Susan Smith 2024 parole hearing (FULL VIDEO) — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00Miss Brown Henry H I do have a statement
2. 0:02that I need to read into the record
3. 0:05please yes ma'am thank you I have
4. 0:09received this
5. 0:10correspondence it is addressed to The
6. 0:13Honorable chair Kimberly Frederick dated
7. 0:15November 20th
8. 0:172024 please be advised that I will
9. 0:19recuse myself in the parole hearing of
10. 0:21Susan Smith number
11. 0:2522487 I was acting Warden at Camille
12. 0:28Graham Correctional Center in 1999 where
13. 0:31inmate Smith was housed and subsequently
14. 0:34transferred to leth Correctional
15. 0:36Institution I have determined that it is
16. 0:38appropriate to recuse to eliminate any
17. 0:41appearance of affecting her opportunity
18. 0:43for parole respectfully Gerald Dean P
19. 0:47mro thank you Mrs M this is accepted if
20. 0:50you would please exit the
21. 0:52room thank you
22. 1:01Mrs Mir has recused herself of this case
23. 1:04and has exited the room thank
24. 1:08you thank you we have moved her site
25. 1:10into the lobby
26. 1:13briefly in one moment as we admit all
27. 1:15parties
28. 1:30there at least ma'am confirming you are
29. 1:32Miss Susan
30. 1:35Smith yes
31. 1:37ma'am you and attorney Tommy Thomas are
32. 1:40you able to hear us yes ma'am I am thank
33. 1:43you and they're at the support site
34. 1:45confirm you are heing support of Miss
35. 1:46Susan
36. 1:49Smith
37. 1:52you yes we can
38. 1:55hear and you're hearing support of Miss
39. 1:58Smith yeah yes
40. 2:01thank you all for joining you or before
41. 2:02the board please wait for the chairman
42. 2:03to address you good morning Miss Smith
43. 2:07good morning Mr Thomas and good morning
44. 2:09to the folks at Watkins thank you all
45. 2:11for being here with us today we hope
46. 2:13everyone is doing well miss Smith I want
47. 2:16you to know that we have received the
48. 2:18packet of information that Mr Thomas's
49. 2:20office provided to us on your behalf and
50. 2:23we have review that packet say thank you
51. 2:25for submitting that in advance of this
52. 2:27hearing today Mr Thomas are you going to
53. 2:30begin or is your client going to
54. 2:33begin uh yes ma'am I'll be glad to begin
55. 2:36yes
56. 2:38sir uh members of the board good morning
57. 2:41uh this is Susan Smith's um role hearing
58. 2:44this is probably what been one of the
59. 2:46most difficult cases that um I have had
60. 2:50to put together for a parole
61. 2:52presentation um just lots of different
62. 2:54factors to consider um she's been
63. 2:58convicted of murder of course course uh
64. 3:00she has served 30 years and she was 23
65. 3:03at the time that this incident occurred
66. 3:06um she was sentenced to life with the
67. 3:08elig eligibility of pro so that's why
68. 3:10she is here today um I'm not really
69. 3:14going to speak much about the crime um
70. 3:16there are some things that I want to
71. 3:18cover and that's not out of
72. 3:20disrespect um we were very concerned
73. 3:23about that um today is Susan's parole
74. 3:27hearing and uh so today is going to be
75. 3:30about Susan and I want to make sure that
76. 3:33uh the things that are important not
77. 3:35only to her uh but to this hearing and
78. 3:38this board um are presented and I want
79. 3:41to thank you in advance for your time um
80. 3:44to listen to everything um this story is
81. 3:49really a mental health story um some of
82. 3:52this stuff I've known Susan for a couple
83. 3:55of years and we've been working on this
84. 3:57case um one of the things when when I
85. 4:00first met her was of course trying to
86. 4:03kind of figure out some Rhyme or Reason
87. 4:05as to you know how these things have
88. 4:08happened and uh was able to uh find and
89. 4:12have uh someone come to see her on a
90. 4:15routine basis for uh
91. 4:18counseling and um also to try to help
92. 4:21her you know through the daily things
93. 4:23with Department of
94. 4:25Corrections um as a result that's kind
95. 4:27of what I kind of uh came to to the
96. 4:30conclusion was it is a mental health
97. 4:32story um it's about uh the dangers of
98. 4:36untreated mental health it is about um
99. 4:40the lack of insight the lack of
100. 4:43diagnosis into mental health and it's
101. 4:47about stigmas uh old stigmas um of
102. 4:50course I'm 68 years old I remember those
103. 4:54um hopefully they're not as bad today
104. 4:56Susan was hospitalized uh as a young
105. 4:59teen
106. 5:00uh for a short period of time uh for
107. 5:03mental health treatment and not to
108. 5:06disparage anybody but her mom um was
109. 5:10telling folks that she was in the
110. 5:12hospital because she had a um strip uh
111. 5:15infection so those were things that we
112. 5:17didn't talk about those were things that
113. 5:21um were pushed under the rug so to speak
114. 5:24because they were embarrassing they
115. 5:26showed weakness I don't know what they
116. 5:28showed um but they showed up and
117. 5:31culminated in Susan um as a result of a
118. 5:36day that all of this uh came together
119. 5:40and produced um some horrendous uh
120. 5:44results so I think it's important to
121. 5:46Susan if anybody if anything comes out
122. 5:49of this hearing it's that people
123. 5:53understand um there's nothing to be
124. 5:55ashamed of um there's nothing and no
125. 5:59reason not not to reach out and seek
126. 6:01treatment and there is certainly um no
127. 6:04Stigma that should be involved in trying
128. 6:08to better yourself and help yourself um
129. 6:11for yourself and for others members of
130. 6:13the family and everyone Susan uh moving
131. 6:16on Susan is a high school graduate she
132. 6:18has uh some college with uh USC Union
133. 6:22she uh has attended International
134. 6:24Christian college and she's worked on an
135. 6:26associates degree she's still actually
136. 6:28working on that
137. 6:30uh in Christian Counseling um she has no
138. 6:33prior record that I'm aware of uh if
139. 6:36paroled she would be living with her
140. 6:38brother uh Scotty Von Scotty is here
141. 6:40today and very briefly wanted to address
142. 6:42the board the job for her um she has
143. 6:46served year 30 years so she's been in
144. 6:48Department Corrections for a long time
145. 6:50would be through vocational rehab um the
146. 6:53P program as probational foro uh would
147. 6:57know it and we have made a arranged much
148. 7:00for after care uh with a licensed mental
149. 7:03health professional uh you have that
150. 7:05information in the packet that's been
151. 7:07provided to you um some of the programs
152. 7:11that I I took the time to look at
153. 7:13everything to look at the programs that
154. 7:15she's been involved in and um I'm not
155. 7:18going to speak about all of those that
156. 7:20you because you have those in the packet
157. 7:23uh the ones that I think are important
158. 7:25and relevant to
159. 7:26Dave uh is the self harmers group uh she
160. 7:32has committed or attempted to commit
161. 7:34suicide uh on several different
162. 7:37occasions within the Department of
163. 7:38Corrections uh seven habits uh Beyond
164. 7:42abuse jump start uh which she is a great
165. 7:45fan of she does not have um a drug or
166. 7:49alcohol addiction thank goodness um she
167. 7:52has been active on OVO and the cipher
168. 7:55Works programs uh loss and grief uh
169. 7:58healing seminars women's empowerment
170. 8:02anger management self-esteem and
171. 8:05domestic violence uh workshops I
172. 8:09normally and I've presented a number of
173. 8:11parole hearings um I first started with
