Susan Smith

Case record: State of South Carolina v. Susan Vaughan Smith

Parties and identification

Susan Vaughan Smith, also known as Susan Leigh Vaughan Smith, was an American woman born September 26, 1971. She was 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 and 14-month-old Alexander Tyler Smith.

Victims

Susan Smith’s victims were:

• Michael Daniel Smith, born October 10, 1991
• Alexander Tyler Smith, born August 5, 1993

Background

The case began in late October 1994 and developed worldwide attention after Smith claimed that a black man stole her car and kidnapped her sons.

Smith later claimed that she suffered from mental health issues that impaired her judgment.

Smith’s biological father committed suicide when she was 6 years old. She rarely had a stable home life.

At age 13, Smith attempted suicide. After graduating from high school in 1989, she made a second suicide attempt.

Smith was diagnosed by her defense psychiatrist with dependent personality disorder. The psychiatrist described Smith as needing affection and becoming terrified that she would be left alone, and found that Smith was only depressed when she was alone.

During the trial, it was disclosed that Smith was molested in her teens by her stepfather, Beverly Russell, who admitted that he had molested her when she was a teenager and had consensual sex with her as an adult. Smith’s stepfather later accepted part of the blame for the deaths of Michael and Alex Smith.

Smith had been incarcerated in the Administrative Segregation Unit in the Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. While Smith was in prison, two guards were punished for having sex with her: Lt. Houston Cagle and Capt. Alfred R. Rowe, Jr. She was moved to a prison in Greenwood, where she was currently held.

The offence

On October 25, 1994, Smith reported to police that she had been carjacked by an African-American man who drove away with her sons still in the car.

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, drowning her children inside.

Smith later expressed a motive involving discarding her children so that she might resume an affair with a wealthy local man who had no interest in a “ready-made” family.

Investigation

After Smith’s carjacking report, her story led to searches and interviews, including:

• Lakes and ponds being searched, including the lake in which the children were eventually found
• A nationwide search for the vehicle and the children
• Divers searching John D. Long Lake

A police composite drawing was made based on Smith’s description of a black man:

• about forty years of age
• wearing a dark knit cap, a dark shirt, jeans and a plaid jacket

The investigation involved polygraph testing:

• Smith and her husband David were polygraphed two days after the boys disappeared.
• Smith’s polygraph results were described as inconclusive, but investigators felt they indicated she was lying when she said she did not know where the children were.
• Smith was polygraphed during every subsequent interview, and failed that question each time.
• David’s polygraph test showed that he knew nothing about the disappearance of his sons.

Investigators found inconsistencies in Smith’s story. Details included:

• There were no other cars near the intersection where she said the carjacking had occurred.
• The particular red light at which she said she stopped is only triggered when a car is coming from the cross street. Smith said there were no other cars around so there would be no reason for her to stop at this intersection.
• Divers initially missed the car in their first search of John D. Long Lake because they did not search far enough into the lake.
• Smith had told investigators when and where the car was sunk, but the divers’ earlier search had not located it.
• The story about where she was carjacked was contradicted by these inconsistencies.

Investigators also sought outside assistance:

• Sheriff Howard Wells called Chief Robert Stewart of South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for additional assistance.
• A SLED helicopter with heat sensors flew over John D. Long Lake and nearby Sumter National Forest.
• The FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit was contacted for a profile of the characteristics of a homicidal mother. The profile was described as fitting Smith “almost perfectly,” including a history of physical or sexual abuse, depressive and suicidal tendencies, and rejection by a male lover at the time.

During the investigation, Sheriff Wells appeared on the Today show and on Larry King Live. Wells said his office had received more than 1,000 calls, but none developed into a strong lead.

The investigation continued into its third day. Divers searched the bottom of John D. Long Lake and found nothing in the murky water during the early efforts.

The case also drew national media attention, including American Journal. Marc Klaas and cognitive graphic artist Jeanne Boyton were involved in reviewing the sketch of the alleged carjacker and assessing whether a carjacking story would produce a more detailed drawing.

At the same time, a call from Seattle briefly suggested an abandoned child matching Alex Smith’s description, but the child was confirmed not to be Alex Smith.

