Nearly 30 years after his ex-wife Susan Smith drowned their two sons in 1994, David Smith is opening up about his feelings towards the convicted murderer. Susan, who is serving a life sentence for the killings, will be eligible for parole in November 2024, prompting David to reflect on whether he has found it within himself to forgive her.
In an exclusive interview with Court TV that aired on September 13, David revealed that while he has forgiven Susan, the pain of losing their sons, Michael and Alex, remains as intense as ever. “Yes, I have forgiven her but again that goes to my faith in God and that’s the way I was raised. That we have to forgive,” David explained to Court TV anchor Julie Grant. “But it sure doesn’t take away the act of what she did. It doesn’t make it any less, it doesn’t make it any easier. But I have forgiven her for what she did.”
Susan Smith was convicted in 1995 on two counts of murder for the deaths of Michael, then 3 years old, and Alex, who was just 14 months old. She has been incarcerated at Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood, South Carolina, ever since. On November 4, 2024, she will be eligible for parole for the first time, raising the possibility that she could come face-to-face with David.
Reflecting on this potential meeting, David expressed the emotional turmoil it might bring. “I would just tell her that you have no idea of how much damage you have done to so many people,” he said. “I would tell her that in my capabilities I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you stay behind bars.”
The horrific murders occurred on October 25, 1994, when 23-year-old Susan falsely claimed to police that her car had been hijacked by a Black man with her two sons still inside. For nine days, she made tearful pleas on national television for their safe return, but her story soon unraveled. Susan eventually confessed that there had been no carjacking; she had let her car roll into a lake with her children still strapped inside. Authorities later revealed that Susan was seeing a man who didn’t want children, a motive behind the tragic crime.
Susan has had several disciplinary issues in prison, including incidents of self-mutilation and drug use. In a 2015 letter to a South Carolina newspaper, she defended herself, writing, “Mr. Cahill, I am not the monster society thinks I am. I am far from it.”
As Susan’s parole hearing approaches, the world is left to wonder whether the justice system will grant her freedom or if she will remain behind bars for the crimes that have haunted David and so many others for decades.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.