Findlay painted a picture of Susan Smith as a good friend and caring mother who was also suicidal and unstable. After Susan Smith and her ex-husband David separated for the final time around 1994, the young woman soon entered what in the beginning was a consensual relationship with a man named Tom. But in the end, Susan Smith chose murder. Her sentence was thirty years to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after the thirty years are up. When Susan Smith's story was first broadcast to the public she appeared to be a distraught mother desperate for the return of her two children. Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma/Getty ImagesThe funeral of Susan Smiths kids, Michael and Alexander. who has been on the run for 47 years, was convicted of killing 14-year-old Mary Ellen Deener in 1966. "The company realizes that what happens has to be played out in the courts and that it does not have anything to do with Conso or its business," Cooney said. [.] Murder of Susan Smith. UNION, S.C., July 25 -- A sobbing Susan Smith apologized Tuesday to her ex-husband for killing their children after he twice broke down in tears while testifying in the sentencing phase of her. The ex-husband of convicted child-killer SusanSmith has remarried and has two new children.David Smith appeared on C-N-N's "Larry King Live," last night. Leaving them strapped into their car seats, she drove her car into John D. Long Lake, where they drowned to death. Her sentence? He sent her a lot of money.. Susan was found guilty of killing Michael, 3, and Alexander, 14 months, and sentenced to life in prison. TOM FINDLAY'S TESTIMONY: So what has Susan Smith's life been like for well over two decades? Findlay, who The New York Times described at the time of Smith's trial as "the son of a rich industrialist," was indeed connected to the place Smith herself worked. Doctors diagnosed her with an adjustment disorder and blamed her behavior on stress. Jurors in Susan Smith's murder trial heard the words written by an ex-boyfriend that prosecutors say drove the young mother to kill her two sons: ``I just don't want children.'' In a letter to Smith written a week before 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex were drowned in a lake, Tom Findlay described her as ``intelligent, beautiful, sensitive, understanding.'' A death sentence means a choice of electrocution or injection. Smith and Findley had been dating for a few months after her separation from her . Putnam was the first FBI agent to be charged in a homicide. Inside the car with the bodies of Mrs. Smith's sons -- Michael, 3 years old, and Alex, 14 months -- was a letter from the man she loved telling her that their relationship would never work, in part because of her children. He also said he didnt anticipate the woman being freed anytime soon. Starting at a very early age, Susan Smith suffered unspeakable tragedy. He swore to never do it again and agreed to family therapy, but then kept abusing Susan who revealed as much in February 1988. Tom had caught Smith in a hot tub while making out with someone elses husband at a party. What Is Chris Watts Life in Prison Like? Susan Smith's most intense extramarital affair was with a newfound employee at Conso Products in 1993. Susan D Smith, 44. Dr. Rekers explores the facts and offers fascinating psychological explanations to help the public . Per People, this included "self-mutilation and the use and possession of narcotics or marijuana," and as a result, each infraction cost her "loss of privileges, including loss of visitation, canteen and telephone privileges." ``And yet we love Susan, too. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Susan Smith falsely accused a black man of carjacking her children in 1994 Andrew Smith, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. He also believed his mother-in-law was controlling both over his wife and the newborn child. Unless all 12 jurors vote for a death sentence, Ms. Smith, 23, will receive life in prison. The married man, likely worried about his mistress getting pregnant again and being told he was the father, ended their affair. While he was on the stand, jurors heard two intimate letters, one Smith wrote to Findlay and one he wrote in return. Yet, like many institutions in this close-knit town, Conso is deeply intertwined with the people of the community, who cross paths at work, at church and at their children's Saturday morning baseball games. In this (thankfully) small pool, there are still those that stand out in the minds of the public and perhaps one of the most well-known in the U.S. is convicted murderer Susan Smith, who, per A&E, was found guilty in 1995 for intentionally killing both of her sons. She gained the . Susan Smith: 20 Years Later. Today Susan Smith is incarcerated at Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood, South Carolina. In regard to Cary Findlay giving up his job titles, he said S. Duane Southerland was hired as chief executive so Cary Findlay could spend more time on strategic planning. [2] Findley had reportedly ended their romance just days before Smith committed the crimes. In an attempt to get a quick confession, police confronted Smith and accused her of being involved in the disappearance of Michael and Alex. Lead prosecutor Thomas Pope painted a very different picture. Her behavior behind bars has only made her more infamous, as shes been caught smoking marijuana and sleeping with a correctional officer. Findlay, 28, short and balding with a pleasant face, has been the shadowy figure at the center of the Susan Smith mystery. When the murders occurred, Smiththen married to a man named David Smithwas involved in an extramarital relationship with a wealthy man who reportedly didnt want kids. While juggling multiple lovers Smith became pregnant and got an abortion. Susan said she wasnt happy about her mother receiving all the male attention. In the decades since her conviction, Smith has said she regrets her crimes. However, Susan Smith had been followed by troubles from a very young age. Snort, booty bump, swallow, shoot. A nation watches horrified as the grieving mother makes emotional pleas on television for the safe return of her two small boys, three-year old Michael, and 14-month old Alex. