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YouTube2Text → Transcripts → 1994-1995: Susan Smith, the "BLACK CARJACKER" Hoax, and the Media Circus (Raw Footage)

1994-1995: Susan Smith, the "BLACK CARJACKER" Hoax, and the Media Circus (Raw Footage) — Transcript

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0:09a mazda protege what color was it
0:12a burgundy mazda
0:15get him protege pam i got two kids okay
0:19that's a black guy she said
0:21okay
0:22blackmail yes ma'am you know which way
0:25did do you know which way he went
0:27daddy after she knows what he
0:33[Music]
0:42looks going towards chester did he have
0:45a gun or a weapon
0:46had a gun
0:49he's got a gun got a gun yes ma'am
0:54hello okay okay i'm on the way
1:02do you need us to tell you anything from
1:04our yard or anything
1:06okay can you get a tank number out here
1:13it's hard to keep i mean have hope i
1:15mean
1:16after this long time i just
1:21i just don't feel like i just
1:24it's just been so long and i think if
1:25they were okay then they would have been
1:27found by now but
1:30the hardest part is just not knowing
1:32i mean you know and
1:34my heart just aches and i miss them so
1:37much i just can't express it and
1:41and it's just a tragedy
1:43and i just pray and pray and pray that
1:46they'll come home safe
1:49[Music]
1:56[Music]
2:12[Music]
2:21[Music]
2:28[Music]
2:30so
2:32[Music]
2:33[Applause]
2:41[Music]
2:59[Music]
3:20don't you think that's the one place we
3:21wouldn't see us location yes ma'am okay
3:24there's a lady you come up outdoors
3:27and uh she some guy jumped into a red
3:29light with her car with her two kids in
3:31it and he took off and she got out of
3:33the car here at ohio the call came from
3:36a house along lockhart highway in rural
3:38union county near the entrance to john d
3:41long lake
3:42and he's got the kids yes ma'am and her
3:44car i don't if she's real hysterical and
3:46i just decided i need to call get him
3:48down here the woman was susan smith
3:51who'd gone to the nearest house after
3:53she said she'd fled the man who took her
3:55car and children in the direction of
3:57chester south carolina
4:04[Music]
4:06what color was it
4:08a burgundy monster protege
4:11get them going pam i got two
4:13the dispatcher sent out two cars one to
4:16the house and another down the highway
4:18in pursuit of the car
4:19union 105
4:22105 go ahead
4:24i said it was a black male driving a
4:26burgundy protege
4:28affirmative one at times
4:31and he had two juveniles with him
4:34one at five from what i understood these
4:35were small children
4:37these are her children and she jumped
4:39out of the car and he took the car with
4:41the children and he's headed toward
4:42chester i'll get back then the sheriff
4:45howard wells heard about the call and
4:47quickly got a fix on the urgency of the
4:49case before him union 100 100 go ahead
4:53the victim and the suspect in this call
4:56the same family 100 from what i gathered
4:59by the call they are not this is a
5:01stranger that had jumped in the lady's
5:04car at a red light and she jumped out
5:10[Music]
5:16[Applause]
5:23we are in phoenix this morning but
5:25across the country from here the
5:26kidnapping of two little boys
5:28three-year-old michael smith and his 14
5:30month old brother alex has gripped the
5:32town of union south carolina from the
5:35beginning on october 25th their mother
5:37susan has maintained that she was the
5:40victim of a carjack that her sons were
5:42caught in the middle right now we want
5:44to go to union to get the story
5:46firsthand from susan smith and her
5:48husband david
5:49susan how are you doing this morning
5:52uh doing okay
5:54very little sleep last night but i'm
5:56okay
5:57there was uh some news yesterday and and
5:59some promising leads uh
6:01in this case
6:02uh how are you coping with the
6:05disappointment of the news from
6:06yesterday
6:08it was
6:09i was running around my house yesterday
6:11morning all excited i really thought
6:13that they had had really found something
6:16that
6:17was i really thought they found one of
6:19my children and
6:21when i got to the courthouse and found
6:22out that the lead had
6:25disintegrated or there was nothing there
6:27i was very devastated very disappointed
6:31got my hopes up and was let down but i
6:34haven't given up
6:35hope i
6:37you know that was
6:39maybe one of many disappointments but
6:41maybe that's gonna
6:45be
6:45be right
6:47david
6:49where do you think your children are
6:51i have no idea
6:56do you hold out hope that they're still
6:58alive
6:59yes we both do very strongly
7:04this is going to be a little bit
7:06difficult to talk about but even folks
7:08in in union
7:11wonder about the both of you they wonder
7:13if
7:14all of the truth of this story has been
7:16told susan what do you say to that
7:19um i say that the
7:21the uh on behalf on my behalf the truth
7:24has been told
7:26i know right here what the truth is
7:29i can i can
7:32from some i can see from their side
7:35why they have to do the things they have
7:37to do
7:39but the lord and and myself both know
7:42the truth i did not have anything to do
7:45with the abduction of my children
7:49i don't think any parent could love
7:50their children any more than i do and i
7:51would i'd never even think about ever
7:54doing anything that would harm them
7:56and yes go ahead i'm sorry go ahead
7:59susan
8:00i was just going to say it's very
8:02painful to to
8:04have the finger pointing at you
8:06when it's your children involved
8:09david this is as equally a difficult
8:11question are you are you satisfied that
8:14that's true
8:16but what's true
8:18that uh susan has has told everything
8:20she knows
8:22yes
8:23i believe my wife totally
8:28susan we're led to believe that
8:30investigators spent quite a bit of time
8:31at uh at your place yesterday is that
8:34true
8:35yes sir
8:36and what do you think they were looking
8:38for
8:39i have no idea i granted them permission
8:42to search my house under the impression
8:44that was one of the normalities of
8:47the investigation
8:50as far as what they were looking for
8:51what they took i have no knowledge of
8:53that
8:55david the question that that arises and
8:58people who have been following this so
8:59closely and and certainly you have to
9:01know how much emotion that this is has
9:03generated across the country is why
9:06someone who
9:07would uh be interested in in in
9:10carjacking or stealing a car would want
9:12to continue to to take a couple of
9:15little kids with them have you been able
9:17to fathom that or
9:19or could you think of why someone would
9:20want to kidnap a couple of little kids
9:22and unless there was some ransom or
9:24something involved
9:28no i have no idea why
9:31the suspect has why he even took the
9:33children and why he has not released him
9:36yet we have no knowledge whatsoever
9:39susan what do you think
9:41um
9:42i think it takes a very sick and
9:44emotionally unstable person
9:47to be able to
9:49to take two beautiful children like that
9:51to be able to keep them from their
9:53parents to keep them from where they do
9:55belong
9:58i i don't i can't imagine why anybody
10:01would want to do such any do such a
10:04thing as as what has happened
10:06david what message do you have for folks
10:08around the country who are watching
10:10watching right now
10:13that
10:14that the american people
10:16that this nation that they don't give up
10:19on michael and alex that they continue
10:21to search
10:22for the vehicle
10:24for the children or for the suspect
10:26himself and that they
10:27that they keep
10:29our family me and my wife and our family
10:31but especially michael and alex in their
10:33prayers
10:34and keep searching
10:36until they are found
10:38david and susan we thank you so much for
10:40your time this morning
10:42you're very welcome
10:44paula
10:45it is just about 16 minutes after the
10:47hourglass okay how are you this morning
10:53pretty good thank you
10:56thank you too yeah you're welcome
11:05doing okay
11:06very little sleep last night but i'm
11:08okay
11:13um it was um