174. 8:14this thinking that it had to be
175. 8:17different than normally what I would do
176. 8:19as far as a
177. 8:20presentation um and I came to the
178. 8:22conclusion maybe this week that it
179. 8:25doesn't um I think it is and I will
180. 8:28stick with what I would Norm do in as
181. 8:30far as the structure of my
182. 8:32presentation um what I always begin with
183. 8:36with the board is contributing factors
184. 8:38because I believe that's important um we
185. 8:41need to know um what was going on why it
186. 8:45was going on for the board to be able to
187. 8:49uh make a informed decision about her
188. 8:51parole um expectations and her PR
189. 8:55eligibility uh and um what kind of
190. 8:58candidate she is for a role one of the
191. 9:01things that has jumped out at me and I
192. 9:03saw this last night um in the media um
193. 9:06and I know that Susan wants to speak and
194. 9:09because she feels like it's important to
195. 9:11get the truth out there is this is not
196. 9:15about the love for another man um I saw
197. 9:17it on local TV about uh how this was all
198. 9:21about another man and and him not
199. 9:23wanting children from what I have been
200. 9:25able to determine that is just not true
201. 9:28uh I have spoken with David Brooke who
202. 9:30was a defense attorney on a number of
203. 9:32different occasions uh David has been a
204. 9:35great source of information uh in
205. 9:37regards to Susan uh he indicated to me
206. 9:41that uh this was a theory um of uh a
207. 9:47motive um by the state that's think
208. 9:50that's where we think it developed uh
209. 9:52however um this was never proven at
210. 9:55trial and it was actually abandoned um
211. 9:58by the state so um but it has stuck and
212. 10:01I just wanted to I know it's important
213. 10:03to her to bring this to your attention
214. 10:06um the contributing factors in this case
215. 10:09were multiple stress points um they
216. 10:12converged all at the same time and um we
217. 10:16are certainly not trying um to to uh say
218. 10:22anything about you know the horrific of
219. 10:25this crime it is and she was found
220. 10:27guilty but we're trying to kind of maybe
221. 10:30present to the parole board how how
222. 10:33these um things developed and how it's
223. 10:36possible that something like this could
224. 10:38happen um one of the things that has
225. 10:41been important in her life and I think
226. 10:43is a um a huge contributor uh to this
227. 10:47crime is the suicide of her dad at age
228. 10:51six um horrific um just horrific and she
229. 10:56was she blamed herself
230. 10:59uh how could he leave me um and I think
231. 11:03it sets the stage um for the beginning
232. 11:06of some serious mental health issues
233. 11:08some serious
234. 11:10depression um which just kind of
235. 11:13culminates and and continues to to
236. 11:15snowball um and the lack of you know
237. 11:18recognition and treatment for this issue
238. 11:21with her dad I mean it was like uh the
239. 11:24old stigma of um you know we just tough
240. 11:27through these these ter terrible
241. 11:29situations and you know that's how it's
242. 11:32done um it's not done that way um there
243. 11:36were some attempts to get some sort of
244. 11:39psychological help for her after a
245. 11:42couple of suicide attempts um and uh
246. 11:46never R went anywhere she was the child
247. 11:50um the adults in the picture um did not
248. 11:54and blame them I think it was the times
249. 11:57uh did not seek and and try to uh
250. 12:00understand the depth and the
251. 12:02significance of this and what it was
252. 12:03going to produce um at a later date um
253. 12:08severe
254. 12:09depression
255. 12:11um
256. 12:13potentially um depression after um the
257. 12:17birth of her last child um which was
258. 12:20also
259. 12:21undiagnosed and that postpartum
260. 12:24depression that existed in a severe
261. 12:27situation um
262. 12:29just in culmination I apologize for
263. 12:32reading something to the board but I've
264. 12:34looked at so much material and if I can
265. 12:37beg the board's uh attention for a few
266. 12:40minutes I would like to say this and
267. 12:42read this because I think it summarizes
268. 12:45everything that I've been talking about
269. 12:47and everything that um Susan uh wanted
270. 12:51to talk about what happened um she said
271. 12:54to me and this was not in preparation
272. 12:56for parole I found this uh buried in a
273. 13:00bunch of documents that had been
274. 13:02provided to me and it is from Susan and
275. 13:06she says I believe this is what happened
276. 13:08to me on October 25th
277. 13:121994 I lost touch with reality my
278. 13:15thoughts were not rational nor logic I
279. 13:19don't think I understood that if I
280. 13:22allowed this car to go into the lake U
281. 13:25that I would never see my children again
282. 13:28the finality of it was not real to me
283. 13:31because my thought were so screwed up at
284. 13:33the time my mind I thought was doing
285. 13:38what was best for them I knew Jesus
286. 13:41would take better care of them than I
287. 13:44could I was truly it was truly a moment
288. 13:48of insanity there are no easy
289. 13:51explanations and not um much
290. 13:55understanding how can you make sense of
291. 13:57something that is senseless and I think
292. 14:01that um shows the remorse that she's had
293. 14:05she's lived with this for forever since
294. 14:08this thing um when I first met her and I
295. 14:11would go and see her um remorse is
296. 14:14difficult you know that's something with
297. 14:16the parole hearings that I've presented
298. 14:19for years is to how do you say uh how do
299. 14:23you demonstrate remorse um people do it
300. 14:26in different manners and I always look
301. 14:28for that I always ask my clients um you
302. 14:31know and and look for the remorse I
303. 14:33could see the pain on her face um it was
304. 14:37so difficult um talking about things
305. 14:41were extremely difficult and not because
306. 14:46she didn't want to talk about them it's
307. 14:47just because it was so hard to talk
308. 14:50about them so I think that she is truly
309. 14:53remorseful for what happened um and I
310. 14:56think she would do anything in the world
311. 14:58um um to bring these children back but
312. 15:02moving on to the next um consideration
313. 15:05in this presentation is really changes
314. 15:08what changes has she made in herself in
315. 15:11prison one of the things I think is
316. 15:12important is that she has no prior
317. 15:14history um nothing that would lead up to
318. 15:19believe that um someone would be capable
319. 15:22of a crime of this nature which I think
320. 15:25is also indicative of what their risk is
321. 15:29if the board was um inclined to allow
322. 15:32her to P participate on parole I don't
323. 15:35think that was as a risk and I think
324. 15:38that's what our um counselor who uh had
325. 15:42seen her on a regular basis for a number
326. 15:44of years also uh indicated that it was
327. 15:47very low risk she's been IRC uh chairman
328. 15:52uh within the institution that means
329. 15:54something um you're voted on by your
330. 15:57peers and uh it is an honor um to be in
331. 16:00that position she has been a math tutor
332. 16:04in education she's helped uh numerous
333. 16:07inmates uh obtain their GED she's been
334. 16:09in the character arts
335. 16:11program uh prison fellowship which is I
336. 16:14think is extremely important to her um
337. 16:17she's much stronger in her faith um than
