Mum who drowned her sons begs to be freed from jail

Killer mum Susan Smith sobbed and begged to be let out — but still refuses to accept responsibility for all her crimes.

Susan Smith, a mother convicted of the double murder of her own children in the United States, has been denied parole by a unanimous vote after she sobbed and begged to be let out of prison on Wednesday, the New York Post reports.

Smith apologised for drowning her two young sons 30 years and said she wished she could take it back.

But, true to form, Smith still refused to take full responsibility for her actions, blaming others for the choices she made.

Susan Smith apologised for drowning her sons. Picture: AP

However, she blamed others for the decision she made. Photo: AP

The seven member South Carolina Board of Paroles immediately voted to deny Smith’s request. However, she will now be able to apply for parole every two years — meaning the family of her murdered sons, Alex and Michael, will have to show up to fight her request if they want to ensure she stays behind bars.

Smith has faced disciplinary action several times in prison, including two separate sexual encounters with corrections officers, incidents of self-harm, possession of marijuana — and most recently for giving contact information for family and her ex-husband to a documentary producer.

David Smith carried a photo of his two boys at Susan’s parole hearing. Photo: AP

She blamed the documentary producer, saying, “I trusted the wrong person” — but omitting the fact that she had asked the producer for cash and other compensation for her story.

Smith also claimed that her convictions for misconduct behind bars were not her fault.

Attending the meeting remotely via Zoom, Smith, 53, told the board that she had lost touch with reality when she killed Alex and Michael by strapping them in their car seats and letting them drown in a South Carolina lake in 1994.

“I am a Christian and I know that God has forgiven me,” Smith told the board, before begging the panel to “show the same kind of mercy.”

As Smith wiped her tears with a tissue, she acknowledged the pain she had caused. “I want to say how very sorry I am,” she said.

“I know that what I did was horrible. And I would give anything if I could go back and change it,” an emotional Smith told the parole board. “I love Michael and Alex with all my heart.”

Smith’s lawyer advocated on her behalf, saying she was involved in mentoring other inmates and even was working toward an associate’s degree in “Christian counselling.”

“She is making something of herself,” lawyer Tommy Thomas told the court, noting that if Smith were released, she’d move in with her brother.

Smith told the board that she had lost touch with reality when she killed Alex and Michael. Picture: Court TV

Thomas also told the board that the prosecution was wrong about her alleged motive. “This is a mental health story,” he said. “This was not about another man. She was mentally ill.”

The only other people who were present to support Smith were her pastor and his wife.

But several people showed up to oppose Smith’s release — including the father of the little boys she murdered.

Prosecutor Tommy Pope told the board that Smith’s actions were “calculated” and she caused immeasurable pain to those who knew her children.

Susan said she wished she could take it back the murders of Michael and Alexander Smith. Picture: RememberingMichaelAlexSmith/Facebook

“She should not be released until every living person who remembers Michael and Alex is dead — and that won’t happen in her lifetime.”

Smith’s ex-husband, David, also addressed the board and noted that 30 years was not a long enough punishment.

“That’s only 15 years per child. Her own children,” he said. “That’s just not enough. I’m asking that you deny her parole today and hopefully in the future.

“I will be here every two years going forward to ensure that their death doesn’t go in vain,” he concluded.

David’s current wife, Tiffany Smith, also begged the parole board to keep the killer mum behind bars, noting that the emotional pain sometimes hits David so hard, he can’t get out of bed.

Susan and David Smith first addressed reporters in 1994, pleading for the safe return of their sons. Picture: AP

“Michael and Alex didn’t get a chance at life,” Tiffany said. “They were forced the death penalty.”

After she was rejected, Smith returned to her jail cell. A prison employee tells The Post exclusively that she was angry and crying, and ranting about the hearing to her friends on the inside. “She was pissed,” the employee says.

Smith has spent 30 years in prison since receiving her life sentence for the 1994 incident. This is her first parole hearing.

She will be able to reapply for parole in November 2026.

This story originally appeared on the New York Post and was republished with permission.