In 1994, Susan Smith claimed that her two young sons had been kidnapped during a carjacking in Union County, South Carolina the story became national news. A nine-day search took place before it was discovered that Smith had made up the story about the kidnapping and had drowned her children by driving her car into a lake with them inside. This sad case has been revisited in the media several times ever since.
The case was recently examined in Dateline’s episode Return to the Lake, which was aired on February 14, 2025. In this special two-hour show, NBC News’ Craig Melvin offers an intimate examination of the circumstances leading up to the crime, complete with exclusive interviews and fresh insights. The program features interviews with Susan Smith’s former husband, David Smith, who speaks about her recent parole hearing and reflects on how the tragedy has affected him.
Additionally, the broadcast presents rarely heard interrogation audio from the initial investigation, offering viewers a comprehensive understanding of the case.
Who is Susan Smith? What Led Her to Kill Her Own Children?
Susan Leigh Smith, the daughter of Linda and Harry Vaughan was born on September 26, 1971, in Union, South Carolina. She had a rather tough start in life. At six years of age, Susan’s father took his own life and it was her early life traumatic experience that changed her family’s dynamics. Her mother later married Beverly Russell, a businessman who was connected with South Carolina’s Republican Party and the Christian Coalition. Susan went through and suffered sexual abuse by her stepfather during her teenage years, which impacted her psychological condition.
In 1989 after leaving high school, the troubled Susan tried to kill herself as a result of a connection with a man who was married. Later in the same year, she married David Smith, and they had a baby, the first being Michael Daniel Smith in 1991 and they had a second baby Alexander Tyler Smith in 1993. Their relationship was tough, both of them were cheating on each other and were also facing financial difficulties.
These events predated the incident of October 1994 when Susan Smith reported that her car had been hijacked by a stranger with her children on board. This was later found to be false and led to her being convicted of murdering her two sons by drowning.
The Susan Smith case was given extensive media attention, largely due to the nature of the offense and the constructed carjacking explanation. Her behavior and the information uncovered about her past have continued to be scrutinized and debated by the public.
Story Behind Susan Smith’s Crimes
According to NBC News, Susan Smith claimed in October 1994 that her two young sons, Michael and Alexander, had been kidnapped while their mother was carjacked in Union, South Carolina. She stated an African American male had stolen her car with the children inside, prompting a national search and intense media coverage. Smith held this lie for nine days, publicly appealing for her son’s safe return. Inconsistencies in her story caused police to investigate her claim.
In the end, Smith admitted to driving her vehicle into John D. Long Lake, where her sons were buckled in their car seats, and drowning them. Her reason was apparently due to a romantic relationship with a man who did not wish to have children, and seeing her sons as a hindrance to this relationship. At her trial in 1995, the defense stated that Smith was afflicted with acute depression and emotional distress, which affected her judgment.
Despite these assertions, she was found guilty on two counts of murder and given a life sentence with the option for parole after 30 years. The case attracted widespread attention, not just because of the sad loss of the children, but also because of Smith’s original false claims, which added fuel to racial tensions and emphasized mental health and maternal filicide issues.
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Source: NBC News
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