In 1994, Susan Smith committed an unimaginable crime.

If the name Susan Smith sounds familiar, cast your mind back 30 years.

In October 1994, then-23-year-old Smith called the police in a panic, claiming an African American man had carjacked her vehicle with her two young sons, Michael and Alexander, still inside.

For nine agonising days, her tearful pleas on national television stirred sympathy and mobilised entire communities to search for the missing boys.

But the mother-of-two's story quickly unravelled into one of the most chilling confessions in American criminal history.

Her boys weren't missing at all. They were dead — at the hands of Susan herself.

Three decades on, the 53-year-old is back in the public eye after applying for parole. So where is Susan Smith now?

Watch: Joe Ahrens remembers key detail to solve mother's murder. Post continues after video.

What did Susan Smith do? 

On October 25, 1994, Susan Smith put her two little boys, Michael and Alexander Smith, in their car seats and drove to the edge of John D. Long Lake in Union Country, South Carolina. She released the handbrake and allowed the vehicle to submerge while Michael, three, and Alex, 14 months, were still strapped into their seats.

Initially, Smith claimed her car had been stolen and her children kidnapped. However, inconsistencies in her story — such as her claim that the abduction occurred at a traffic light that remained green — led investigators to doubt her claims.

Nine days later, under intense questioning, Susan confessed to the murders.

Her motive, it seemed, was tied to a romantic relationship she'd been engaged in coming to an end. Prior to the murders, a local wealthy man named Tom Findlay reportedly sent Susan a letter ending their relationship and expressing he did not want children.

Susan Smith's trial and sentencing.

The trial captivated the nation in 1995. The jury found her guilty of two counts of murder, sentencing Susan to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.

The defense argued that Smith suffered from mental health issues, including depression and a history of sexual abuse, which they claimed impaired her judgment. Susan's father took his own life when she was six years old, and Smith herself made a suicide attempt when she was 13.

Her mother then married Beverly C. Russell Jr. who allegedly molested Susan when she was a teenager. The prosecution, however, painted her as a manipulative individual who committed an unthinkable act for selfish reasons.

Susan is currently serving her sentence at Leath Correctional Institution in South Carolina.

While behind bars, in 2015, Smith sent a letter to The State newspaper in South Carolina, claiming that "something went very wrong" on the night of the murders.

"I was not myself. I was a good mother and I loved my boys... There was no motive as it was not even a planned event. I was not in my right mind… I am not the monster society thinks I am."

Susan Smith's life in prison.

During her time in prison, Susan's behaviour has been far from exemplary.

Over the years, she has accrued multiple infractions, including drug possession and inappropriate relationships with prison guards. Two staff members were convicted of misconduct related to these incidents.

Additionally, Susan reportedly struggled with self-harm and behavioural issues early in her sentence. In recent years, however, she has claimed to have found faith and turned her life around.

But critics argue that her troubled history in prison casts doubt on her ability to reintegrate into society.

Where is Susan Smith now?

Susan Smith appeared before the parole board on November 20, 2024, marking her first opportunity to seek release after 30 years. Parole boards in South Carolina approve only about six per cent of applications — and Susan's wasn't one of them.

Her request was denied, with the board citing the gravity of her crime and the enduring pain felt by those affected. The board's decision ensures that she will remain behind bars for at least another two years before she can apply again.

During the hearing, Smith reportedly expressed remorse, saying she lives with regret every day.

"I want to say how very sorry I am," she told the parole board.

"I know that what I did was horrible, and I would give anything if I could go back and change it. I loved Michael and Alex with all my heart.

"I didn't lie to get away with it, I was just scared. I didn't know how to tell the people that loved them that they would never see them again.

"I am a Christian, and God is a big part of my life. I know he has forgiven me. I just ask that you show that same kind of mercy as well."

Many, however, questioned the sincerity of her statements, given her prison record and the nature of her crime. In particular, Smith's ex husband David Smith has vehemently opposed her release.

What has Susan Smith's ex-husband said?

David Smith has been vocal in his criticism for his ex-wife. He has consistently argued that Smith's actions were premeditated and that her punishment should reflect the severity of her crime.

David's testimony during the parole hearing played a significant role in shaping the outcome.

"I never have felt any remorse from her, she's never expressed any to me," he said. "She came pretty close to causing me to end my life, because of the grief that she brought upon me.

"Ultimately to me, [she's served] only 15 years per child, her own children, that's just not enough."

During a press conference after the hearing, David said he will oppose Smith's second parole attempt in two years.

"At least I know that, for now, she'll be behind bars," he said.

Michael and Alexander Smith were laid to rest in a small cemetery in Union, South Carolina. Their graves have become a symbol of the innocence lost in this tragedy.

Over the years, David Smith and other family members have worked to keep their memory alive through acts of remembrance and advocacy. For David, the gravesite serves as a place of reflection and a reminder of the need for justice.

"They were funny, loving little boys and had a lot of life left to live," David said, as per wyf44.

Knowing that people still remember them 30 years later, he says, "warms my heart".

Feature Image: Getty.