Arrest and confession

On November 3, 1995, Smith confessed to the murders.

Smith confessed during an interrogation where Sheriff Howard Wells confronted her with inconsistencies in her story about the carjacker. Wells told Smith that her story of the black carjacker was a lie and that she could not stop at the red light if there were no other cars on the road. Smith asked Wells to pray with her.

At the close of the prayers Wells said:

“Lord, we know that all things will be revealed to us in time.”

Wells then told Smith:

“Susan, it is time.”

Smith dropped her head and wailed:

“I am so ashamed, I am so ashamed.”

She asked Wells for his gun so that she could kill herself. Wells asked why she wanted to do that. Smith replied:

“You don’t understand, my children are not all right.”

Smith told Wells about her desire to commit suicide and the isolation she felt while driving her Mazda along Highway 49 on the night of October 25. She described her plan to drive her sons to her mother’s house but said she felt her mother could not help her.

Smith collapsed and began to sob. Other investigators entered the room to obtain her written confession.

In her handwritten confession, Smith wrote that she drove off Highway 49 and onto the road leading to John D. Long Lake because she wanted to commit suicide. She wrote that she stopped the car several times before releasing the parking brake and sending the car into John D. Long Lake.

Smith’s handwritten confession transcript stated:

When I left my home on Tuesday, Oct. 25, I was very emotionally distraught.
I didn’t want to live anymore!
I felt like things could never get any worse.
When I left home, I was going to ride around a little while and then go to my mom’s.
As I rode and rode and rode, I felt even more anxiety coming upon me about not wanting to live.
I felt I couldn’t be a good mom anymore, but I didn’t want my children to grow up without a mom.
I felt I had to end our lives to protect us from any grief or harm.
I had never felt so lonely and so sad in my entire life.
I was in love with someone very much, but he didn’t love me and never would.
I had a very difficult time accepting that.
But I had hurt him very much, and I could see why he could never love me.
When I was at John D. Long Lake, I had never felt so scared and unsure as I did then.
I wanted to end my life so bad and was in my car ready to go down that ramp into the water, and I did go part way, but I stopped.
I went again and stopped.
I then got out of the car and stood by the car a nervous wreck.
Why was I feeling this way?
Why was everything so bad in my life?
I had no answers to these questions.
I dropped to the lowest point when I allowed my children to go down that ramp into the water without me.
I took off running and screaming “Oh God! Oh God, no! ”What have I done?
Why did you let this happen?
I wanted to turn around so bad and go back, but I knew it was too late.
I was an absolute mental case!
I couldn’t believe what I had done.
I love my children with all my (a picture of a heart). That will never change.
I have prayed to them for forgiveness and hope that they will find it in their (a picture of a heart) to forgive me.
I never meant to hurt them!!
I am sorry for what has happened and I know that I need some help.
I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive myself for what I have done.
My children, Michael and Alex, are with our Heavenly Father now, and I know that they will never be hurt again.
As a mom, that means more than words could ever say.
I knew from day one, the truth would prevail, but I was so scared I didn’t know what to do.
It was very tough emotionally to sit and watch my family hurt like they did.
It was time to bring a peace of mind to everyone, including myself.
My children deserve to have the best, and now they will.
I broke down on Thursday, Nov. 3, and told Sheriff Howard Wells the truth.
It wasn’t easy, but after the truth was out, I felt like the world was lifted off my shoulders.
I know now that it is going to be a tough and long road ahead of me.
At this very moment, I don’t feel I will be able to handle what’s coming, but I have prayed to God that he give me the strength to survive each day and to face those times and situations in my life that will be extremely painful.
I have put my total faith in God, and he will take care of me.
[Signed] Susan V. Smith
[Dated] 11/3/94 5:05 p.m.

The confession was signed by a FBI agent and a State Law Enforcement Division agent.

After the confession, divers located the upside down Mazda. The visibility was described as only twelve inches at the place in the lake where the car was located. Testimony stated that a “small hand against the window glass” was seen, and that the children were in car seats hanging upside down. The bodies were recovered from the car.