11:15i was running around my house yesterday
11:17morning all excited i really thought
11:19that they had uh had really found
11:21something that
11:23was i really thought they found one of
11:24my children and
11:27when i got to the courthouse and found
11:28out that the lead had
11:31disintegrated or when there was nothing
11:32there i was very devastated very
11:34disappointed
11:36got my hopes up and was let down but
11:39i haven't given up
11:41hope i
11:42you know that was
11:44maybe one of many disappointments but
11:47maybe the next gonna
11:50be
11:51be right
11:57i have no idea
12:01yes we both do very strongly
12:07um i say that the
12:10uh on behalf on my behalf the truth has
12:12been told
12:14i know right here what the truth is um
12:18i can i can
12:20from some i can see from their side why
12:24they have to do the things they have to
12:25do
12:28but the lord and
12:29and myself both know the truth i did not
12:32have anything to do
12:34with the abduction of my children
12:37i don't think any parent can load their
12:39children any more than i do and i would
12:40i'd never even think about ever doing
12:42anything that would harm them
12:45and i guess
12:46go ahead
12:49i was just going to say it's very
12:50painful to to
12:52have the finger pointing to you
12:54when it's your children involved
12:59but what's true
13:05yes
13:06i believed my wife totally
13:09[Music]
13:12uh yes sir
13:16i have no idea i granted them permission
13:19to search my house under the impression
13:21that was one of the normalities of the
13:24investigation
13:25[Music]
13:27as far as what they were looking for
13:28what they took i have no knowledge of
13:30that
13:34no i have no idea why
13:37the suspect has
13:38why he even took the children and why he
13:40has not released him yet we have no
13:42knowledge whatsoever
13:47um
13:48i think it takes a very sick and
13:50emotionally unstable person
13:52to be able to
13:54to take two beautiful children like that
13:57to be able to keep them from their
13:59parents
14:00to keep them from where they do belong
14:02um
14:04i i don't i can't imagine why anybody
14:07would want to do such any do such a
14:10thing as as what has happened
14:13[Music]
14:14that
14:15that the american people
14:18that this nation
14:19that they don't give up on michael and
14:21alex that they continue to search
14:24for the vehicle
14:25for the children or for the suspect
14:27himself and that they
14:29that they keep
14:30our family me and my wife and our family
14:32but especially michael niles in their
14:34prayers
14:35and keep searching
14:37until they are found
14:43you're very welcome
14:48thank you
14:52you're very welcome
14:56done
14:57clear
14:58clear
15:05yesterday
15:06the people are really in a state of
15:08shock here in our community from this
15:10tragedy and they're
15:14accepting it very well at the present
15:16time they're going all out to do
15:19everything possible that they possibly
15:21can to help
15:23come up to find some
15:25kind of clue that might help the
15:27investigators during the investigation
15:30no that i do not i do not feel like that
15:33they're involved in it whatsoever
15:36and i don't think
15:37our residents in our community feel like
15:40they are either
15:42well uh about 17 or 18 years ago harry
15:45there was a an accident that killed five
15:48children at one of our local
15:50intersections here and i suppose as far
15:52as the tragedy is concerned that that
15:54was the worst tragedy up to this point
15:57well of course uh
15:59we're a small newspaper and national
16:02media does not come to a small town this
16:04often
16:05we've tried to make our particular
16:07facilities available to uh most of the
16:09reporters that
16:11want to use them and then of course
16:14we've had to
16:16supply information supply uplinks for a
16:19lot of the national needs networks
16:21well with all the ambitious places and
16:24residents they have placed yellow
16:26ribbons upon their
16:27the doors hoping to for the return of
16:30the children real soon
16:32and we've all
16:35have been myself together to have a 24
16:39prayer vigil around the clock in support
16:41of the children and the family for their
16:43safe return
16:45susan smith
16:46has been arrested
16:48and will be charged with two counts of
16:50murder
16:51in connection
16:52with the deaths of her children
16:54michael iii and alexander 14 months
16:59the vehicle a 1990 mazda
17:02driven by smith was located late
17:04thursday afternoon
17:06in lake john d long near union
17:09two bodies were found in the vehicle's
17:12back seat
17:13identities are pending an autopsy
17:17charges against smith will be signed by
17:20union county sheriff howard wells
17:2316th circuit solicitor thomas pope
17:26said thursday a bond hearing will be
17:28held at 10 a.m at the moss justice
17:31center in york before circuit judge
17:33henry floyd
17:35smith is incarcerated at an undisclosed
17:37location did she confess did she tell
17:40you where the car was
17:43aside from the fact that the kids are
17:45are dead what what disturbs you
17:48most about this
17:53i guess that
17:55a mother
17:56could sit there and lie
17:58to a nation
18:00and that she could plead for the safety
18:03of her children
18:04knowing that she has done something as
18:06heinous as this
18:08i
18:09i just can't comprehend that to do it
18:12with as much apparent sincerity and and
18:15and to be appear so distraught
18:19do you think there's any possibility she
18:21might be disturbed in some way
18:25i don't think so
18:27i guess i get very angry when i hear not
18:30just
18:32not that this will be the um
18:36defense that they will take
18:38but i guess i get very angry when i hear
18:40people say oh we're going to go for the
18:42insanity plea people know what they're
18:44doing
18:45i think once in a great while there
18:47might be a rage of
18:49you know where you really might not know
18:51what you're doing but i think for the
18:53most part people know what they're doing
18:55and she thinks she's insane i don't
18:56think she's insane no
18:59no
19:00why then do you think or how could she
19:02do something like this
19:04i guess if i could see her that would be
19:06the one question i would ask her why
19:08or how how could you kill
19:10your own children
19:12i
19:13i have children i get angry at them just
19:15like any other parent
19:17but not angry enough to where i would
19:19kill them
19:20i don't unders especially
19:23toddlers
19:24i mean
19:25what have they what have they done wrong
19:28except to ask for some food and to be
19:30changed and
19:31loved
19:33do you think she may have done this
19:34solely to hurt her husband
19:38well if she has then she's hurt far more
19:41than her husband
19:43she's hurt
19:44her husband
19:46her extended family
19:48i feel she's even heard a nation by
19:50going on camera and pleading
19:53that she's heard a nation too
19:55because people have been
19:57outpouring their love their time
20:00i understand from my brother that
20:02they've received money from across the
20:03nation for people trying to help them
20:06you know set up a fun or a reward fund
20:08or something
20:10so whatever her motive she's hurt far
20:12more than whoever she thought she was
20:14going to hurt
20:16there's a haze over union south carolina
20:19today for many who live here a haze of
20:21bitter disbelief i just don't understand
20:24i just don't understand what april
20:26vincent doesn't understand is how her
20:28former high school classmate 23 year old
20:30susan smith could be accused of killing
20:32her own children even harder to
20:34understand is how susan smith stuck to
20:36her story for nine days that a carjacker
20:39drove off with her kids well now
20:40authorities say she has confessed to
20:42driving her very own children into this
20:45lake
20:46this hurts today children were clinging
20:49to their mothers have you explained to
20:51him what the story is now and what she's
20:52accused of
20:56some things are better left unsaid
20:59yeah but what's being said in the
21:00african-american community is this