338. 16:21she has ever been um and that is a
339. 16:26comfort for her it's something that um
340. 16:29that she enjoys is something that is
341. 16:31extremely important jump start good
342. 16:33program um she's been in that program um
343. 16:37she would actually like to go to
344. 16:39jumpstart if the board would consider
345. 16:42her um for parole um he has been out of
346. 16:45the program for a couple of years and
347. 16:47that would be she'd have to do some
348. 16:49other things for that to happen so
349. 16:52that's why we have chosen that um she
350. 16:54would go and live with her brother good
351. 16:57solid individual in the community
352. 16:58Community willing to um uh help her in
353. 17:03any manner and um one thing I've noticed
354. 17:07from the family and friends is that we
355. 17:12mourn with her um the pain of this crime
356. 17:17but um we still love her and we're there
357. 17:21for her um so she has that uh for her
358. 17:25and uh which is a great resource if the
359. 17:28board was going to consider um her for
360. 17:32uh parole one of the other things I've
361. 17:34noticed is giving back to the community
362. 17:36uh arts and crafts she's made arts and
363. 17:39crafts that she's donated to charity uh
364. 17:42she's helped uh St judee's um she's
365. 17:46helped staff members she said that um an
366. 17:50insight into what's going on with her um
367. 17:54stand on her own two feet not to be
368. 17:56influenced by others uh live a better
369. 17:59life think before acting um and you know
370. 18:04other people are affected by um your
371. 18:06decisions and your actions and the
372. 18:09importance of mental health I think that
373. 18:11comes back into what we're talking about
374. 18:15um it's not a it's not an excuse but it
375. 18:18is certainly uh some indication or maybe
376. 18:22explanation as to um what was going on
377. 18:26um the goals and that's is is my final
378. 18:29area for my presentation is
379. 18:33that
380. 18:35um I don't think she'll ever be able to
381. 18:37forgive
382. 18:38herself um that is something that she
383. 18:40struggles with forever I don't think
384. 18:42that creates a danger to anyone except
385. 18:46potentially may be a danger to her um
386. 18:49her medications her mental health
387. 18:51medications have been um balanced well U
388. 18:55by the Department of Corrections um I
389. 18:58think she thinks as clear now as she
390. 19:00ever has um I think that she is able to
391. 19:05establish goals and what she would like
392. 19:08to do um in her life and and I think on
393. 19:12the top of that list is to give back and
394. 19:15to try to help others um she said that
395. 19:19um no one should suffer um in the way
396. 19:23that um uh in their treatment um there
397. 19:27is there is help of available and um she
398. 19:30wants to help to get out and maybe help
399. 19:34to promote that um that concept that
400. 19:37there's help out there um you just have
401. 19:39to seek it and um she said she'd like to
402. 19:43live a quiet life she would welcome
403. 19:46supervision uh if granted parole and
404. 19:48maybe that is the best thing about this
405. 19:51situation um from that type of um
406. 19:55situation is that uh if she's granted
407. 19:57parole um it is for life and she will be
408. 20:01supervised and she will be monitored by
409. 20:04the uh Department of Probation and
410. 20:06Parole services for the rest of her life
411. 20:10um she said that she would welcome that
412. 20:13because that is another pillar of
413. 20:16stability that is available for her that
414. 20:19she can reach out to and she said that
415. 20:22that would be a vital and instrumental
416. 20:24part of her life she loves animals um
417. 20:28she said that would like to find a job
418. 20:30helping with dogs and cats I often ask
419. 20:33my clients um if you could choose and
420. 20:37you could make these wishes come true
421. 20:39what would you like to do you know what
422. 20:41is the job that you truly would enjoy
423. 20:45often that's different um than the job
424. 20:48that we have and um I think that job for
425. 20:51Susan is the the Care for Animals and
426. 20:55being involved in um in that area uh of
427. 21:00help
428. 21:04um in
429. 21:06closing
430. 21:11um I think that uh she has indicated to
431. 21:16me that her desire is to um make her
432. 21:20life mean
433. 21:22something um something other than uh the
434. 21:26things that that she has done
435. 21:29um to make a positive impact in her life
436. 21:34I talked to somebody I've spoken to a
437. 21:36number of people and I've spoken to one
438. 21:39person that told me um State they were
439. 21:44at the trial and they said that their
440. 21:48impression of Susan was that she was
441. 21:51living to
442. 21:52die um I didn't really understand that I
443. 21:57think the more
444. 21:59that I have uh been talking to her and
445. 22:03preparing this case that um uh maybe I
446. 22:07do um I think that has been Susan's life
447. 22:11is living to die um for the things that
448. 22:16she has done and um I think that what
449. 22:21she's asking today is to board is to ask
450. 22:25the board to consider a parole for her
451. 22:28um so maybe she can make something
452. 22:32positive um out of a um a horrific
453. 22:36situation I want to thank you for your
454. 22:38time I know I've taken a lot of time
455. 22:40today um I would just ask if you would
456. 22:42please um consider her for for
457. 22:45release thank you Mr Thomas and
458. 22:48appreciate all your coms and again thank
459. 22:50you for the the very detailed packet
460. 22:52that you
461. 22:53presented Miss Smith yes ma'am what
462. 22:56would you like to tell us today
463. 23:03first of all I want to say how very
464. 23:08sorry I am
465. 23:22um it's okay Susan
466. 23:25just just
467. 23:29just talk with
468. 23:35us I know that what I knew was
469. 23:43[Music]
470. 23:50horrible and I don't give anything if I
471. 23:53can go back and change
472. 23:55it and I love Michael and Al
473. 23:59with all my
474. 24:13heart drugs or alcohol the night that
475. 24:15you murdered your
476. 24:18children no ma'am I was
477. 24:22not your attorney your attorney talked
478. 24:25about working with mental health is that
479. 24:27helpful to you
480. 24:32ma'am Mr Thomas he Mr Thomas talked
481. 24:36about the fact that you were working
482. 24:38with mental health and my question is is
483. 24:40that helpful to
484. 24:43you yes ma'am is that something that you
485. 24:47would be willing to continue with on the
486. 24:48outside if you were granted
487. 24:53parole yes Ma
488. 24:56[Music]
489. 24:58Miss Smith your crime took a lot of of
490. 25:01resources from the law enforcement
491. 25:04Community what if anything would you say
492. 25:07to the folks who worked so hard to find
493. 25:10your children if you had the opportunity
494. 25:12to speak to them
495. 25:17today that I'm sorry that I put them
496. 25:20through that I really really H and I'm
497. 25:22especially sorry to the I had to find
498. 25:27them I wish I could take that back I
499. 25:29really
500. 25:31do I was really I didn't lie to get away
501. 25:36with it really didn't I was just
502. 25:39scared I didn't know how I could tell
503. 25:42the people that love them that they
504. 25:43would never see them
505. 25:45again I didn't know how I could tell
506. 25:47David he couldn't see his son
507. 25:51again and I'm I'm just I'm sorry I don't
508. 25:56know I know that's not enough I know
509. 25:58it's not but I don't know I know those
510. 26:01just have like words but they come from
