A South Carolina woman who was found guilty of drowning her two young children three decades ago, in a highly publicized case that drew both sympathy and outrage, may get an opportunity for release.

Scheduled for her first parole hearing on Wednesday, Susan Smith made headlines when she drove her vehicle into a lake with her toddlers strapped in car seats, all to maintain an affair.

At a time when racial tensions were high and amid the ongoing O.J. Simpson murder trial, Smith initially claimed that a Black man carjacked her and abducted her children, Michael, age 3, and Alex, just 14 months old.

As police and volunteers searched for the boys, Smith appeared on national television pleading for their safe return. After nine days of searching, she admitted to murdering them, causing nationwide shock. It was later uncovered that Smith, who was 23 at the time, was separated from her spouse and was romantically involved with a wealthy man named Tom Findlay, who wished to end the relationship due to her responsibilities as a mother.

“It’s the ultimate betrayal,’’ stated Tommy Pope, the lead prosecutor at the time, in an interview with the Greenville News. “We think that maybe someone with a criminal background could commit such an act, but to imagine it coming from a mother is unfathomable.’’

Pope sought the death penalty for Smith, but in July 1995 she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. She recently became eligible for parole on November 4.

Pope, who is now the Republican Speaker Pro Tempore of the South Carolina House, along with Smith’s ex-husband, David Smith, plans to contest the parole request.

This opposition may hinder Susan Smith’s chances, which already are slim. In 2023, only 7% of parole requests were granted in South Carolina, a trend that has been declining over time, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

David Smith mentioned in September on Court TV that he would attend the parole hearing, which will occur remotely while Susan joins from the Leath Correctional Institute in Greenwood, South Carolina. He aims to address the board to make it clear that a mere 30-year sentence is an injustice to his children, Mike and Alex.

Tensions in the Black Community

The trial for Smith commenced in July 1995, coinciding with the O.J. Simpson trial and marking three years since the Los Angeles riots triggered by the acquittal of the white officers involved in the beating of Rodney King.

Reporter Gary Henderson, who covered the trial for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, noted that “the Black community was really on edge. There was a genuine fear that the White community might turn against them. It was a sensitive time.”

Pope recognized that Smith experienced significant difficulties in her life. However, he is convinced that her motives stemmed from her desire to keep her relationship with Findlay intact, often pondering what might have occurred if an innocent Black man had faced the consequences for her actions.

“If we had convicted the wrong person,” Pope stated, “everyone involved would carry the weight of knowing that an innocent man suffered because of our decisions.”

Smith’s Troubled Past and Prison Life

The trial brought to light Smith’s challenging upbringing, including the suicide of her father when she was young and years of abuse from her stepfather, Beverley Russel, a prominent figure in the Christian Coalition, who began molesting her when she was just 15. Smith herself has made multiple suicide attempts over the years.

As she attempts to secure the five votes she requires from the seven-member parole board for her release, Susan Smith comes with a troubling record as a prisoner.

In 2000, she faced discipline on two occasions for engaging in sexual relations with prison staff, and subsequently faced penalties for multiple instances of drug usage and self-harm. More recently, prison authorities reprimanded her for breaking rules by communicating with a filmmaker who allegedly compensated her for her participation.

“She appears to lack genuine remorse for the lives she affected,’’ stated Pope. “I believe she should continue serving her full sentence.”