Susan Smith’s Former Prosecutor Says She Should Remain in Prison as Her Next Parole Hearing Approaches

More than three decades after Susan Smith killed her two young sons in South Carolina, the former prosecutor who helped convict her says she should remain behind bars. As Smith approaches another parole hearing, the case continues to stir painful memories for the victims’ family and the wider public.

Smith was convicted in 1995 for the deaths of her sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander. In October 1994, she strapped the boys into their car seats and allowed her car to roll into John D. Long Lake in Union, South Carolina, where both children drowned.

At first, Smith claimed that a man had carjacked her vehicle with her sons still inside. The story prompted a widespread search for the children. Nine days later, she confessed that she had driven the car into the lake herself.

Tommy Pope, the prosecutor who led the case against Smith, has argued that she should continue serving her life sentence. In an interview with Fox News Digital in September 2025, Pope said that, in his view, keeping Smith incarcerated was necessary as punishment for the crime, even while acknowledging that she might not pose the same risk to society if released.

Smith was denied parole in November 2024, after the parole board considered the seriousness of the murders and her disciplinary record while incarcerated. She became eligible for another hearing in 2026.

Her former husband, David Smith, also opposed her release at the previous hearing, speaking about the lasting pain of losing their children. The case remains especially painful for those who remember the extensive search that followed Susan Smith’s original account of a kidnapping.

Over the years, Smith’s conduct in prison has also drawn attention, including disciplinary actions and a conviction related to prohibited communication with a victim or witness. These issues have been cited in public discussions about whether she should be granted parole.

As another hearing approaches, the decision will rest with South Carolina’s parole authorities, who will evaluate the case under the state’s procedures. Smith’s case remains one of the most widely remembered child-murder cases in the United States.

Source: Fox News