21:02blaming on the black man
21:05it's a shame i mean to fabricate a whole
21:07picture and everything pitches
21:09nationwide carl long says he was
21:11questioned by police last week they made
21:14me feel kind of bad come picking me up
21:16off my job early in the morning there's
21:18lots of tension
21:20racial tension
21:22yes i'm not really angry i'm hurt
21:27a distraught and disturbed mother is
21:29accused of rolling her car into a lake
21:31drowning her two young boys
21:34it has become a dangerous world out
21:36there for children
21:38one out of 10 homicides in this country
21:40involve children who are abused to death
21:43and who is hurting and killing these
21:44kids may surprise you the studies
21:46indicate that a profile would be
21:49a female
21:51under 25
21:53with income other than wages
21:57and extra stressors in her life she may
22:01be on welfare or getting financial help
22:03from her parents her self-esteem is
22:05often low
22:06studies suggest female parents are 10 to
22:091 more likely to be abusers than men and
22:12whether you agree with this or not the
22:14experts say one of the most common forms
22:16of abuse is spanking but the parents who
22:19hit their kids what they teach that when
22:21they're mad what they teach their kids
22:22to do is that they teach them if you're
22:24mad go hit somebody dean shelton is a
22:27single father and has vowed not to spank
22:30but it's happened we were at a store and
22:32my brother was bugging me and i guess he
22:35got really mad at him
22:37oh just and he just turned my brother
22:38around out bam
22:41lately all we've heard is that spanking
22:43is wrong but we found a child expert at
22:45unm who says spanking may be acceptable
22:48if the child has put himself in a
22:50dangerous situation and the parent
22:52really wants to make a point
22:54and the message is unsafe things get
22:57serious consequences would your
22:58colleagues agree with what you just told
23:00me
23:01many of them i mean we have to be clear
23:03about what we're talking about spanking
23:04i mean we're talking about open hand on
23:06the rear end now i grew up
23:08in the area when i was spanked too and i
23:11don't think it hurt me in fact i
23:13probably did me some good
23:15in some ways but i think it's kind of a
23:17last resort sort of discipline linda
23:20rangel teaches parenting classes and
23:22says there are plenty of options to
23:24spanking we would put spanking way way
23:26way down on the list and put things
23:29higher on the list like logical
23:30consequences natural consequences doing
23:33some problem solving listening
23:35reflectively asking the child what he or
23:38she thinks could be done to solve solve
23:41the problem instead of just
23:42automatically spanking
23:47susan smith is probably the best known
23:49case of a mother killing her children
23:51she sent her two boys to the bottom of a
23:54lake locked in a car for stephanie
23:56simmons and norma patrick hall are two
23:58more mothers that police say confessed
24:01to killing their own children but why
24:04this is the solution they come up to and
24:06this is the thing the only thing that
24:07they see that could be the answer dr
24:10fricker deals with abuse cases and says
24:12stress plays a big role
24:14could be the kind of problem that
24:15they're being faced with that moment it
24:17could have something to do with their
24:19children if they're having trouble with
24:20their children or if someone's telling
24:22them that something can't work because
24:24of their child police say they don't
24:26know why persephone simmons says she
24:28killed her two children using a butcher
24:30knife and an axe late last year but her
24:33lawyer says she was recently diagnosed
24:35as a paranoid schizophrenic a condition
24:37he says she was never treated for
24:40dr fricker says just like stress many
24:43psychiatric problems including
24:44depression also play a role because the
24:47more depressed they are the fewer
24:48problem solving abilities they have dr
24:50frictor says there are often warning
24:52signs but nothing is ever certain lots
24:55of mothers out there have psychiatric
24:57problems and lots of mothers are under
24:59stress and lots of mothers aren't going
25:01to kill their children
25:02david smith looked on as his wife susan
25:04smith entered a courtroom in york county
25:06south carolina for the first time since
25:08she was arrested for the murders of her
25:10two young sons
25:12obviously he's thinking there's a mental
25:14issue
25:15we need to get it before these objective
25:17examiners make a determination of what
25:19not
25:19[Music]
25:20state solicitor tommy pope wants smith
25:23evaluated to see if she's competent to
25:25stand trial he called on a psychiatrist
25:27to testify about why it's important to
25:30make the evaluation quickly
25:32but smith's attorney says it's premature
25:34to be determining susan's mental state
25:37he fears it could be used against her if
25:39the state seeks the death penalty she is
25:41at this moment very fragile
25:45she is
25:47regressed
25:52she is not able to protect herself
25:57they poured in from all corners of south
25:59carolina some say they drove for hours
26:02to get here and it took most of them at
26:05least an hour just to get inside where
26:08they could pay their respects to this
26:10man the father standing by the single
26:13coffin that bears his two sons when we
26:16hugged the father he just said thank you
26:18for coming gayle's a huge hug and just
26:20you can feel his sadness when touch you
26:23just so
26:24sad
26:25we were not allowed to take you inside
26:27but four rooms we are told are filled
26:30with nothing but flowers from all over
26:33the country it's something i ain't never
26:35seen before
26:37i mean
26:38flowers and more than a flower shop
26:41but this is not the only place in union
26:44attracting crowd
26:46a mother carrying one baby in her womb
26:49leads another bearing flowers along the
26:51same park the same part that carried two
26:54small boys to their deaths
27:00it's beyond my imagination what happened
27:02here they come from all over south
27:04carolina bearing flowers prayers and a
27:08sense of bewilderment as they stare at a
27:11cold dark lake and imagine the horror
27:14those babies floating in that car before
27:16they went under yes
27:19these two small boys strapped in the
27:21back of their mother's car as it plunges
27:23into the water floats a little rolls
27:26upside down and descends to the bottom
27:28we wonder if the babies
27:31hollered for their mother if she heard
27:33anything
27:34and how she could live with the fact
27:37of knowing those kids were in there
27:38alive
27:39as people continue to flock to this the
27:41the very spot
27:43where we're told the car went into the
27:45water with the two little boys in it
27:48we're learning a little more about what
27:49might have been going through the
27:51accused killer's mind that night the
27:53mother susan smith
27:55sources are telling seven news that in
27:58her confession susan smith said she came
28:01here to commit suicide that she was
28:03totally despondent that night about
28:06money financial problems about broken
28:09relationships what we don't understand
28:11is if that's true why the children were
28:14the only ones to actually die
28:17it just seemed so unfair that somebody
28:19could take such two beautiful children
28:22she was so good on television do you
28:24believe her now
28:25do you think that she could do this and
28:27then
28:28feel bad about it you don't believe
28:30anything that comes out about anything
28:32that she said
28:37[Music]
28:57susan smith arrived shortly after 8 30
28:59this morning she looks heavier than the
29:00last time we saw her she was dressed in
29:02a blouse and skirt a few minutes later
29:05her mother arrived and then her
29:07ex-husband david
29:08on the other side of the courthouse
29:10potential jurors were ushered in
29:12almost two hours later questioning began
29:15one of the few people allowed in judge
29:17howard's small courtroom to watch these
29:19proceedings is barbara benson