511. 26:03my heart they really
512. 26:06do right one of the things that we
513. 26:08review is your institutional record and
514. 26:11you've had some infractions throughout
515. 26:13the years um some involving um the use
516. 26:18of some narcotics do you have any issues
517. 26:21with drugs or alcohol at this
518. 26:24point I don't no ma'am I don't and you
519. 26:27had a
520. 26:28recent you had a recent disciplinary
521. 26:31infraction just a few months
522. 26:34ago so why should this board think that
523. 26:38if we Grant you parole that you're going
524. 26:40to go out and follow the rules and the
525. 26:43laws of society if you do not follow the
526. 26:46rules within the
527. 26:51institution well this last impression um
528. 26:58I was trusted the wrong person this lady
529. 27:01contacted me and I trusted her I thought
530. 27:04she was going to do a documentary on
531. 27:07mental health and I really am not guilty
532. 27:11of what they to what they charged me
533. 27:13with and I have found an appeal on that
534. 27:16charge um and as far as your question
535. 27:23um I've never been in trouble before and
536. 27:27the things that I have found guilty of
537. 27:30in
538. 27:32here have been just stupidity I just
539. 27:37made I I know I made a lot of mistakes
540. 27:40in here and I have learned from them and
541. 27:42before this last infraction had been 10
542. 27:45years cuz I grew up and I knew that I
543. 27:48needed to stop making dumb decisions and
544. 27:52I did I I just I knew it was time to
545. 27:56just to grow up do the right thing I
546. 27:59just made a lot of dumb choices and
547. 28:02mistakes in here so I know I've learned
548. 28:06from those
549. 28:07mistakes what do you feel is the most
550. 28:09important thing that you've learned
551. 28:11while you've been
552. 28:13incarcerated ma'am what do you think is
553. 28:16the most important thing that you have
554. 28:18learned while you have been
555. 28:24incarcerated that um
556. 28:28that people are important that
557. 28:32it's that forgiveness and love um that
558. 28:38family is important and that decisions
559. 28:41we make not just affect us they affect
560. 28:44the people that we
561. 28:46love and not to take things or people
562. 28:49for
563. 28:51granted right is there anything else
564. 28:53that you would like to tell us today
565. 28:55that wasn't in your packet or that has
566. 28:57not already been
567. 29:01sad um I would just like to say that
568. 29:07um I am a Christian and God is a big
569. 29:12part of my life and I know he has
570. 29:14forgiven
571. 29:15me and it is by his grace and mercy that
572. 29:19and I have a lot of faith and I live by
573. 29:21that every day and I just ask that that
574. 29:25you um show that same kind of Mercy as
575. 29:29well
576. 29:32um
577. 29:35and I guess yeah that's it thank you are
578. 29:39there any other questions from the
579. 29:43board Folks at Watkins I need each of
580. 29:47you to please state your name for the
581. 29:49record and your relationship to Miss
582. 29:51Smith ma'am can we begin with you please
583. 29:59St your name
584. 30:03relationship what' St your name in
585. 30:07relationship I did not is it is it I yes
586. 30:11ma uh I'm an Curry I'm a longterm friend
587. 30:17and um supporter of C thank you Miss Cur
588. 30:22and sir your name
589. 30:25please and
590. 30:29me State your your relationship state
591. 30:32your name relationship okay uh I'm the
592. 30:36Reverend Tom Curry uh I've known Susan
593. 30:40briefly when she was a teenager when I
594. 30:43was called in for one session each
595. 30:46counseling about two different matters
596. 30:49once by her teacher and once by Susan
597. 30:52and I testified in her trial uh which
598. 30:57the in the sentencing phase and I have
599. 31:00kept up with her uh by writing
600. 31:06her thank you we weekly for the last 30
601. 31:11years I did this because I felt that she
602. 31:16needed somebody to remind her that her
603. 31:20whole life was not caught up in that one
604. 31:25experience but that she could put her
605. 31:28life back together because her life was
606. 31:30in such turmoil when all this happened
607. 31:34and I think she's a different person now
608. 31:37and that's what I want to talk about
609. 31:39when I get a chance to say a word about
610. 31:41it I have new hearing age and I can't
611. 31:45always hear your questions but my mind's
612. 31:48fine and uh I'm just retired pres
613. 31:52Minister along well thank you Mr Curry
614. 31:55we appreciate that and you're welcome
615. 31:57you're welcome to make your statement
616. 31:59that you would like to make right
617. 32:02now all right okay I want to start with
618. 32:06her trial uh uh Mr Curry let me
619. 32:09interrupt you before you get too far
620. 32:11into that we are not here to retry her
621. 32:14case in any form or fashion that is not
622. 32:18the purpose of the parole board we are
623. 32:20here to determine if she is a good
624. 32:22candidate for parole and if so we would
625. 32:24set the parameters of that parole but in
626. 32:27no way can we discuss the trial or retry
627. 32:31her case she was convicted of two counts
628. 32:33of murder if you'd like to speak to
629. 32:36anything outside of that you're welcome
630. 32:39to okay me now I just want to say two
631. 32:43things about the trial I only went to
632. 32:46the trial uh for one part of one morning
633. 32:50uh to testify and the cing pH against
634. 32:53the death penalty and the two things
635. 32:55that I picked up from the trial itself
636. 32:58was one a prison guard who came a female
637. 33:02who said that uh she had not seen a a
638. 33:08criminal as remorseful as Susan was uh
639. 33:13and that she felt her remor remorse for
640. 33:16what she had done was genuine and the
641. 33:19second thing was one of the jurors uh
642. 33:22the prosecuting attorney was pushing
643. 33:25hard for the death penalty and the jury
644. 33:27voted not and they voted life as you all
645. 33:30have already mentioned but one of the
646. 33:32jurors said that she felt
647. 33:36like that it would be harder for Susan
648. 33:39to live with what she had done than to
649. 33:44die and I thought that was a true
650. 33:47statement and it certainly has been for
651. 33:50Susan during her 30 years in prison and
652. 33:54especially the first part of her time
653. 33:56that she was there it's been mentioned
654. 33:58she attempted suicide several times and
655. 34:02she had a couple of run-ins where guards
656. 34:05were able to use her for their pleasure
657. 34:09uh and uh that's a bad situation and was
658. 34:14dealt with and she was not the only
659. 34:17prisoner involved in thank you Mr Cur
660. 34:20thank you for
661. 34:21com thank you for your comments Mrs
662. 34:24Curry do you wish to say anything
663. 34:28um yes please and thank you for letting
664. 34:30us speak I just want to say that I
665. 34:34really think Susan is ready for parole
666. 34:37now she has surrounded herself with a
667. 34:41caring support Community to that advises
668. 34:45and encourages her and she listens to
669. 34:51them as um Mr Thomas said she has done
670. 34:56everything she can to prepare herself to
671. 34:59live outside of prison in taking courses
672. 35:02and learning how to teach in caring
673. 35:05about other people and working on teams
674. 35:09and projects together and thirdly is um
675. 35:15both of them have said she is not the
676. 35:18young woman who went into prison 30
677. 35:20years ago she is much
678. 35:22stronger she has grieved is still
