offenses, she also got in trouble for self-harm, taking narcotics, and other offenses.
- She’s “not a disciplinary problem” anymore, apparently. A Palmetto State DOC source claims that Smith has really changed her ways in recent years and hasn’t had any trouble in the prison since. However, that doesn’t mean her bid for parole will be successful. “My guess now is she’s probably made the turn and realized all of that is getting her nowhere and it’s time to turn her life around and start living in such a manner to prove that she’s a worthy candidate for parole at some point,” Ozmint explained. Time will tell what happens.