29:21david smith's mother
29:23her grandchildren died at the hands of
29:24susan smith earlier today she told us
29:27how her son is holding up he's waiting
29:29for it to all be over with and
29:32trying to endure one day at a time he
29:34wants to be here for his boys he wants
29:36to represent them he doesn't want people
29:37to forget that they're the reason that
29:39this whole trial happened and that their
29:41little lives were lost
29:43she also said her son doesn't care how
29:45long the trial takes
29:46he simply wants a specific ending david
29:49wants susan to get the death penalty and
29:51i don't think he really cares how that
29:53happens
29:56when susan smith arrived at the
29:57courthouse this morning dr donald morgan
30:00says she was in a deep and severe
30:01depression
30:03under oath this afternoon the state's
30:05chief psychiatrist who has examined
30:06smith several times testified she could
30:09stand trial but he recommended she not
30:11be allowed to testify in her own behalf
30:14because she would ask for the death
30:15penalty in dr morgan's words
30:18she feels she deserves punishment and
30:20her desire would be not to continue
30:22living in prison
30:23she has a fantasy of being reunited with
30:25her children as smith left the
30:27courthouse today attorneys for both
30:30sides worked spin control on the
30:31courthouse laws does your client want to
30:34die
30:36well i'm not going to say anything more
30:38than the testimony the
30:40the testimony by dr morgan today who is
30:43the state
30:44i don't mean mr popes but the state of
30:46south carolina's chief forensic
30:48psychiatrist
30:50you know was heard by everybody you know
30:52as far as any major depression which the
30:56dr morgan talked about extensively that
30:58was a major depression that came on
31:00post arrest
31:02someone else was also talking today
31:06david smith's mother
31:07she spent her day in the courtroom with
31:09her son
31:10and keeping her eye on her former
31:12daughter-in-law the person who killed
31:14her grandchildren she seemed somewhat
31:16irritated that smith was dressed so
31:18nicely and looked so calm
31:20but said she was not surprised attorneys
31:22always tell their clients to dress
31:25nicely or court i noticed too that her
31:28face is really well scrubbed and no
31:31makeup which is very unlike susan the
31:33judge is expected to rule on the mental
31:35confidence of susan smith tomorrow
31:37morning
31:38[Music]
31:43coffee in hand judge william howard was
31:46ready to begin another day looking for a
31:47jury
31:48with so much at stake no one involved in
31:50this process including susan smith wants
31:53to rush things
31:54inside the courtroom the questions were
31:56much the same as yesterday but some of
31:58the answers were different one man who
32:00was chosen asked if he wanted to serve
32:02on this jury he replied you want my
32:05honest answer i'd rather not
32:07a woman who was excused said execution
32:09was wrong no matter what the crime
32:11another woman feared she would have a
32:13nervous breakdown to force to sit
32:14through a trial curiosity seekers are
32:17still drawn to union
32:18this couple lee and shirley brown of
32:20spartanburg told me they're not sure if
32:23smith can get a fair trial in her
32:25hometown
32:26they believe people here think life in
32:28prison is not an option
32:29do you think a jury here will give her
32:31the death penalty
32:34[Music]
32:39but others aren't so quick to pass
32:40judgment on the jury
32:42would you want to be one of the people
32:44who makes the decision whether she lives
32:46or die
32:48if you were one of those people
32:51what would your decision be
32:53i would say life
32:55in jail
32:56instead of death because that would give
32:57her so much time to think about what
32:59she's done i think that'd be the worst
33:01punishment for i think that's too easy
33:05susan smith's murder trial seemed to get
33:06off to a slow start on monday the judge
33:09hadn't even decided if the young mother
33:10who confessed to drowning her sons was
33:13mentally fit to stand trial but the pace
33:15picked up and by lunchtime today 12
33:18jurors had been seated to hear opening
33:20arguments
33:21it's got a lot faster than anybody
33:23expected the makeup of the jury includes
33:25five white men four black men two white
33:28females and one black woman every juror
33:30that we sat
33:32today or any other day that is sitting
33:34on this jury now has said they can be
33:36fair and impartial and that they'd want
33:38to hear both sides and they would not
33:39make up their mind
33:41state solicitor tommy pope is seeking
33:43the death penalty in this case for him
33:45to get it that means all 12 jurors must
33:47agree that susan smith should die for
33:49her crimes
33:51i think they are agonizing with the
33:53thought that they may be in some way
33:56obligating themselves to vote for the
33:58death penalty for this
34:00woman during the selection process some
34:02of the jurors who were chosen to serve
34:03said they had concerns about being able
34:05to give the death penalty all we have
34:08and all we're armed with is the facts in
34:10this case and the evidence that we have
34:11to present
34:12and i feel confident in the facts and
34:14evidence we have in going forward
34:17early on in this case the prosecutor had
34:19expressed concerns about drawing a jury
34:21from smith's hometown and many potential
34:24jurors were dismissed because they
34:25testified they opposed capital
34:27punishment however lawyers on both sides
34:30seem pleased today with what they've
34:32managed to accomplish in a week
34:38prosecutors began this morning by taking
34:40the court back to the night of october
34:4125th when susan smith first reported her
34:44children had been taken by a
34:46carjacker to say to whoever
34:50has my children
34:51[Music]
34:53that they please
34:55i mean please bring them home
34:59prosecutor tommy pope called sheriff
35:01howard wells to the stand now wells was
35:03the first to interview smith after she
35:05reported her children had been kidnapped
35:07he testified that smith appeared to be
35:09upset that night he said there were
35:11inconsistencies in her story from the
35:13start but wells and sled officers did
35:15not become suspicious until the next day
35:18when smith had difficulty coming up with
35:20a composite sketch of the alleged
35:22carjacker i think that the idea that she
35:25is
35:26less than human or
35:27or satanic or
35:32or just sort of the embodiment of evil
35:34is less credible in her own community
35:37later on today the state is expected to
35:39try to get smith's handwritten
35:40confession admitted into evidence in it
35:43she writes i dropped to my lowest when i
35:45allowed my children to go down that ramp
35:47into the water without me i think we'll
35:49be able to go forward
35:50in a timely fashion and give a good
35:53accounting of the system here in south
35:54carolina and hopefully have justice
35:56achieved prosecutors will also be trying
35:58to get a video reenactment of the crime
36:00admitted so they can show the jury just
36:03how smith rolled her car into the lake
36:05with her two young sons strapped inside
36:08area filled with water and thoughts
36:10turned to those little boys who just
36:11left every day susan smith was described
36:14as both evil and childlike
36:16two personalities emerged as attorneys
36:18on the opposite sides laid out opening
36:20statements pray that whoever has them
36:24let the lord let down and let him
36:26realize
36:29that they are missed and loved more than
36:31any children in this world
36:34jurors saw videotapes of smith begging
36:36for her children's safe return
36:38prosecutors say smith lied to the
36:40country for nine days regardless what
36:42they choose to put in we have to prove
36:44the case beyond a reasonable doubt and
36:46that's what we intend to do
36:48the state continued by telling the jury
36:50that smith was evil and acted with
36:52malice
36:53they set it to a level of to a standard
36:55of evilness that's a high standard
