Mr. Television
07-22-2015, 05:58 PM
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/serving-life-sentence-for-drowning-her-boys-susan-smith-says-shes-no-monster/ar-AAdjVgn?ocid=iehp
Serving life sentence for drowning her boys, Susan Smith says she's no 'monster'
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Susan Smith, the Union, S.C., mother sentenced to life in prison after confessing to the murder of her two young boys 20 years ago, said she never planned to kill her children.
Smith reiterated in a letter she wrote to The State newspaper that she loved her boys. She said the deaths were unplanned, that she was distraught. She only lied about the boys being kidnapped because "I didn't know how to tell the people who loved Michael and Alex that they would never see them again."
So she said she planned to kill herself.
"I had planned to kill myself first and leave a note behind telling what had happened," Smith said in the letter to the newspaper. "I didn't believe I could face my family when the truth was revealed."
"I am not the monster society thinks I am. I am far from it," she wrote to reporter Harrison Cahill.
Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of Smith's conviction, for which she received a life sentence in the deaths of 14-month-old Alex Smith and 3-year-old Michael Smith.
In August 2014, The State submitted a letter to Smith asking if she would share her experiences of her trial and investigation for a 20th-anniversary article regarding the untold stories of the Susan Smith case, which was published in the newspaper in October.
Smith said she was unable to respond in time to tell her side because the letter "was sent to the SCDC Correspondence Review Committee and was not approved until Nov. 19, 2014."
"I imagine that was done on purpose," Smith said. "I wanted to let you know that I would have most likely responded to your letter because I have yet been able to speak on my behalf. It has been hard to listen to lie after lie and not be able to defend myself."
But now, 43-year-old Smith has shared some of her thoughts regarding the night she killed her children.
On Oct. 25, 1994, Smith told law enforcement she was stopped at a red light at an intersection on Main Street in the town of Union, when a black male forced her out of the car at gunpoint and drove off with her two small sons in the back.
"Something went very wrong that night. I was not myself," Smith said. "I was a good mother and I loved my boys (sic)."
Nine days after reporting to police that her sons were missing, Smith confessed to watching her 1990 Mazda Protege roll into John D. Long Lake with Alex and Michael strapped into the backseat.
"The only reason I lied is because I didn't know how to tell the people who loved Michael and Alex that they would never see them again," Smith said.
The nation had been riveted by Smith's story. Many were shocked by her confession. And her lie about a black man hijacking her car caused ripples of racial anger for decades.
Initial reports suggested that Smith killed her children after receiving a letter calling off the affair she was having with the son of the owner of the company where Smith worked as a secretary.
"The thing that hurts me the most is that people think I hurt my children in order to be with a man," Smith said. "That is so far from the truth."
On July 22, 1995, then-16th Circuit Solicitor Tommy Pope failed to convince the jury that Smith should receive the death penalty for killing her two children. Smith was sentenced to life in prison.
Smith signed the letter to The State, "Sincerely, Susan."
The State wrote a follow up letter to Smith in June after receiving her response in January. However she has not responded.
Serving life sentence for drowning her boys, Susan Smith says she's no 'monster'
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Susan Smith, the Union, S.C., mother sentenced to life in prison after confessing to the murder of her two young boys 20 years ago, said she never planned to kill her children.
Smith reiterated in a letter she wrote to The State newspaper that she loved her boys. She said the deaths were unplanned, that she was distraught. She only lied about the boys being kidnapped because "I didn't know how to tell the people who loved Michael and Alex that they would never see them again."
So she said she planned to kill herself.
"I had planned to kill myself first and leave a note behind telling what had happened," Smith said in the letter to the newspaper. "I didn't believe I could face my family when the truth was revealed."
"I am not the monster society thinks I am. I am far from it," she wrote to reporter Harrison Cahill.
Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of Smith's conviction, for which she received a life sentence in the deaths of 14-month-old Alex Smith and 3-year-old Michael Smith.
In August 2014, The State submitted a letter to Smith asking if she would share her experiences of her trial and investigation for a 20th-anniversary article regarding the untold stories of the Susan Smith case, which was published in the newspaper in October.
Smith said she was unable to respond in time to tell her side because the letter "was sent to the SCDC Correspondence Review Committee and was not approved until Nov. 19, 2014."
"I imagine that was done on purpose," Smith said. "I wanted to let you know that I would have most likely responded to your letter because I have yet been able to speak on my behalf. It has been hard to listen to lie after lie and not be able to defend myself."
But now, 43-year-old Smith has shared some of her thoughts regarding the night she killed her children.
On Oct. 25, 1994, Smith told law enforcement she was stopped at a red light at an intersection on Main Street in the town of Union, when a black male forced her out of the car at gunpoint and drove off with her two small sons in the back.
"Something went very wrong that night. I was not myself," Smith said. "I was a good mother and I loved my boys (sic)."
Nine days after reporting to police that her sons were missing, Smith confessed to watching her 1990 Mazda Protege roll into John D. Long Lake with Alex and Michael strapped into the backseat.
"The only reason I lied is because I didn't know how to tell the people who loved Michael and Alex that they would never see them again," Smith said.
The nation had been riveted by Smith's story. Many were shocked by her confession. And her lie about a black man hijacking her car caused ripples of racial anger for decades.
Initial reports suggested that Smith killed her children after receiving a letter calling off the affair she was having with the son of the owner of the company where Smith worked as a secretary.
"The thing that hurts me the most is that people think I hurt my children in order to be with a man," Smith said. "That is so far from the truth."
On July 22, 1995, then-16th Circuit Solicitor Tommy Pope failed to convince the jury that Smith should receive the death penalty for killing her two children. Smith was sentenced to life in prison.
Smith signed the letter to The State, "Sincerely, Susan."
The State wrote a follow up letter to Smith in June after receiving her response in January. However she has not responded.