679. 35:26grieving will always
680. 35:28SC um but she's learned from it and she
681. 35:32has
682. 35:34experienced paralyzing remorse and
683. 35:38survived today she wants to begin to
684. 35:41rebuild her life and I hope you'll give
685. 35:44her that chance I want to say one more
686. 35:47word for the last two years now remember
687. 35:50I wrote her for 30 years once a week
688. 35:54pretty close to every week and that is
689. 35:57the last two years I've ended my letters
690. 36:00by saying Susan you live in a needy
691. 36:03Place PR share God's love with those
692. 36:08around you and with your other contacts
693. 36:11but always live in Hope for your own
694. 36:13future there is a time when you will
695. 36:17live on your own again past present and
696. 36:21that's what I hope you all will give her
697. 36:23the chance to do at this time she is a
698. 36:28very different person from what she was
699. 36:3230 years ago and I've probably been in
700. 36:35contact with her talking about spiritual
701. 36:39things but also talk just trying to
702. 36:42enlarge her life by telling her about
703. 36:45what's going on in the world around her
704. 36:47and in the curry family she's the same
705. 36:50age as one of my children all right
706. 36:53thank you Mr Curry app all your comments
707. 36:56Ser this we appreciate all of your
708. 36:58comments and all of the information Mr
709. 37:01Thomas anything in closing
710. 37:03sir no ma'am um nothing further than um
711. 37:08I really um would ask the board to take
712. 37:11the time to consider um Susan's request
713. 37:14for um parole I do believe that if we
714. 37:18look at uh insight into uh things that
715. 37:22we've done and as far as things that U
716. 37:25we need to do to um to get out of um
717. 37:28Department Corrections and to try to
718. 37:31make our life worthwhile or mean
719. 37:32something I think Susan is at that point
720. 37:36and uh I just again want to thank you
721. 37:37for listening today and um and hope you
722. 37:41would um consider our presentation thank
723. 37:43you Mr Thomas thank you Miss Smith and
724. 37:46thank you Mr Mrs Curry we certainly
725. 37:48appreciate all of you joining us today
726. 37:50if you all will please exit the rooms we
727. 37:52will have an answer for you later today
728. 37:54thank you for joining
729. 37:56us thank one moment as the room
730. 38:08clears and the room is clear and we do
731. 38:10have additional testimony facilitated by
732. 38:12the office of victim
733. 38:15services please wait as all victims join
734. 38:17from central office
735. 38:46you come on in thank
736. 38:53you can you may just a little further
737. 38:56around so you can get everyone
738. 38:57thank you so
739. 39:06much thank you good afternoon you all
740. 39:10are here for the parole consideration
741. 39:12case of Susan Smith is that correct yes
742. 39:15we are so very very sorry for the
743. 39:18circumstances that brought you all to be
744. 39:20a part of this hearing today but we
745. 39:22cannot tell you how much we appreciate
746. 39:24you joining us and being here with us
747. 39:26today thank you so much before we begin
748. 39:29I do need each of you to please state
749. 39:32your name for the record and your
750. 39:34interest in this case sir can we begin
751. 39:36with you please stand up you don't have
752. 39:39to stand up you you do whatever is
753. 39:41comfortable for you I'm David Smith I'm
754. 39:44the father of Michael Al thank you
755. 39:47Mr and um Tiffany Smith I Am David
756. 39:50Smith's
757. 39:53wife I'm Rebecca Smith French I'm the
758. 39:56aunt of Michael
759. 39:59I'm Savannah Smith and I am David's
760. 40:01daughter of Michael now's
761. 40:02sister Austin Hughes I'm a friend of the
762. 40:05victim family I'm Tommy Bo I was the
763. 40:08solicitor in the original
764. 40:10trial I'm Kevin bracket I'm the 16th
765. 40:13circuit solicitor currently and was a
766. 40:15prosecutor on the original
767. 40:16case Laura Hudson was a Crime Victims
768. 40:20counsel Mark Reynolds I'm with the
769. 40:23victims
770. 40:24family Billy Bailey personal friend
771. 40:28Kathy Bailey personal
772. 40:30friend Jeff Bailey Sheriff Union
773. 40:33County Scott C Sheriff off can Michael
774. 40:37cogal
775. 40:39documentar Swan
776. 40:42aicha Doug Smith Dave's
777. 40:45Uncle thank you all and again we are so
778. 40:48very very sorry for the circumstances
779. 40:52but thank you for being here with us
780. 40:54today we do have the facts of the AU
781. 40:57we've heard from Miss SM now we want to
782. 40:59hear from you all whether you were for
783. 41:02or against parole and if anyone would
784. 41:05like to make a statement you are
785. 41:06certainly welcome to do so Mr Smith
786. 41:10would you like to begin or would you
787. 41:11like to conclude at the end it's
788. 41:13completely up to
789. 41:15you conclude at the end please okay who
790. 41:18would like to speak first I'll speak
791. 41:21first please ma'am thank you yes sir so
792. 41:24I'm Tommy Pope I was the 16th circuit
793. 41:26solicitor
794. 41:27and um this was a death penalty case and
795. 41:30the reason it was a death penalty case
796. 41:32you know the solicor has that discretion
797. 41:34but the reason it was a deathy case uh
798. 41:36you know the facts and circumstances and
799. 41:38I I just felt strongly that had the
800. 41:41black man with the deogan committed the
801. 41:43crime people would expect a death
802. 41:45penalty if David Smith had committed the
803. 41:48crime people would expected the death
804. 41:50penalty and I thought it was very
805. 41:52important that the Betrayal that Susan
806. 41:54Smith showed that she be treated the
807. 41:56same we we knew it was going to be
808. 41:58difficult we knew there was a likelihood
809. 41:59of of not achieving the death penalty uh
810. 42:02but I think it's important to note the
811. 42:03jury at the time actually ask would what
812. 42:06did life mean and and you may be aware
813. 42:09but in that time life did not mean life
814. 42:11life became life in '96 we tried the
815. 42:14case in 95 um so the jury was asking the
816. 42:17judge was required to instruct the jury
817. 42:19that you take life and death and its
818. 42:21plain and usual meaning carrying that
819. 42:24forward the jury showed her mercy the
820. 42:26jury gave her a life sentence but one of
821. 42:28the jurors or more of the jurors after
822. 42:30the fact and speaking to the media said
823. 42:33that they believe the life sentence was
824. 42:36the greater punishment because they
825. 42:38believe that Susan should have to
826. 42:40reflect on what she did to Michael and
827. 42:42Alex that she should have to spend the
828. 42:45rest of her life uh thinking about what
829. 42:47she'd done the two fallacies in that
830. 42:50logic that the jury could not have known
831. 42:52or number one obviously we're here today
832. 42:54so life did not mean life uh number
833. 42:57number two and you have it before you
834. 42:59Susan's conduct from the day she rolled
835. 43:01the kids in the lake the defense claimed
836. 43:03a a botch suicide but she was able to
837. 43:06save herself she was able to blame a
838. 43:08black guy she wasn't wet she wasn't
839. 43:11injured when she runs to the house in
840. 43:12conco his story Susan has always focused
841. 43:16on Susan I will believe to to the end of
842. 43:19my time that Susan made a horrible
843. 43:22horrible choice to choose a man over her
844. 43:25family I said the boy boys were in the
845. 43:27car her wedding gown was in the car her