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. A look at the notorious convicted murderer's life in prison after she drowned her two sons in 1994 By Steve Helling Updated on November 15, 2022 10:05 AM On October 25, 1994, Susan Smith told. susan smith child killer prison photos 1 Twisted baby killer Susan Smith has gotten a glam makeover from her jailbird squad! Although the high-pressure jobs have contributed to the breakup of some marriages, they are considered among the best in Union. UNION, S.C. (AP) _ Years after admitting he molested his stepdaughter Susan Smith when she was 16, Beverly Russell testified that they had consensual sex two months before she drowned her sons. The man she wrote about was a graphic artist named Tom Findlay, who enthralled the court with details of a stormy relationship that came to a head on October 25, 1994. . Back in the 1990s, Susan Smith claimed a Black man kidnapped her sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander. romance just days before Smith committed the crimes. A questionnaire asked potential jurors whether they had ever worked at Conso or had a financial stake in it. And we know in her right mind she would never have hurt those kids., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 1000s of new photos added daily. All the conspiracies about this financier, 'Dateline': The insane story behind the Chris Smith murder. She told the police, the media, and her family a lie, that her vehicle had been carjacked by a black man who drove away with her sons still inside. Tom was her bosss son, and rather rich. ``When the line was crossed, I failed you, Linda, God and the rest of my family, Russell read from the letter. I was not myself," she continued. Susan Smith - Victim or Murderer tells the story of the crime that has captured the interest of the American people. Until front-office secretary Susan Smith killed her two sons, Conso Products Co. hummed quietly along, rolling out decorative trimmings for chairs, sofas and drapes. The police became suspicious of the inconsistencies in Smiths story, and facts that didnt line up. The reason? However, support would soon turn to . Excerpts from a letter Susan Smith wrote to Tom Findlay on Oct. 17, and his reply, written the same day and given to her Oct. 18. Following the jury's decision, David Smith, expressed his disappointment with the sentence. On October 17, 1994, just days before Susan and Davids divorce papers were filed, Tom Findlay sent a Dear John letter to Susan. Tom Begaye Jr. left the 11-year-old child to die in the desert after "repeatedly hitting her on the head and face with a tire iron." . He is the elusive ex-lover who told Smith he couldnt continue their relationship because of her children, the man whose Auburn University sweatshirt Smith was wearing the night her children were killed, the man the prosecution says is the motive for Susan Smiths crime. America's original most-hated mom Susan Smith was found in a pool of blood in her prison cell after she slashed her wrists during one of her bizarre cutting rituals, according to reports. He claimed Smith was a murderous manipulator who killed her children to regain Findlays affections. At home, however, he was molesting his 15-year-old stepdaughter, fondling her breasts and genitals. After being found guilty for the murder of her sons, convicted killer Susan Smith was sent to prison. She was a leader in her school's Civitan Club, which was for volunteering to help around the community, and in her senior yearbook she was titled "friendliest female". Smiths defense attorney David Bruck argued that her actions were rooted in mental illness spurred by the suicide of her father, sexual abuses, and emotional rejections. Susan Smith (born Susan Vaughan) led a troubled childhood, though nobody at her high school would have noticed. The prosecution introduced the letter and Mr. Findlay's testimony to portray Mrs. Smith as selfish and malicious, a woman prepared to trade the lives of her children for a chance to reclaim him. I will always treasure our friendship and all of the many wonderful memories we have made. The man she wrote about was a graphic artist named Tom Findlay, who enthralled the court with details of a stormy relationship that came to a head on October 25, 1994. David Smith describes his marriage with convicted murderer Susan, his coming to terms with the tragedy that cost him his two young sons, and the painful healing process of putting his life back together. A car matching the description of Susans Mazda was spotted in North Carolina, but it was not her car. They mentioned that her children had become a major handicap in Susans choice to get what she wants. Linda confronted her husband about it. From the moment Susan reported her kids missing, a nationwide search began for her car. Everything came to a head on October 5, 1994, when Smith took her sons out for a ride on a South Carolina night. Soon, doubts about Susan Smiths sincerity grew rapidly. And because of this, Smith has become one of the more divisive and reviled criminals in the pantheon of American true crime, her name a sort of short-hand for the dark, obsessive lengths anyone will go to get what they think they want. 2. Thomas S. England/Getty ImagesDavid Smith Sr. mourning his grandsons at John D. Long Lake. Browse from a variety of styles, sets, and sizes of women's wear for every fit and occasion. Susan Smith, 43, was convicted in 1995 of murdering 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex by strapping them into their car seats in her burgundy Mazda and then letting her car roll into a lake . Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. Susan Smith had two of her own intimate relationships starting in the summer of 1998. For nine days, she made tearful pleas for their safe return. If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org for additional resources. All Filters. Hours later, she called emergency services, frantic, and alleged that an unknown Black man had kidnapped three-year-old Michael and Alex, who had only celebrated his first birthday two months prior. Prosecutors say she killed her sons to remove an obstacle to a love affair with her wealthy boss son. But their own family would prove to be an unhappy one as well. He had her removed from the office. Susan Smith (born Susan Vaughan) led a troubled childhood, though nobody at her high school would have noticed. "I was a good mother and I loved my boys. He said they had sex. But she changed her mind, and began driving aimlessly. Some think Smith hoped to land one of them. Susan rarely had a stable home life growing up. During Smiths murder trial, her stepfather, Beverly Russell, testified that he and Smith had a consensual sexual relationship two months before she drowned her sons. It comes with the possibility of parole one that she'll be eligible for in 2024, per the New York Post. This is what prompted Susan Smith to drown her own children. The case attracted international attention because of her false claim that a black man had kidnapped her sons during a carjacking, but instead Susan Smith and her children, Alex and Michael. Susan Smith murdered her young sons in 1994. I was not in my right mind.. She met him on the internet. It has been hard to listen to lie after lie and not be able to defend myself, the letter read. Her motive: She was secretly dating a man who didn't want children. As the murder trial of Susan Smith begins this week in Union, Judge William L. Howard Jr., who is barring all cameras from the courtroom, has indicated that the proceedings will not come to. But the rich, handsome 27-years-old broke things off with her in October writing Smith a letter clarifying he wasnt ready for a relationship involving kids. Mayor Jane Castors partner vowed not to lobby the city. The jury has heard embarrassing testimony about Smith's affair with co-worker Tom Findlay and her claim _ which she later recanted _ that she slept with J. Cary Findlay, Tom Findlay's father and Conso's chairman. "Union is a small town, and Conso employs a lot of people in that small town. Susan Sarandon has seemed like a mature star for decades, but when she first got her start, back in 1970, her first role called for her to lie naked in a bathtub in "Joe." "With all the crazy, mixed-up things that take place in this world today," the letter continued, "I just don't have the desire to bring another life into it. Findlay was one of nine witnesses Wednesday, the second day of testimony in a trial to decide whether Susan Smith lives or dies. Under cross-examination by Pope, Russell acknowledged that consensual sexual relations with Ms. Smith resumed after she became a married mother. In 2000, an imprisoned Smith became embroiled in controversy again after allegedly having sex with a prison guard named Houston Cagle. For nine days, she stuck to the story that a black carjacker abducted the children on a dark, desolate stretch of country road. However, after a nine-day . Susan J. Javed Iqbal, a Pakistani serial killer who killed exactly 100 young boys, ranging from age 6 to 16. The defense also profited from an unexpected disclosure during Mr. Findlay's testimony. The funeral of Susan Smiths kids, Michael and Alexander. But in 1994, she destroyed her own family when she murdered her children. Distraught, Smith got her children into her car and began to drive toward her mothers house. All rights reserved Bugged Space 2019-2022, Susan Smith and Tom Findlay; the boyfriend, Meet Andrea Yates; The Mother Who Murdered Her Children By Drowning Them One-By-One in The Bathtub, Man beats wife to death in front of kids, send a pic of the corpse. According to aTIME, Smith attempted suicide when she was 13, though her mother and Smith's stepfather "refused" to hospitalize her. While the crime itself was unspeakable as is, the aftermath of the murders of Smith's children, three-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex, created an almost unprecedented media frenzy at the time, a good part of it perpetrated by Smith herself. I've seen her do it all," Smith says, before adding, "My main purpose was to bring her her pills.". Christie Smith claims that while at Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood County, South Carolina, she witnessed Susans drug habit first hand. The motive behind Susan Smiths murdering her children was indeed a shocking one. As the car was removed from the lake, the bodies of two children remained in their car seats, grossly deformed from being underwater too long. After getting to the location, divers found the car 122 feet from the shore upside down under 18 feet of water. The Disturbing Story Of Susan Smith, The Woman Who Drowned Her Children In A Lake. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds. Print length 304 pages Language English Publisher Authors Book Nook Publication date January 1, 2000 Dimensions What Made a Mother Kill Her Young Son by Dropping Him Off a Bridge? Per NBC, their marriage was marred by periods of separation, which ended in a final, though unofficial, split and laid the groundwork for what was to come. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. She told her mother and Social Services what was being done to her. In addition to Findlay, several other Conso Products employees testified. She claimed it wasnt her lovers demands that prompted the violent acts, writing: The thing that hurts me the most is that people think that I hurt my children in order to be with a man. 'I took David's threats seriously.' Investigators testified Wednesday. On October 25, 1994, a mother would commit an unspeakable act. He hadnt. Susan Smith Trial: 1995 . Susan said that there were no cars in the intersection when the black man came and took her car away, but that light would only turn red for the direction she was traveling if there was cross traffic.. There was no motive, as it was not even a planned event. The last time was in August, he said, two months before she drowned her only children. It drew countless visitors who wanted to take pictures or leave flowers for the boys, and in 1996, its grim reputation darkened even more when seven people (including four kids) drowned there, after stopping to look at the two kids memorials. Start your free 7-day trial. In her letter to The State, she wrote, I am not the monster society thinks I am, I am far from it., Something went very wrong that night. 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