36:58an evil heart an evil person defense
37:00attorneys admitted that smith lied but
37:02they said she was a good mother who
37:04missed her precious children and after
37:06leading a troubled life she just snapped
37:08i mean obviously she killed her children
37:11so that was the
37:12you know um
37:14and a good mom does not kill her
37:16children however
37:18it's important to in understanding why
37:20this happened to know
37:23what the relationship between this young
37:25woman and her children were tonight
37:26susan smith around her children she ran
37:28to this house which is not far from john
37:30d long lake
37:31inside she told the macleod family that
37:34her two young sons had been abducted by
37:36a carjacker they say she was very upset
37:38and they believed her when smith finally
37:40did confess she told sheriff howard
37:42wells to pray with her then she asked
37:44for his gun because she wanted to die
37:49just as testimony was wrapping up for
37:51the day the union county courthouse got
37:53a bomb threat and the entire building
37:55had to evacuate it was not everything
37:57was calm
37:58no panic at all
38:01as susan smith was led into the side
38:03door of the union county courthouse
38:06crowds of spectators began lining up on
38:08the front steps i worked never been to a
38:10trial before it'd been number one so
38:12just curious it hits home being here and
38:14seeing everything once you've seen it on
38:16the news and being here in person
38:18prosecutor tommy pope led opening
38:20statements saying for nine days in the
38:22fall of 1994 susan smith looked at his
38:25country in the eye and lied the state
38:28told the jury that smith was not insane
38:30the night she drowned her children in
38:31the lake instead pope described a
38:34selfish woman who was trying to win the
38:35affections of an ex-lover who didn't
38:37want children we want the jury to
38:39remember and what everyone needs to
38:41remember that the issue
38:43is susan smith's mental state on october
38:4625th the night that michael and alex
38:48would kill defense attorney judy clark
38:51said susan smith's crimes were a failed
38:53suicide that the defendant wanted to go
38:55down that ramp with her children clark
38:58told the jury that smith tried to cope
39:00with a failing life and snapped susan i
39:02think hopes
39:03that some true picture comes out
39:07it's clear from the start the jury will
39:09get to hear about two different susan
39:10smiths the defense says the defendant is
39:13a good mother whose troubled life and
39:15desire to die led her to do a desperate
39:17act but prosecutors say smith is selfish
39:21wanted attention and knew exactly what
39:23she was doing when she murdered her
39:24children
39:26torn apart by this tragic event
39:29[Music]
39:30as susan smith begged for her children's
39:32safe return the sheriff's department was
39:34already targeting her as a prime suspect
39:38how much they are wanted back home how
39:41much we love them we miss them
39:44sheriff howard wells took a stand today
39:46telling the court he doubted smith's
39:47story from the beginning and when no new
39:50leads turned up after nine days of
39:51searching he says he lied to smith to
39:54get her to tell the truth we felt the
39:56confession was solid from the get-go
39:59and on the other hand it is a big deal
40:01that was a big part of our case if it
40:03would have been excluded
40:05we'd have been in a world of hurt smith
40:07broke down saying my children are not
40:09all right and then gave the sheriff a
40:11handwritten confession which will be
40:13vital to the state's case and i don't
40:15know if they could proceed without the
40:16confession all the evidence they
40:18obtained after the confession at the end
40:20of proceedings a juror was dismissed for
40:22lying to the court about the fact she
40:24had a criminal record for credit card
40:26fraud she was escorted away but lawyers
40:28are confident the trial will remain on
40:30schedule even though there is only one
40:32alternate juror left
40:36susan smith is just 23 years old but
40:38according to defense witnesses she's had
40:40a death wish since childhood defense
40:42lawyer david brock paraded doctors
40:44social workers and teachers who told the
40:46jury about smith's family history of
40:48abuse alcoholism and suicide like the
40:51important thing to do is to present the
40:53truth
40:55and
40:56and that's what we did
40:59perhaps the most compelling testimony
41:00came from dr seymour hallett he said
41:02that smith suffered from an untreated
41:04form of depression that if it had been
41:06treated it may have saved her children's
41:08lives this is a very troubled young girl
41:10who came from a very troubled background
41:13suicide in the family depression she's
41:15been abused by men manipulated by men
41:17she doesn't deserve the death penalty
41:19prosecutors fired back during
41:20cross-examination asking the defense
41:22witness if he believes smith was
41:24criminally responsible pope is
41:26especially angry about dr halek's
41:28testimony that he doesn't think that
41:29smith remembers if her children were in
41:31the car when she let it roll into the
41:33lake even if you believe their theory on
41:35suicide
41:37that as i said several times with the
41:39doctor if she intends to commit suicide
41:41i can't suicide you i would have to kill
41:44you to take you with me and that's what
41:45she did defense lawyers are trying to
41:47convince the jury that susan smith while
41:49not insane is emotionally troubled
41:51they're hoping the jury will evoke some
41:53sympathy and spare her life but the
41:55prosecution says susan smith must be
41:57held responsible for her actions in
41:59union south carolina sharon crowley
42:01channel 5 eyewitness news primetime
42:03david smith gripped hearts around the
42:05country last fall as many watched a
42:08young father bury his sons
42:10it was so pretty
42:11i'll come back i'm not coming back
42:15returned today as susan smith's
42:17ex-husband took the stand
42:19talking about how much he misses playing
42:21with alex and michael
42:23david cried as he told the jury that all
42:25his hopes and dreams had come to an end
42:27that day the day his wife confessed to
42:29drowning their boys in john d long lake
42:32when it ripped him apart
42:34took everything away from him he's got
42:36nothing left
42:37david smith also told the jury about a
42:39turbulent three-year marriage to the
42:41defendant the couple married when susan
42:43was already pregnant with their first
42:45child smith testified that both he and
42:47susan had affairs outside the marriage
42:50susan and david broke up and got back
42:51together several times during their
42:53marriage in one instance they moved to
42:55this home here on tony road just outside
42:57of union david testified it was a chance
42:59to start over it was just a father who
43:02loved his two sons and misses them and i
43:05mean that's just two of the jurors were
43:07crying several of the spectators
43:08including press members were crying and
43:10susan smith was sobbing at her
43:12at her table david smith clearly moved
43:15the jury prosecutors are hoping the
43:17tearful testimony will secure a sentence
43:19of death for susan smith
43:23an fbi agent says susan smith covered
43:25her ears and ran as her children sunk to
43:28the bottom of john d long lake agent
43:30carol allison talked with smith the
43:32night she confessed
43:33testimony that has been taxing on some
43:35family members after hearing
43:38about those babies in a way
43:40as far as i'm concerned the connections
43:43and this is so hard listening to all
43:45these details again and reliving the
43:47core of the boys
43:49losing their lives and before the state
43:51rested its case smith's ex-lover tom
43:53findlay took the stand finley was to
43:55provide the jury with a motive
43:57prosecutors read his dear john letter to
43:59susan in it he tells her he doesn't want
44:02children what the prosecutor has to do
44:04is take 12 very normal caring loving
44:07people and convince them to kill
