Susan Smith, who is currently serving a life sentence for the 1994 murders of her two young sons, fears that her chances of parole next month have been jeopardized after she was found guilty of attempting to profit from her notoriety.
A relative shared, “She’s inconsolable. She was so close to getting out, and it seems to be collapsing in front of her very eyes. She has derailed it herself. She’s not happy at all.”
The relative further mentioned, “She knows it’s now very unlikely she’s going to get out. This is a fresh disciplinary action, a month before her parole hearing. The parole board 100% pays attention to these things. This is really bad.”
Smith was caught providing contact information for friends, family, and victims to a documentary filmmaker in exchange for money deposited into her commissary account, as reported by the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
She was charged with communicating with a crime victim on Aug. 26, and later convicted earlier this month, according to a Department of Corrections spokesperson.
South Carolina Department of Corrections inmates are only allowed to communicate through letters and are prohibited from doing interviews on the telephone or in person.
Furthermore, South Carolina statutes forbid criminals from profiting from their crimes. Smith and the filmmaker discussed ways for her to receive payment for participating in a documentary.
In 1994, Smith, then a 22-year-old mother, gained notoriety for killing her sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander, by letting her car roll into a lake in South Carolina with the boys still inside.
She falsely claimed that a black man had carjacked her and kidnapped the children, prompting a search that involved local African-American neighborhoods.
After nine days, Smith confessed to drowning her sons in the lake and revealed that there was no carjacking. Her motive was allegedly related to an affair with a man who did not want children.
She was convicted of murder but received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
However, Smith now fears that her upcoming parole hearing on Nov. 4 may not end in her favor, according to the relative.
Throughout her time in prison, Smith has faced challenges, including disciplinary actions for engaging in sexual activity with guards in 2000 and being found with narcotics or marijuana in 2010 and 2015.
Despite being a model prisoner for nine years, Smith has recently lost various privileges, including her telephone, tablet, and canteen access for 90 days starting from Oct. 4.
Reflecting on her situation, the relative shared, “She was really, really upset. And the worst part is that she knows she messed up. This is on her. How could she be so stupid?”