846. 43:29wedding album was in the car she thought
847. 43:32in a nice packet she could roll that
848. 43:34away if she could have put David in the
849. 43:35car he would have been there too she in
850. 43:37a nice package she could roll that away
851. 43:40and start this new life with this other
852. 43:42man and she led everyone on including
853. 43:45David for nine horrible days and so as
854. 43:48you look at her conduct in prison
855. 43:49whether it was a relationship with
856. 43:51guards um the social media the attention
857. 43:55uh the conduct recently with the the
858. 43:58publisher um Susan you know she's got
859. 44:00people outside I'm sure you've heard
860. 44:02from them that want to take care of her
861. 44:04Susan has always focused on what's best
862. 44:07for Susan and so the evidence that you
863. 44:09have before you I think tells clearly
864. 44:12that she has not focused on Michael and
865. 44:14Alex she only has and continues to focus
866. 44:17on herself and so on behalf of this
867. 44:20family on behalf of justice and the
868. 44:22Justice with this case it's not about
869. 44:24her behavior or what she would do when
870. 44:26getting out but I know one of your
871. 44:28criteria is the nature of the crime and
872. 44:30whether the punishment is there and I
873. 44:32would submit for the crime she committed
874. 44:34the actions she committed that
875. 44:36punishment has not been achieved yet and
876. 44:38so I would ask you to deny parole now
877. 44:41thank you for your time thank you
878. 44:45appreciated would anyone else like to
879. 44:48speak yes yes sir Madam chairman uh
880. 44:52chair lady and members of the board
881. 44:53thank you so much for giving me the
882. 44:55opportunity to speak here today I was on
883. 44:57the prosecution team that handled the
884. 45:00prosecution along with uh solic Pope and
885. 45:03speaker pope now uh who you just heard
886. 45:05from I wanted to bring to you a a couple
887. 45:09of vignettes from the case to help bring
888. 45:11this alive for you um in the course of
889. 45:14preparing for today I've gone back over
890. 45:17the case I've reviewed the file I've
891. 45:19pulled some of the evidence out which is
892. 45:20in a closet just off my office evidence
893. 45:24like the note that was written uh to
894. 45:26Susan Smith by her her boyfriend the man
895. 45:29she was cheating on her husband with who
896. 45:31told her in the note that he could not
897. 45:33be with her anymore because he didn't
898. 45:35want children and that they had no
899. 45:37long-term future because he didn't want
900. 45:39children and then one week later she's
901. 45:42rolling her car down the ramp at John D
902. 45:44long lake with her two children strapped
903. 45:47into the back she betrayed her husband
904. 45:49when she cheated on him and she betrayed
905. 45:51her
906. 45:53children against the laws of nature
907. 45:57when she should have been sworn to
908. 45:59protect those children she betrayed them
909. 46:02when she left them in the seat and
910. 46:04rolled that car down and she was not
911. 46:06trying to commit suicide she was trying
912. 46:08to change her life she wanted to kill
913. 46:10her old life and start a new she was
914. 46:12wearing a sweatshirt that the man who
915. 46:15she was cheating with had given to her
916. 46:18when she was on TV 2 hours later after
917. 46:21claiming that a black man in a Tagan had
918. 46:24carjacked her and spirited her two
919. 46:26children away how many black men in red
920. 46:30mazas got pulled over across the country
921. 46:33because they were looking for those two
922. 46:35kids and they were looking for this
923. 46:36fictitious man that didn't exist purely
924. 46:39a figment of her imagination I was on
925. 46:41the banks of John D long lake standing
926. 46:44there with about 40 or 45 people 50
927. 46:47people as the tow truck from Greer's
928. 46:50wrecker launched its line into the water
929. 46:53where divers hooked it up to the car and
930. 46:55pulled it out
931. 46:57total silence as that car emerged from
932. 46:59the Dark Water everybody sitting there
933. 47:02hoping and praying that maybe it was a
934. 47:04different car maybe it was a wrong car
935. 47:07maybe the kids weren't in there not a
936. 47:10word was said it was one of the most
937. 47:12haunting memories of my life and it will
938. 47:13live with me forever and that's the last
939. 47:16point I want to
940. 47:18make you're going to hear from this man
941. 47:21and he's going to tell you what this did
942. 47:23to
943. 47:25him I can't begin to describe it I sat
944. 47:28in court and listened to him testify and
945. 47:30it was heart-wrenching as he described
946. 47:32that his hopes and dreams for the future
947. 47:35were destroyed that night when she
948. 47:37killed their two
949. 47:40children this didn't just traumatize him
950. 47:43it
951. 47:44traumatized Union it traumatized South
952. 47:47Carolina the entire country was in the
953. 47:51grips of her lie and her
954. 47:55treachery the entire entire country this
955. 47:57was a
956. 47:58global sensation people were fixated on
957. 48:06this they're not the only victims and on
958. 48:09behalf of the community that I represent
959. 48:12now I don't believe she should ever be
960. 48:15released from jail until the last person
961. 48:19alive who remembers Michael and Alex is
962. 48:22dead and that will not be in her
963. 48:25lifetime she should never be released
964. 48:27and she should not really released now
965. 48:29his hopes and dreams were dashed I hope
966. 48:32you dash hers today and every two years
967. 48:34to here out thank you
968. 48:39s does anyone else wish to
969. 48:47speak
970. 48:49okay you're welcome to stay seated if
971. 48:51you're more comfortable whatever is best
972. 48:53for you thank you
973. 48:58I want to read what I wrote okay it's
974. 49:00easy you don't mind when Susan murdered
975. 49:03Michael net she altered the course of my
976. 49:06life and my family's life forever having
977. 49:09grown up with three older brothers Susan
978. 49:12was like the sister I never had I was a
979. 49:14teenage mom of just 16 so I looked up to
980. 49:17her and even admired her I thought she
981. 49:20was the best mother to the boys and I
982. 49:22strive to be just like her I would even
983. 49:24leave my own daughter with her while
984. 49:26it's in ended night school Susan
985. 49:28betrayed us and took the lies of those
986. 49:30boys and then lied about it for days
987. 49:34when she did this she destroyed a trust
988. 49:35in me that I've never regained and as a
989. 49:38result I do not develop close
990. 49:40relationships with others easily in
991. 49:42particular
992. 49:43females anxiety and depression have
993. 49:45plagued my life for years I push it away
994. 49:48during spring and summer as best
995. 49:50possible but it always creeps back dur
996. 49:53back up around Alex's birthday when it
997. 49:55rolls around in August because I know
998. 49:57Michaels won't be far behind in October
999. 50:00and then the anniversary of their death
1000. 50:01on the 25th CU in my mind that always
1001. 50:05refer to this period of time as a sad
1002. 50:08months throughout my career the majority
1003. 50:10of any time missed at work is around
1004. 50:13Michael and Alex's birthdays and the
1005. 50:15anniversary of their
1006. 50:18death I stay in bed and sleep to do with
1007. 50:20the depression it's just easier this way
1008. 50:23or at least it seems to be
1009. 50:28something as simple as taking up a new