44:09somebody perhaps the most compelling
44:10testimony came yesterday when a diver
44:13who'd found susan smith's car submerged
44:15here at john d long lake broke down on
44:17the stand as he recalled finding the car
44:19and seeing a child's small hand pressed
44:21against the window no one can discount
44:24the deaths of those children and we
44:25wouldn't try to do that
44:27the defense began its case by calling
44:29some of the state's witnesses to the
44:31stand legal analysts say the defense is
44:33trying to put a buffer between the
44:34state's closing testimony and
44:36deliberations they say this is not a
44:38case of guilt or innocence but about
44:40whether smith should live or die
44:45dr seymour halleck traced the troubled
44:47life of susan smith during testimony for
44:49the defense today hallett diagnosed
44:52smith with a depressive disorder saying
44:54if she was adequately treated with
44:55prozac the deaths of her children would
44:57never have happened
44:59we just got to get them home that's just
45:01where they belong with their mama and
45:03daddy dr halek is a forensic
45:05psychiatrist who studied smith's
45:07background he discovered her parents had
45:09an abusive relationship that ended when
45:11her father committed suicide her mother
45:14remarried and after that smith's
45:16stepfather admitted to having sex with
45:18his 15-year-old step-daughter susan
45:21as i've told you all along is a very
45:23very hard person to read
45:26she
45:27usually seems like she's doing fine
45:29and sometimes she's doing okay and
45:31sometimes she's not doing okay at all
45:33defense witnesses testified that susan
45:35smith may have tried to end her life as
45:37early as age 13 and then again here at
45:39foster park at age 18. a psychiatrist
45:42testified that she took an overdose of
45:44something they believe was aspirin but
45:46stopped herself in time but the issue is
45:48when susan smith was remorseful
45:51why is she remorseful is she remorseful
45:53because of michael and alex
45:55or is she remorseful because now
45:57everything she laid out everything she'd
45:59done had fallen apart alex says smith
46:01was deep in despair the night she
46:03drowned her children saying she was
46:05crying and felt alone and in his opinion
46:08she had planned to kill herself that
46:10night but somehow at the last minute he
46:12says self-preservation instincts took
46:14over and he says smith got out of the
46:16car leaving her young sons inside to die
46:21[Music]
46:23why is this life these home videotapes
46:25were taken during happy times with susan
46:28and her children the jury saw these
46:30tapes and others today showing smith as
46:32a good mother something the defense team
46:34hopes the jury will remember going into
46:36deliberations
46:37what this really was was a person
46:40of great human frailty who
46:43who
46:44who snapped when
46:46at a point when most people in their
46:48lives would have been able to bend
46:50defense lawyers began fighting to save
46:52smith's life this morning after the
46:53state rested but not before prosecutors
46:56had a chance to show the jury crime
46:57scene photographs that depicted alex and
47:00michael as they were pulled out of john
47:01d long lake
47:03it was just heartbreaking
47:05the jury was also allowed to see
47:06reenactment videotape showing what
47:08michael and alex saw as the car sunk
47:11i think
47:12as far as is
47:14emotional impact on everybody involved
47:16including you know the jury the
47:18participants every i think it was a
47:21an extremely emotionally draining an
47:23expert witness for the defense also
47:25outlined susan's troubled background
47:27which included incest abuse and suicide
47:30attempts and susan's older brother
47:32testified saying sentencing his sister
47:34to death would add more hurt to a family
47:36that's been devastated already
47:39you're watching what michael and alex
47:41smith saw as they sunk into john d long
47:44lake trapped inside their mother's car
47:46the children were strapped into car
47:48seats in the back seat it took six
47:51minutes for the mazda protege to sink
47:56that she had five minutes while that car
47:58floated on the top of john d long lake
48:00to swim out to it to go get help to do
48:02something
48:04at some point she decided not to kill
48:05herself and the kids or kill herself
48:07apparently she was willing to let the
48:08kids die and did nothing to stop it
48:10prosecutors wanted the jury to see the
48:12entire reenactment videotape they also
48:15called expert witnesses to the stand to
48:17talk about how long it took the children
48:19to die this this is such a such a
48:23tragedy such a horrible case
48:26and the one i think both sides agree on
48:28that the one thing we differ on is we
48:30said we say there's a choice in it the
48:33dramatic video came after the jury spent
48:35the day listening to gut-wrenching
48:37testimony from david smith
48:39smith cried on the stand as he talked
48:40about playing with the boys and seeing
48:42them just one week before they died it
48:45was so pitiful
48:46i would come back susan smith also wept
48:49during her former husband's testimony
48:51defense attorney david bruck decided not
48:53to cross-examine him she was just
48:56sobbing and sobbing and sobbing and i
48:58just held you know just
49:00she just collapsed into my arms it was
49:02just very
49:04she was um
49:06and
49:07[Music]
49:08what did she say
49:10were you there
49:13the state is hoping that tearful
49:14testimony and dramatic pictures will
49:17convince the jury to call for death
49:21after a little more than two hours the
49:23jury returned a guilty verdict for susan
49:25smith the verdict while disappointing to
49:28the defense was not unexpected susan has
49:31been willing to plead guilty for months
49:32so
49:33certainly the verdict was no surprise
49:36but it was still hard to take for susan
49:38smith's mother it's just hard to hear
49:40even though i think they knew that this
49:42was going to come and they had accepted
49:44it a long time ago or at least had to
49:46accept it but it was i think it was i
49:48think it was hard for her mother and her
49:51brother and her you know her family
49:53crowds of spectators and courtroom
49:55observers have watched this trial
49:56closely they've come to see a mother who
49:58confessed to drowning her children like
50:01the defense team most were not surprised
50:03by the jury's decision i have no
50:06reason in my heart to believe that she
50:09tried to kill herself i kind of feel
50:11like the tide's turned to get the public
50:12tithes turned against
50:14the death penalty in this case
50:16prosecutor tommy pope is seeking the
50:18death penalty during closing arguments
50:20pope brought smith to tears as he asked
50:22the jury to remember alex and michael
50:24screaming as they sunk into the lake i
50:26think we're glad to have this stage done
50:29and to look forward to the next stage i
50:30think at some points in the first stage
50:32we felt like we were fighting the second
50:34stage but
50:36i'm just ready for us to get forward and
50:38put up the evidence we have an
50:40aggravation at this point susan smith
50:42was quickly escorted out of the union
50:44county courthouse until the penalty
50:46phase of this trial begins her former
50:48husband david smith clearly sees the
50:50jury's verdict as a victory for his sons
50:55susan smith's life rests in the hands of
50:57a jury today again they listened as the
50:59prosecution described alex and michael
51:02laying in a watery tomb for nine days
51:04while their mother lied and i pray that
51:06whoever has them
51:09that the lord would let down and let him
51:11realize
51:14that they are missed and loved more than
51:16any children in this world during
51:18closing arguments tommy pope urged the
51:20jury to look again at videotapes of
51:23susan smith's deceitfulness as she
51:25begged for her children's return he told
51:27the jury that smith had a choice and she
51:30chose to murder her children
51:32this this particular case transcends
51:34just
51:35michael and alex
