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Susan Smith Seeks Freedom Again After Drowning Sons
23 Apr
Summary
- Susan Smith, convicted of drowning her two sons in 1994, is again seeking parole.
- Her previous parole request in 2024 was unanimously denied by the board.
- A new parole hearing is scheduled for November 19, 2026.

Susan Smith, incarcerated for life after drowning her two young sons in 1994, is making another bid for freedom. She has applied for parole for a second time, with officials confirming the request. Her initial parole hearing occurred in 2024, but the South Carolina Probation and Parole Board unanimously denied her release.
Smith, now 54, was convicted in 1995 for the deaths of her sons, Michael, 3, and Alex, 14 months. She had claimed a carjacking, but later confessed to drowning them by rolling her car into a lake. Her ex-husband, David Smith, opposes her parole, stating she should die in prison.
A parole hearing is slated for November 19, 2026. Should her application be unsuccessful, Smith will be eligible to apply again in 2028. During her 2024 hearing, she expressed deep remorse for her actions. Her attorney cited untreated mental illness stemming from childhood trauma as a factor in her crimes.