A South Carolina parole board decided unanimously Wednesday that Susan Smith should remain in prison, despite her plea that God has forgiven her for infamously killing her two young sons 30 years ago by rolling her car into a lake while they were strapped in their car seats, the Associated Press reports. It was the first parole hearing for Smith, 53, who is serving a life sentence after a jury convicted her of murder but decided to spare her the death penalty. She is eligible for a parole hearing every two years now that she has spent 30 years behind bars. Smith made her case by video link from prison. She started by saying she was “very sorry,” then broke down in tears and bowed her head. “I know what I did was horrible,” Smith said, pausing and then continuing with a wavering voice. “And I would give anything if I could go back and change it.” In her final statements, Smith said God has forgiven her. “I ask that you show that same kind of mercy, as well,” she said.
Smith made international headlines in 1994 when she insisted for nine days that a Black carjacker drove away with her sons. Prosecutors have long argued that Smith killed 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex because she believed they were the reason the wealthy son of the owner of the business where she worked broke off their affair. Her attorneys blame her mental health. A group of about 15 people urged against parole. They included her ex-husband and the father of the boys, David Smith; his family members; prosecutors; and law enforcement officials. Along with a few others, David Smith had a photo of Michael and Alex pinned to his suit jacket. He struggled to get out words at first, pausing several times to compose himself. He said he has never seen Susan Smith express remorse toward him. “She changed my life for the rest of my life that night,” he said. “I’m asking that you please, deny her parole today, and hopefully in the future, but specifically today,” he said, adding that he plans to attend each parole hearing to make sure Michael and Alex aren’t forgotten.
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