Autopsies were performed on Friday, November 4, and confirmed that the children had been alive when their mother sent them in her car into the lake and that they drowned as the car submerged.

Trial

Competence to stand trial

On July 12, 1995, Judge William Howard ruled that Susan Smith was mentally competent to stand trial in the drownings of her two sons.

Judge Howard asked Smith if she understood the charges and punishment. When asked whether she understood the charges against her, she answered:

“Murder.”

When asked whether she understood the punishment she could receive if convicted, she responded:

“The death penalty.”

When asked about her ability to understand attorneys because of her mental condition, Smith answered:

“No, sir.”

Judge Howard said that antidepressants had helped her understand the proceedings and that she was “rendered more rational.”

Judge Howard stated:

“I find that Mrs. Smith is competent to stand trial and can proceed with this matter,”

The state psychiatrist Dr. Donald Morgan testified that Smith would kill herself if she could and that she might try to sabotage her defense if she took the stand.

Judge Howard’s ruling was made despite concerns about her mental health and her use of Prozac.

Murder conviction and jury decision on death penalty

On July 22, 1995, a jury found Susan Smith guilty of two counts of murder—one count for each child. The jury took two and a half hours to decide what she had already confessed to.

A jury later rejected the prosecution’s request for death. The decision was unanimous and came after deliberating for two and one-half hours.

During sentencing deliberations, the case was described as requiring a unanimous death penalty verdict under South Carolina law. If one juror held out, the outcome was described as an automatic life sentence with a chance of parole after 30 years.

In-court proceedings and roles

Susan Smith was held without bail at the York County Jail after being arrested.

Beverly Russell, Smith’s stepfather, later testified during the penalty phase and accepted part of the blame. Russell admitted molesting Smith as a teenager and having consensual sex with her as an adult. Russell read from a Father’s Day letter and pleaded for Smith’s life, stating:

“Susan was sick and even though she loved her children, what happened was from a sickness...It’s horrible.”

Solicitor Thomas Pope served as prosecutor for the trial.

Handwritten confession and evidence

The court allowed the defense to stipulate to drowning as the cause of death and to the identity of the Smith brothers rather than requiring extended evidence from the pathologist.

Judge William Howard refused to allow prosecutors to show horrific pictures of the children after nine days in John D. Long Lake. Judge Howard also refused to allow prosecutors to question the pathologist about the decayed nature of the bodies, citing prejudice.

Sentencing

On July 27, 1995, Judge Howard sentenced Susan Smith to thirty years to life in prison.

The jury rejected death and decided Susan should spend the rest of her natural life in prison. The sentencing order followed at 4:45 p.m.

The record further stated that Smith was eligible for parole in 2025 after she had served 30 years.

Outcome

Susan Smith was convicted of two counts of murder and was sentenced to thirty years to life in prison on July 27, 1995.

Aftermath

After conviction and sentencing, the record described Smith as currently incarcerated at South Carolina’s Leath Correctional Institution near Greenwood.

It also stated that Smith would be eligible for parole on November 4, 2024, after serving a minimum of thirty years.

In the immediate aftermath of the confession and arrest, crowds greeted Smith with shouts including “baby killer!” and “Murderer!”

The funerals for Michael and Alex were held on Sunday, November 6 at Buffalo Methodist Church. A visitation was held on Saturday, November 5. The casket remained closed due to water damage. Michael and Alex were buried together in a white casket with gold trim during a private ceremony in the cemetery behind the Bogansville United Methodist Church, next to the grave of Danny Smith.

Other details

Household and relationships mentioned in the case narrative

Smith’s former husband was David Smith. David’s stated view on the death penalty included wishing Susan would die for the murders.

Tom Findlay was described as the wealthy local man with whom Smith had a relationship, and his letter was described as ending their relationship due to Susan’s children.

Shirley McCloud provided initial assistance when Smith arrived at her home, and Rick McCloud called 911.

Officials included Sheriff Howard Wells, Chief Robert Stewart of SLED, and FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit participants.

Guards punished for having sex with Smith while imprisoned

The record stated that while Smith was in prison, two guards were punished for having sex with Smith:

• Lt. Houston Cagle
• Capt. Alfred R. Rowe, Jr.