51:37it it speaks to how we're gonna treat a
51:40crime like this and what
51:42what we're gonna tolerate in the
51:44treatment of children or the treatment
51:46of any victims defense attorney david
51:48brock has all along portrayed the
51:49murders as a failed suicide attempt
51:52saying after years of abuse smith just
51:54snapped and punishing her with death
51:56would be adding to this tragedy hope
51:58i'll be able to
52:00suggest to the jury some reasons why
52:03the death penalty is not the best thing
52:04to do
52:06[Music]
52:08wbcu boasts its country music format
52:11but for an hour every morning gospel
52:14music takes center stage and it's on
52:17that program that this song was heard by
52:19the people of union
52:22[Music]
52:27the cassette is called a letter to susan
52:30smith and what it actually is is a
52:32recording of the song there is a river
52:36rick parr sings it he also narrates his
52:39thoughts to susan smith in between
52:41verses susan during times of severe
52:44depression and when you feel like you
52:46can't go on
52:47there is hope trying to tell susan that
52:49she needs to not think about suicide and
52:51not think about doing anything that
52:53would jeopardize her
52:55not going to the electric chair wbcu is
52:58the only radio station in this small
53:00town of union and as you can imagine
53:03already dozens of people have already
53:05heard the song about susan smith the
53:07song didn't bother me i just thought it
53:09was pretty i love that song and then
53:11what he says is okay
53:13a letter to susan smith
53:15one man's attempt to give this convicted
53:17murderer hope at a time when she's
53:20facing life
53:21or death
53:22susan smith's junior high school
53:24guidance counselor says as a teenager he
53:26thought she was depressed billy shaw
53:28testified that smith came to visit him a
53:30number of times and in one incident told
53:33him she had taken aspirin enough that
53:35shaw thought it was a cry for help
53:37susan
53:38as i've told you all along is a very
53:40very hard person to read
53:43she
53:44usually seems like she's doing fine
53:47and sometimes she is doing okay and
53:48sometimes she's not doing okay at all
53:50but defense attorney david brock called
53:52shaw to the stand to try to show the
53:54jury that smith attempted suicide as a
53:56teenager and had a troubled childhood
53:59but on cross-examination state solicitor
54:01tommy pope tried to downplay visits to
54:03the counselor and the apparent suicide
54:05attempts asking shaw if he had ever seen
54:07susan try to take her life shaw said he
54:10had not and what she does is commits
54:12these acts or pretends to commit these
54:15acts to draw attention
54:17in order to to
54:19gain
54:20feedback or sympathy
54:22be it the teachers at 13 the boyfriend's
54:24at 18 or tom findlay currently that
54:28that's why i think she makes these
54:30particular gestures
54:31however defense lawyers are relying on
54:33counselors and other social workers to
54:35support their case that when susan smith
54:37killed her children it was a failed
54:39attempt to take her own life
54:43susan smith's life hangs in the hands of
54:45the jury we just got to get them home
54:48that's just where they belong with their
54:49mama and daddy
54:50as jurors decide her punishment
54:52prosecutors say again they will show
54:54smith lying on television i have prayed
54:57every day
54:59and there's not one minute that goes by
55:01i don't think about these boys this time
55:04around they say they want the jury to
55:05get to know michael and alex smith to do
55:08that they'll be calling the boy's father
55:09to the stand to tell the jury how much
55:11he misses his sons it goes from guilt
55:14to penalty
55:16and so it's easy for you to think out
55:18what that would include and why this
55:20crime should be a death penalty crime or
55:22not be a death penalty crime and that's
55:23that's what we'll be moving towards
55:25defense lawyers say giving smith a death
55:27sentence is equivalent to saying smith
55:29did not love her children david bruck
55:31promised to bring back witnesses who
55:33will talk more about smith's troubled
55:35past of incest abuse and attempted
55:38suicide
55:39it is a terrible tragedy and i don't you
55:42know
55:42it's difficult the judge has decided not
55:45to allow some of the most gruesome crime
55:47scene photos to be admitted the
55:48prosecutors had been fighting to get
55:50them in hoping to sway the jury but the
55:52judge decided today it might prejudice
55:54the jury instead this is nothing like
55:57the visual image instead of an abstract
55:59discussion the stills of those kids
56:01coming out of the water upside down in
56:03the seat of their car would have a
56:04visual impact that will stay with these
56:06jurors the rest of their lives
56:08opening statements were delayed for
56:09several hours this morning after a juror
56:12admitted to talking with the children's
56:13grandmother the judge ruled the trial
56:15would continue because the juror could
56:17still be fair and impartial
56:19it was innocent
56:22as they tried to convince the jury to
56:24punish susan smith with death
56:26prosecutors argued that actions speak
56:28louder than words instead of just
56:30focusing on on poor susan's life and
56:33everything that's been hard for her look
56:35at what she really did during those nine
56:37days a judge will be allowing some
56:39photographs from the crime scene to be
56:41admitted but the most gruesome the ones
56:43showing alex and michael after they
56:45spent nine days in john d long lake were
56:48ruled out and i think that we've become
56:49numb that we feel like well we need the
56:51most horrible pictures but i i think
56:54that there will still be an effective
56:55picture painted and that's the whole
56:57issue we just
56:59not to scare the jury not to shock the
57:01jury but just to show them
57:04what susan smith did i would like to say
57:07to whoever
57:09has my children
57:12that they please
57:14i mean please bring them home the state
57:17will also try to use the defendant's own
57:19words against her as they replay
57:21videotapes of her lying on television i
57:23can't
57:24express how much they are
57:27wanted back home how much we love them
57:30we miss them they also plan to call
57:32david smith to the stand to testify
57:34hoping that will shift the focus of this
57:36case to alex and michael
57:38you don't simply judge somebody by what
57:41they did in one hour of their life
57:43obviously that's the crime and it's
57:45terribly important but it's it's not the
57:47whole story
57:48during opening statements defense
57:50attorney david bruck asked the jury to
57:52show mercy
57:53when the defense gets its turn they'll
57:54be trying to show the jury that while
57:56susan smith made deadly mistakes she
57:58does not deserve to die
58:02susan smith's judgment day came swiftly
58:05a jury took pity on the 23 year old
58:07mother who confessed to drowning her
58:09children
58:10others did not
58:13i felt like that if susan had death
58:16everybody would have to live with that
58:18decision
58:20and me personally i couldn't live with
58:22it during closing arguments defense
58:25attorney david brock had begged the jury
58:27to show mercy on his client he reminded
58:30them of her troubled childhood which
58:31included incest abuse and several
58:34suicide attempts i told her i thought
58:36she was going to be okay i meant
58:39okay
58:40in the years to come and she looked at
58:42me sort of quizzically like
58:45oh yeah brock's strategy was to convince
58:47the jury that the murders of michael and
58:49alex were a failed attempt to end her
58:52own life me and my family of course are
58:54disappointed that
58:57the best family wasn't wasn't diverted
58:59but
59:00david smith wanted the death penalty for
59:02his ex-wife smith was a key witness for
59:05the state he cried on the stand when he
59:07told the jury about the last time he saw
59:09his young sons alive it was the most
59:12difficult thing i've had to do i guess
59:14since i buried michael alex
59:18i didn't enjoy it one bit it hurt
