COLUMBIA S.C. ( WSPA ) — A parole board denied on Wednesday a request for parole for Susan Smith, a South Carolina woman who in 1994 made national headlines after she rolled her car into a lake with her children, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander, strapped in their seats.
The parole board voted 5-0 against granting Smith parole. One board member recused themselves from the hearing to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. During Smith’s hearing, which lasted more than half an hour, the parole board heard from Smith, her lawyer, and two people who advocated for her release.
Smith made her case for freedom by video link from prison. When she began to speak, she started to say she was “very sorry,” then broke down in tears and bowed her head.
“I know what I did was horrible,” Smith said, pausing and then continuing with a wavering voice. “And I would give anything so I could change it.”
The parole board asked Smith about the law enforcement resources used to try to locate her children. In reply, she told the board she was “just scared” and “didn’t know how to tell them.”