1010. 50:30hobby turned into a nightmare for me
1011. 50:32last year my boyfriend I decided to take
1012. 50:35scuba diving lessons I geared up with
1013. 50:37all the equipment face mask on oxygen
1014. 50:40tank on my back stepped off the side of
1015. 50:42the pool into 15 ft of water and
1016. 50:44immediately sank to the bottom from all
1017. 50:47the weight I was carrying normally you'd
1018. 50:49remember to breathe and begin to ascend
1019. 50:52as I had studied for all the weeks
1020. 50:54leading up to that point but nothing
1021. 50:56prepared me for dropping into a body of
1022. 50:58water and the feeling of being waited
1023. 51:00down unable to breathe and seeing
1024. 51:03Michael and Alex's
1025. 51:05face I immediately panicked ripping off
1026. 51:08my face mask sucking in water and not
1027. 51:10being able to come to the surface from
1028. 51:11all the weight I was caring I was
1029. 51:14drowning and I knew in that moment that
1030. 51:17was the closest I'd ever come to KN when
1031. 51:20what my nephews had endured and how
1032. 51:23horrific and scared their last moment
1033. 51:26had to have been something as simple as
1034. 51:29taking up a new hobby but yet one more
1035. 51:31thing Susan was taken from
1036. 51:34me in over 25 years I have found myself
1037. 51:38finding Comfort going to the cemetery
1038. 51:40where the boys are buried beside our
1039. 51:42older brother I go there often and I
1040. 51:45will tidy up their graves where people
1041. 51:47have left trinkets or gifts and I talk
1042. 51:49to them I go there when I'm happy I go
1043. 51:52there when I'm upset rainy days sunny
1044. 51:55days
1045. 51:57cold days and hot days it doesn't matter
1046. 52:00it brings me peace just being
1047. 52:02there but as a result I'm not able to
1048. 52:06bring myself to move away from Union
1049. 52:09County because now I don't want to leave
1050. 52:12them we have missed Michael KN his
1051. 52:15kindergarten graduations numerous
1052. 52:17birthdays birthday parties submer
1053. 52:20vacations
1054. 52:22easers along with annual Easter hunt egg
1055. 52:25hunts at M Mall thanksgivings
1056. 52:28Christmases football soccer baseball
1057. 52:30games
1058. 52:31proms High School graduations possible
1059. 52:36marriages and births of their own
1060. 52:38children we don't
1061. 52:40know because they never had a
1062. 52:44chance they never had a chance to live a
1063. 52:47life of their own Susan took that from
1064. 52:51them she took that from us
1065. 52:54all I know she wants a chance to be free
1066. 52:57after only serving 30
1067. 53:00years
1068. 53:01no life should mean
1069. 53:05life I'm respectfully asking you please
1070. 53:09deny her request for
1071. 53:10Paro thank you thank
1072. 53:19you I apologize if I get a little bit
1073. 53:22emotional uh I drove down from Detroit
1074. 53:28on Monday night which was Halloween
1075. 53:30before of that week and um young man
1076. 53:34middle-aged man then I'm an old man now
1077. 53:38but the boys never got
1078. 53:42to as Becky said they missed they missed
1079. 53:45a lot they missed her
1080. 53:47life today they would be in their 30s
1081. 53:50DAV would would probably be a
1082. 53:53Granddad boys were still here
1083. 53:56I took my sister out to the lake
1084. 53:59yesterday and it's a beautiful drive out
1085. 54:02there I just
1086. 54:04thinking all the all that time she had
1087. 54:07time to change her mind to stop and turn
1088. 54:10around and not go through with it but
1089. 54:12she
1090. 54:13did and then the boys were gone a year
1091. 54:16later I came back down for the trial
1092. 54:20Tommy pope did a good job that proved
1093. 54:23that she was guilty
1094. 54:27during the sentence and trial they came
1095. 54:31back and
1096. 54:31recommended life Tommy had argued for
1097. 54:36for death penalty the family was for
1098. 54:38death penalty they come back and
1099. 54:40recommend a life but we we said well
1100. 54:44we'll live with
1101. 54:45it you know she'll have to live with it
1102. 54:47for the every day for the rest of her
1103. 54:49life so we were we were satisfied with
1104. 54:53life but we do not want to parole
1105. 54:56against any Paro for her then two other
1106. 55:00items going back 30 years the the Friday
1107. 55:03morning
1108. 55:15after
1109. 55:22apologize but the Friday morning after
1110. 55:24uh David his dad
1111. 55:26my brother's wife and and I the four of
1112. 55:29us were sitting at hul funeral home and
1113. 55:33Union and uh discussing the funeral
1114. 55:36arrangements David asked to see the
1115. 55:38boys and Mr hulkin had a funny look in
1116. 55:42his face and he he said Mr Smith could I
1117. 55:44see
1118. 55:53you so we we went out
1119. 55:56and he saidou know your nephew can't see
1120. 55:59the voice and he told me why he saidou
1121. 56:03know the boys were in the water for nine
1122. 56:10days so I went back and told David I
1123. 56:14said you
1124. 56:15know it's better that you don't see the
1125. 56:18boys and I think deep down he understood
1126. 56:21why
1127. 56:31the next day Saturday three of us David
1128. 56:34his dad and I went out to the uh
1129. 56:36banville United Methodist Church
1130. 56:39Cemetery and to look where the boys are
1131. 56:42going to be buried and David's brother
1132. 56:46Danny who had died three years earlier
1133. 56:48was buried there David one of his boys
1134. 56:51buried next to his his uh brother their
1135. 56:54uncle but the way the cemeteries laid
1136. 56:57out there was no room for for the boys
1137. 56:59to be put next to
1138. 57:11Danny so I found the uh the uh Cemetery
1139. 57:17custodian and asked him it were possible
1140. 57:20to move
1141. 57:22Danny and he said well yes if that's
1142. 57:24what the family wants we can move
1143. 57:26Danny so I went back and saw my
1144. 57:30brother said you know David wants the
1145. 57:33boys be next to their Uncle would you
1146. 57:35have a problem we moved
1147. 57:47Dy and he said
1148. 57:49no so if you go out to the cemetery
1149. 57:54you'll find that Danny
1150. 57:56and the boys are side by
1151. 58:06side does anyone else wish to speak
1152. 58:14yes so as as David's
1153. 58:17wife I have stood by him for the last 30
1154. 58:20years and watched his pain his
1155. 58:24suffering his dark days
1156. 58:27that you cannot
1157. 58:31imagine it's been hard as a loving wife
1158. 58:35to stand back and watch him suffer the
1159. 58:37pain that he has gone
1160. 58:40through to not want to get out of bed
1161. 58:43some
1162. 58:46days to not be able to get out of
1163. 58:53bed because the pain was so much for
1164. 59:01him and for 30 years we had thought this
1165. 59:04day would never come but yet here we
1166. 59:11are I don't feel that that it's time for
1167. 59:14her to be let out because she took two
1168. 59:17lives she didn't just take one she took
1169. 59:20two precious little
1170. 59:22boys that we haven't been able to watch
1171. 59:24grow up
1172. 59:29and it's Becky stated earlier all the
1173. 59:31things that we've missed out on because
1174. 59:33of them not being here all the things
1175. 59:36they missed out on growing up and and
1176. 59:47doing and for her to be in prison for
1177. 59:50the last 30 years you would think that
1178. 59:52she would have thought about what she's
1179. 59:54done she would have said I'm I'm sorry
1180. 59:56but she hasn't said I'm sorry she hasn't
1181. 59:59even called him hasn't even told him she
1182. 1:00:01was
1183. 1:00:04sorry much less the
1184. 1:00:06world for nine days all I can think
1185. 1:00:09about is how much she