59:20brought back some memories i guess since
59:23the burial
59:24i have put put aside there's nothing
59:28that can do justice for the situation to
59:30happen to michael and alex but again i
59:32respect the jury's version a life
59:34sentence was also a blow to the
59:36prosecution state solicitor tommy pope
59:39aggressively pursued the death penalty
59:41saying smith was selfish and
59:43manipulating smith will return to an
59:45isolated cell at a correctional facility
59:48outside of union she's still under a
59:50suicide watch as the woman given life
59:53still wants to die
59:54[Music]
59:55the jury again will respect that they
59:57made they took the testimony among
59:59themselves and they came back with the
1:00:01verdict of life and
1:00:03so we just they return to work they
1:00:05thought was justice now smith will spend
1:00:07at least the next 30 years in prison and
1:00:10for the time being she'll be in a cell
1:00:11alone on a suicide watch as the woman
1:00:14given life still wants to die
1:00:18i have to feel sorry for her because
1:00:22she
1:00:23she had to be something wrong with her
1:00:26to do what she did because
1:00:28their lives are going to go on the ones
1:00:30that's left behind she's the one that
1:00:32doesn't have a life anymore but it's sad
1:00:34that innocent children paid the price
1:00:36for her
1:00:37thanks one time
1:00:39little has changed at the union farmers
1:00:41market in the last 30 years there ain't
1:00:44no squash
1:00:46even with a high profile murder trial
1:00:48three blocks away life as folks have
1:00:50known it here for years goes on i'll
1:00:52check with you next week
1:00:54union is a town pursuing normalcy and
1:00:57residents say the jury in the smith case
1:00:59has helped well i think the whole
1:01:01community is happy over this they didn't
1:01:03want to see her go to the later chair
1:01:05this community believe it or not they
1:01:08are very concerned about each other
1:01:10and they didn't want any more hurt on
1:01:12that family than than was coming
1:01:16townsfolk knew susan smith as a cheerful
1:01:18young cashier at union's busiest grocery
1:01:21store
1:01:22their stake in the verdict was personal
1:01:24well she was she was real nice and
1:01:26friendly you know she was
1:01:28very good i enjoyed talking to her i'm
1:01:30relieved that that uh all of this is
1:01:32over and that they the family don't have
1:01:34to sit and wait for them to call them
1:01:36and say well hey susan will be putting
1:01:38electric chair tomorrow
1:01:40even some of those residents who had
1:01:42wanted smith executed now say they can
1:01:44live with the jury's decision i would
1:01:46have given her the death penalty i guess
1:01:48now that this way they can see how the
1:01:51jury decided and i would make them feel
1:01:54a little bit better or not
1:01:55to give her the death penalty it's good
1:01:57that it's over here
1:01:59that we'll get back to normal now and
1:02:01everybody
1:02:02can start over residents say the first
1:02:04sign of that will be the removal of this
1:02:06temporary media scaffolding which has
1:02:08clogged the main street outside the
1:02:10courthouse square for the last three
1:02:11weeks residents say once it's gone
1:02:14perhaps union can start to return to
1:02:16normal but they say after the smith
1:02:18trial their town will never be the same
1:02:20in union south carolina doug richards
1:02:22eyewitness news
1:02:24police here in new york have arrested 38
1:02:27thugs described as mobster wannabes
1:02:30their alleged crimes included holding up
1:02:32truck drivers and warning them to tell
1:02:34the police that quote black guys did it
1:02:37this is just the latest in a string of
1:02:39cases around the country in which whites
1:02:41have attempted to blame imaginary blacks
1:02:43for a crime in every case the hoax can
1:02:46have many real victims as dana king
1:02:48reports in tonight's eye on america
1:02:52all the things going on in the world now
1:02:55i mean it's just crazy comedian paul
1:02:57mooney thinks white's blaming blacks for
1:02:59murders is getting so common they ought
1:03:01to have a toll-free number
1:03:03hello blamer [ __ ] i'm on the freeway i
1:03:05just killed an entire family i can't go
1:03:07to jail i have a life i'm white help me
1:03:09blame a [ __ ] send a [ __ ] over with
1:03:11the bad drunk drivings record i got one
1:03:13right here i'll send him right over oh
1:03:16sometimes people have to make fun of
1:03:18things that hurt this much author shelby
1:03:20steele it hurts
1:03:22black people it it continues to mire us
1:03:25in feelings of doubt and shame that we
1:03:28do not deserve
1:03:30i would like to say to whoever
1:03:34has my children
1:03:35according to steele susan smith's
1:03:37invention of a black criminal has a
1:03:39painful logic there is again tragically
1:03:43this association between blackness and
1:03:46evil
1:03:47that she knew at least on a subconscious
1:03:49level and she knew other people would
1:03:51also have that same association
1:03:54and that it would make her story more
1:03:56believable
1:03:57henry lewis gates of harvard maybe it
1:04:00should be overlooked the fact that she
1:04:02named a black man and
1:04:04and we can all move on to bigger and
1:04:06better things no it can be overlooked
1:04:07because it's part of a consistent
1:04:09historical pattern i mean blacks have
1:04:11been used as scapegoats in this country
1:04:13from the first day that we got here
1:04:16and it still goes on 1989 the boston
1:04:20police tore the black community apart
1:04:22looking for the alleged murderer of
1:04:24charles stewart's wife stewart drowned
1:04:27himself when his alibi fell apart
1:04:291992 in milwaukee jesse anderson told
1:04:32police the alleged black killer of his
1:04:34wife left this hat and knife behind
1:04:37it didn't wash
1:04:39we the jury find the defendant jessie
1:04:41anderson guilty of first year
1:04:46susan smith's decision to play the race
1:04:48card is no surprise in a society that
1:04:50tolerates racism says civil rights
1:04:52attorney morris dees she was a white
1:04:56woman
1:04:56who has this fear of black men
1:05:00that may have been engendered by
1:05:02by bush's willie horton ed
1:05:04or
1:05:05the activities of the ku klux klan or
1:05:08politicians or television with its
1:05:11nightly parade of young black men in
1:05:13handcuffs
1:05:14whites commit the majority of crimes but
1:05:16the stereotype of the black criminal has
1:05:19some basis in fact
1:05:21blacks make up a disproportionate part
1:05:23of prison populations and commit nearly
1:05:25half of all violent crimes
1:05:28but most of those crimes are not
1:05:30committed against white people
1:05:32according to recent government
1:05:34statistics while 36 percent of the
1:05:36robberies were black on white only six
1:05:39percent of the murders and nine percent
1:05:41of all rapes were committed by blacks
1:05:43against whites
1:05:44my name is tawana brawley all right i'm
1:05:46not a liar and i'm not crazy crime is so
1:05:50racially charged in this country that
1:05:52many blacks and whites were prepared to
1:05:54believe tawanna brawley a young black
1:05:56girl who claimed she was gang raped by
1:05:58racist white men it's the flip side of
1:06:01the same coin you take available
1:06:03stereotypes and you draw upon them to
1:06:06justify one thing or another
1:06:10the stereotype of violent young blacks
1:06:12makes it easier for whites to invent
1:06:14black villains the irony is that young
1:06:17black males are now the most likely
1:06:19victims of crime in america both real
1:06:22and imagined
1:06:23i'm dana king in new york for ion
1:06:25america
1:06:27and that's part of our world tonight

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This page contains the full transcript of 1994-1995: Susan Smith, the "BLACK CARJACKER" Hoax, and the Media Circus (Raw Footage) by Hezakya Newz & Films, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 10,494 words across 1,745 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

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