Susan Leigh Smith was convicted of harming her two children, which greatly affected her financial position and net worth. The convict fabricated a story about the incident, which gained international attention.
The 53-year-old had a rough childhood as her father, Harry, lost his life to self-harm when she was six. Smith had a complicated relationship with her parents as they struggled to make ends meet.
Her mother, Linda, was a homemaker, and her father was a firefighter who later worked in one of the textile mills surrounding Union. The neighborhood had low-income houses, as records showed an annual household income of $18,790.
Despite the challenges, Smith was an excellent student and participated in Math, Spanish, and Red Cross Clubs. She also volunteered at the Union’s annual Special Olympics, Junior Civitan Club, and Wallace Thompson Hospital Union.
Further, she started working at a local retail store during her senior year in high school. Years later, she started working as a cashier, earned a promotion to head cashier, and eventually became a bookkeeper.
During her job at the Winn-Dixie, she became close to David Smith and married him after being pregnant with his child.
The first year of their marriage was healthy as David earned about $22,000, and Susan Smith earned $17,000 yearly, making a reasonably good net worth.
However, David revealed that Smith focused on worldly things and often demanded loans from her mother. This was one reason for their failed relationship and crimes in the following years.
Court sentenced Susan Smith to life in prison at the correction center in South Carolina!
On October 25, 1994, Smith reported to police that she had been the victim of carjacking by a black man while driving with her sons, Michael and Alexander. She claimed that the man had planned the incident.
Moreover, she made public pleas for nine days on TV before confessing to her actions. Investigations revealed that Smith had rolled her car into John D. Long Lake while her children were strapped to their seats.
During the briefing, Smith mentioned that she didn’t plan the crime and acted on instinct. The convict stated that she was struggling with her marriage and wasn’t in the right state of mind.
Previously, the convict endured abuse from parental figures during her teen years. Smith detailed that her stepfather would touch her inappropriately daily while she slept in her room.
Smith had reported his actions to his mother, and the family attended family therapy at the South Carolina Department of Social Service. Bev moved out of the house soon after, but revelations later showed that the abuse never stopped.
Meanwhile, the investigations revealed that Smith had a hard time committing to relationships due to her childhood trauma. She had relationships with older co-workers and became depressed with each breakup.
Additionally, Smith tried taking her life by overdosing on aspirin and Tylenol. When her husband learned about her affair, she decided that harming her children was the ultimate way out of the mess.
Even after her detention, the convict had been punished for physical interaction with jail guards and possession of illegal substances. Such actions led to her denial of her parole, scheduled for November 20, 2024.
Additional Information
- Creators have adapted Susan Smith’s story into episodes of Arrested Development, Law and Order, South Park, Freedomland, and A Weak Link. Due to the wide recognition of her case, her mugshots appear in the intro of Criminal Minds.
- During the investigation, the defense psychiatrist diagnosed Susan Smith with dependent personality disorder and major depression.