1186. 1:00:11lied and manipulated
1187. 1:00:13everybody the whole
1188. 1:00:15world I watched it and believed her
1189. 1:00:21myself I wanted her to be telling the
1190. 1:00:24truth
1191. 1:00:27but to be betrayed by her
1192. 1:00:30lies and that just makes me feel like if
1193. 1:00:33she could do that then whatever she's
1194. 1:00:35told you today I'm sure we probably lies
1195. 1:00:37as
1196. 1:00:39well because she has shown in her last
1197. 1:00:4130 years what she does in prison she's
1198. 1:00:45all about herself it's all about what
1199. 1:00:48she can do to to make her life better
1200. 1:00:57Michael and Alex didn't get a chance at
1201. 1:00:59life they were forced the death
1202. 1:01:04penalty she took that from
1203. 1:01:15them the lives of this family has been
1204. 1:01:17forever
1205. 1:01:21changed it caused us to be a little
1206. 1:01:23overprotective of our now daughter
1207. 1:01:26a little B more than we probably should
1208. 1:01:28have
1209. 1:01:30been because we were afraid something
1210. 1:01:32might happen to
1211. 1:01:38her it's changed the way we look at life
1212. 1:01:41it's changed the way that we look
1213. 1:01:43at everybody who can I
1214. 1:01:46trust for a long time I didn't trust a
1215. 1:01:49lot of people I had to be careful you
1216. 1:01:52know around certain people I didn't know
1217. 1:01:53if I could trust them or not all because
1218. 1:01:56of her
1219. 1:02:05lies so to help give us to give this
1220. 1:02:08family some
1221. 1:02:10peace it would be best if Susan stay
1222. 1:02:12behind
1223. 1:02:15cars and stay in prison for the rest of
1224. 1:02:18her
1225. 1:02:19life I respectfully ask you to keep her
1226. 1:02:22in thank you
1227. 1:02:30isn't anyone else supposed to speak for
1228. 1:02:33Mr SMI she
1229. 1:02:40anyone forgive
1230. 1:02:46me most of what I have to say is going
1231. 1:02:49to be pretty
1232. 1:02:52redundant but um
1233. 1:02:57primarily I would just like to focus
1234. 1:03:02on since I came after the
1235. 1:03:05fact what I had stolen from
1236. 1:03:08me was two older
1237. 1:03:11brothers the good and the bad of having
1238. 1:03:13older
1239. 1:03:16siblings
1240. 1:03:19and I now try to use my
1241. 1:03:23life as a way to live for them
1242. 1:03:27and growing
1243. 1:03:30up I didn't quite understand it my whole
1244. 1:03:32life but when I finally
1245. 1:03:34did I felt like I had witnessed it like
1246. 1:03:37I was
1247. 1:03:39there the pain that Not only was caused
1248. 1:03:41to
1249. 1:03:42me
1250. 1:03:46in like a domino effect but what I have
1251. 1:03:49seen
1252. 1:03:50firsthand with my father my aunt
1253. 1:03:56and our whole
1254. 1:04:00Hometown we can no longer say that we're
1255. 1:04:02from Union County without Susan's
1256. 1:04:05actions being brought
1257. 1:04:12up and just for the sake of all of us
1258. 1:04:16and our whole Community I ask that you
1259. 1:04:18deny her request
1260. 1:04:28Mr you're welcome to stay seated if you
1261. 1:04:37areir madam chairman members of the
1262. 1:04:45committee it's it's been a tough 30
1263. 1:04:50years
1264. 1:04:53um I'm not here to speak about
1265. 1:04:56what she's done in prison you all have
1266. 1:04:59the records and accounts of all
1267. 1:05:02that just here to
1268. 1:05:04Advocate on Michael Alex's
1269. 1:05:08behalf and as their
1270. 1:05:14father you
1271. 1:05:16know God gives us free
1272. 1:05:19choice and she made free choice at night
1273. 1:05:23to end her life this wasn't a tragic
1274. 1:05:27mistake wasn't something that she didn't
1275. 1:05:30mean to do she
1276. 1:05:34purposely meant to end their
1277. 1:05:39life I
1278. 1:05:41never have felt any remorse from her for
1279. 1:05:44it she's never expressed any to me I've
1280. 1:05:48never seen it on
1281. 1:05:52paper um
1282. 1:05:58now she youve heard she changed my life
1283. 1:06:02for the rest of my life that
1284. 1:06:16night some for the better some for the
1285. 1:06:19worse but
1286. 1:06:26but what she did not only to Michael and
1287. 1:06:31Alex she came very
1288. 1:06:35close to causing me to end my
1289. 1:06:38life because of the grief that she
1290. 1:06:41brought upon
1291. 1:06:44me but thankfully she
1292. 1:06:50didn't I understand back
1293. 1:06:54in
1294. 1:06:5695 that through the state's
1295. 1:06:59law life imprisonment 30 years of
1296. 1:07:04life and now that's different but at
1297. 1:07:06that time that's what counts I
1298. 1:07:09understand
1299. 1:07:14that but ultimately to me that's only 15
1300. 1:07:19years per
1301. 1:07:21child her own children
1302. 1:07:26it's just not
1303. 1:07:31enough what I'm asking that you
1304. 1:07:34please do not hurt PE
1305. 1:07:39today and hopefully in the future but
1306. 1:07:43specifically
1307. 1:07:46today not let her
1308. 1:07:50out I miss them very
1309. 1:07:53much and I love them very
1310. 1:07:56much and I will be here every two years
1311. 1:08:00going
1312. 1:08:02forward to ensure
1313. 1:08:04that your death doesn't go in
1314. 1:08:08vain thank
1315. 1:08:11you thank you so much Mr
1316. 1:08:16SMI again please know how very very
1317. 1:08:20sorry this board is to all of you for
1318. 1:08:24all the pain that this CRM caused you
1319. 1:08:27but we sincerely appreciate you all
1320. 1:08:29being here with us today thank you very
1321. 1:08:32much and thank you for the reminder with
1322. 1:08:35the picture of Alex and Michael they
1323. 1:08:38were beautiful
1324. 1:08:41children so thank you for reminding us
1325. 1:08:43of that
1326. 1:08:44today we wish you the very best and if
1327. 1:08:48no one else has anything else that they
1328. 1:08:50would like to say if you all will exit
1329. 1:08:52with these ladies over here we'll have
1330. 1:08:54an answer for you you
1331. 1:08:56shortly thank you so much for being here
1332. 1:09:47as a reminder Mrs Mir D reuse
1333. 1:09:51herself Miss Susan Smith is denied
1334. 1:09:54parole the vote is unanimous numbers one
1335. 1:09:57and six thank
1336. 1:10:03you thank you the time now is 12:51 p.m.
1337. 1:10:07we will pause our recording Miss Hunter
1338. 1:10:10if you can advise when the recording has
1339. 1:10:12been
1340. 1:10:14paused the recording has been paused
1341. 1:10:17thank you so much thank you so much this
1342. 1:10:19is Valerie sub associate deputy director
1343. 1:10:21for pars parts and Rel Services if
1344. 1:10:23everyone would just give me a moment to
1345. 1:10:25give some instructions as the room
1346. 1:10:27clears from the board I would like for
1347. 1:10:29media to pay attention you are given the
1348. 1:10:33next 15 minutes for bathroom break
1349. 1:10:35please use the restroom prepare
1350. 1:10:37yourselves for press conference we will
1351. 1:10:39allow you into the building beginning 15
1352. 1:10:41minutes from now once we check you in
1353. 1:10:43we'll start the press conference once
1354. 1:10:44everybody is inside if there are any
1355. 1:10:46questions please address it to the staff
1356. 1:10:48and we'll get you an answer as quickly
1357. 1:10:50as possible again there is 15 minutes
1358. 1:10:52between the time we are in this and
1359. 1:10:56beginning entrance back into the
1360. 1:10:58building anybody who is in the building
1361. 1:11:00who needs to leave and get their cameras
1362. 1:11:01or phones are allowed to do so during
1363. 1:11:03that 15minute period and then check back
1364. 1:11:05in at the front door thank you all so
1365. 1:11:07much and the board will be at recess for
1366. 1:11:09lunch thank
1367. 1:11:24you
1368. 1:11:54e
1369. 1:12:24e
1370. 1:12:54e e