Susan Smith

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For other people named Susan Smith, see Susan Smith (disambiguation).
Susan Smith
Born (1971-09-26) September 26, 1971 (age 41)
Union, South Carolina
Conviction(s) Two counts of murder
Penalty Life imprisonment with a possibility of parole after 30 years
Conviction status Incarcerated at Leath Correctional Institution
Spouse David Smith (March 15, 1991 - May 1995)[1]
Parents Linda and Harry Vaughan
Children Michael Daniel, b. October 10, 1991 (aged 3 at death)
Alexander Tyler, b. August 5, 1993 (aged 1 at death)
Both children deceased October 25, 1994

Susan Leigh Vaughan Smith (born September 26, 1971) is an American woman sentenced to life in prison for murdering her children. Born in Union, South Carolina, and a former student of the University of South Carolina Union, she was convicted on July 22, 1995 for murdering her two sons, 3-year-old Michael Daniel Smith, born October 10, 1991, and 14-month-old Alexander Tyler Smith, born August 5, 1993.[2] The case gained worldwide attention shortly after it developed, due to her claiming that a black man stole her car and kidnapped her sons. She later claimed that she suffered from mental health issues that impaired her judgment.

According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Smith will be eligible for parole on November 4, 2024, after serving a minimum of thirty years. She is incarcerated at South Carolina's Leath Correctional Institution, near Greenwood.[3]

Contents

The case[edit]

On October 25, 1994, Smith reported to police that she had been carjacked by a black man who drove away with her sons still in the car. She made dramatic pleas on television for the rescue and return of her children. However, nine days later on November 3, following an intensive, heavily publicized investigation and a nationwide search, Smith confessed to letting her 1990 Mazda Protegé roll into nearby John D. Long Lake,[4] drowning her children inside.[5] She allegedly wanted to discard her children so that she might resume an affair with a wealthy local man who had no interest in a "ready-made" family.[6]

Smith's defense psychiatrist diagnosed her with dependent personality disorder.[7] Her biological father committed suicide when she was 6 years old, and she rarely had a stable home life. It was disclosed in her trial that Smith was molested in her teens by her stepfather, who admitted to the charges as well as that he had consensual sex with her as an adult. At 13, she attempted suicide. After graduating from high school in 1989, she made a second attempt.[8]

At one time, she was incarcerated in the Administrative Segregation Unit in the Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina.[9] While she has been in prison, two guards have been punished for having sex with Smith: Lt. Houston Cagle and Capt. Alfred R. Rowe, Jr.[10] Consequently, she was moved to a prison in Greenwood where she is currently held. In 2003, she placed a personal ad at WriteAPrisoner.com, which has since been retracted.[11]

See also[edit]

Portal icon South Carolina portal
Portal icon Biography portal
Portal icon Criminal justice portal

Books[edit]

  • Rekers, George (September 1995). Susan Smith: Victim or Murderer. Glenbridge Publishing. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/0-944435-38-0|0-944435-38-0[[Category:Articles with invalid ISBNs]]]] Check |isbn= value (help). 
  • Russell, Linda; Stephens, Shirley (April 2000). My Daughter Susan Smith. Authors Book Nook. ISBN 978-0-9701076-1-9. 
  • Smith, David (July 1995). Beyond All Reason: My Life With Susan Smith. Zebra. ISBN 978-0-8217-5220-3. 

References[edit]

  • South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED); SLED Latent Print and Crime Scene Worksheet: Floatation Characteristics of 1990 Mazda Protege; May 24, 1995

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Rekers, George (1996). Susan Smith: Victim Or Murderer. Glenbridge Publishing Ltd. pp. 12, 16. ISBN 0-944435-38-6. 
  2. ^ Spitz, D.J. (2006): Investigation of Bodies in Water. In: Spitz, W.U. & Spitz, D.J. (eds): Spitz and Fisher’s Medicolegal Investigation of Death. Guideline for the Application of Pathology to Crime Investigations (Fourth edition), Charles C. Thomas, pp.: 846-881; Springfield, Illinois.
  3. ^ "Inmate Details Susan Smith." (Page Archive, Image Archive) South Carolina Department of Corrections. Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  4. ^ 34°46′26″N 81°30′52″W / 34.77389°N 81.51444°W / 34.77389; -81.51444
  5. ^ Charles Montaldo. "Susan Smith — Profile of a Child Killer". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 24 February 2012. 
  6. ^ Kemp, Kathy (17 April 2005). "In The Arms of Angels". Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama). 
  7. ^ Child murderer or victim?
  8. ^ Pergament, Rachel. "Susan Smith Child Murderer or Victim?". truTV Crime Library. Retrieved 24 February 2012. 
  9. ^ Hewitt, Bill. "Tears of Hate & Pity." People. March 13, 1995. Volume 43, No. 10. Retrieved on October 28, 2010.
  10. ^ "Sex With Child Killer Charged Again". ABC News. Retrieved 07 October 2010. 
  11. ^ Susan Smith apology, WriteAPrisoner.com, July 17, 2003.

External links[edit]

Authority control
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