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The many lies of Susan Smith — Transcript

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0:03[Music]
0:17[Music]
0:42[Music]
0:51search helicopters and police dogs have
0:54been combing the area for the past 21
0:56hours and still no luck the longer time
0:58it goes of course the more wored we
1:00become uh but we have no reason to
1:03believe these harmed them local state
1:04and federal agents are working out of
1:06this command post at the courthouse
1:08they're looking for three-year-old
1:09Michael Smith and his younger brother
1:1114-month-old Alexander this all started
1:14as Susan Smith was driving up Highway 49
1:17to a friend's house at about 9:00 last
1:19night she was stopped at this red light
1:21when the suspect armed with a handgun
1:23jumped in the passenger side of the car
1:25and ordered her to shut up and drive
1:28Smith drove East on 49 for 5 miles when
1:30the gunman ordered her to get out of the
1:32car and said the children were staying
1:34with him she asked to get her children
1:37out and he stated that he didn't have
1:39time but he promised that he would not
1:40hurt them police hoped the suspect was
1:43telling the truth today search teams
1:45return to the lake where Smith says she
1:47was dropped off law enforcement agencies
1:49Across the Nation have been advised of
1:51the kidnappings and even area Merchants
1:54are trying to help a composite picture
1:56of the suspect is already up in
1:57storefront windows I just think horrible
2:00I mean you know you know it's just hard
2:02on the parents and stuff I just you know
2:06I couldn't even imagine even driving
2:08down the road and somebody just trying
2:09to get in and take her the kidnappings
2:11have shaken the folks of Union they say
2:13things like this just don't happen here
2:15Michael and Alexander are badly missed
2:18and folks say things won't be back to
2:19normal until the boys are home Judy
2:22Johnson news3 un hopefully Hing
2:28that hey to the guy to the man me and my
2:32wife plead to him that please return our
2:35children to us safely from outside the
2:37command post the father of the missing
2:39children made a desperate plea to anyone
2:41who will help we are going over it it is
2:45harder as time goes by to deal with
2:49but we are keeping our Spirits high and
2:52our hopes high at this time people from
2:54across the country are responding
2:56telephone tips are coming into the
2:57sheriff's office at a record pace the
3:00Adam Walsh Foundation an organization to
3:02find missing children is also hard at
3:04work uh they have transcribed the
3:07children's photographs to all law
3:09enforcement agencies in this country as
3:11well as a suspect composite
3:12investigators have taken thousands of
3:14tips but the boys are still missing
3:17Michael Smith is 3 years old his brother
3:19Alec is 14 months and still takes a
3:21bottle the people of Union say their
3:23disappearance is the worst thing that's
3:25ever happened here I wish they were just
3:27home I don't know if they're waiting
3:30hungry if
3:32he's I know they want their mom I know I
3:35would Wendy Fowler spent her Day
3:37Distributing Flyers across the state
3:39other folks tied up yellow ribbons along
3:41Main
3:43Street people of Union described this is
3:46a quiet close-knit community the boy's
3:48disappearance has brought folks here
3:50even closer together the quiet is lost
3:53in The Madness of a desperate
3:55search Judy Johnson for ABC News in
3:58Union South Carolina
4:02agents in bulletproof vests comb the
4:04woods where the possible suspect was
4:05cided the search included a police dog
4:08on the ground in a heat seeking search
4:09helicopter in the sky people who live
4:12nearby watched and wondered it's got us
4:14all confused but so many rumors so many
4:17rumors are going around that that
4:19possibly those kids have never left the
4:20county that rumor got started because of
4:23an intense search at the scene of the
4:24alleged crime this morning more than 100
4:27officers and volunteers returned to the
4:29area where the boy's mom Susan Smith
4:31says she was forced out of her car and
4:33where the suspect drove off with her
4:35children they organized a group to be
4:37helpful to the law enforcement and the
4:39people of Union County and we feel this
4:41is part of it search teams looked for
4:43any evidence of the little boys or the
4:45suspect they found nothing anything
4:48happens you I mean you think it happens
4:49way off but he struck homes as the
4:52investigation continues the family of
4:54the children is inside this house
4:56waiting for any word on the boy's
4:58whereabouts close friends are arriving
5:00to offer support Susan she was a good
5:03Mama I just hope she gets a chance to be
5:06a good Mama
5:08again that's all we can do is pray
5:10support is also coming from this
5:12close-knit community yellow ribbons are
5:14everywhere they're just hard sick over
5:16what has
5:21happened life in the city of Union
5:24hasn't been normal since Tuesday night
5:26the whole Community is very tense 3 days
5:29ago only some people knew of
5:31three-year-old Michael Smith and his
5:3214-month-old brother Alex then at 9:00
5:35p.m. Tuesday they disappeared now
5:37they're The Talk of the Town everybody's
5:40worried about those children we're
5:42hoping and praying at they are alive
5:44people are wearing these pins to show
5:46their concern for the boys the substance
5:48abuse center which usually deals with
5:49drug and alcohol abuse has switched
5:51gears today workers hear fact
5:53information about the case to other
5:55offices across the country it's really
5:57hit this community hard um and
5:59everybody's concerned people are upset
6:01people are crying but folks are also
6:03concerned for themselves and their
6:05families I have a small child the same
6:08age as her youngest and uh it's just
6:11real hard you have to kind of take extra
6:14precautions now residents admit their
6:16Lifestyles have changed overnight I
6:19started yesterday morning at 5:30
6:21locking my car doors and I've never done
6:23that I've never locked my car doors I
6:25see people holding on to their children
6:27a lot a lot closer people don't
6:29understand how such a horrible thing
6:31could happen here some folks say the
6:33city won't be back to normal until the
6:35boys are
6:41[Music]
6:49back about a hundred people gathered
6:52outside the bethl United Methodist
6:53Church for a prayer vigil they joined
6:56together in prayer and song to remember
6:58the two little boys who disappeared four
7:00nights ago Jesus said let the children
7:03alone and do not hinder them from coming
7:06to me for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs
7:09to such as these community members are
7:12still in shock they can't believe this
7:14kind of crime would happen in their
7:15small town and their hearts go out to
7:18the boys and their family these children
7:20that are missing not only you know uh
7:24they don't all belong to the parents
7:26they belong to the town and we'd like to
7:28have them returned just as a concerned
7:30citizen knowing that it could be my
7:32daughter my grandchild you know it's
7:35just it's just being concerned it's
7:38really touched everybody and it's
7:40touched many Beyond this small community
7:43tonight while officers wait for a break
7:45in the case these people wait and hope
7:48for one thing the person responsible for
7:52the boys being separated from their
7:53parents would have a change of heart and
7:56would release the boys
8:01Susan Mundy in Union County South
8:03Carolina for ABC
8:09News volunteers fanned out on Horseback
8:12to search miles around the remote area
8:14where Susan Smith says the alleged
8:16carjacker dropped her off Law
8:18Enforcement Officers hoped these
8:20Searchers might find a vital clue along
8:22the side roads and Fields of Union
8:24County uh if you find it what you need
8:26to do is you need to get somebody to
8:28notify the Sheriff's Office don't touch
8:30anything divers also searched an area
8:32Lake looking for something anything
8:34investigators could use today's searches
8:37turned up nothing but at a news
8:39conference tonight Union County Sheriff
8:42Howard Wells said he's not letting up we
8:45need to keep the the pressure on we need
8:47the media attention so that our word
8:48gets out we need pressure all across the
8:51United States for this car to turn up
8:53and some shopping center because it
8:55could be sitting somewhere that we just
8:56don't know and to find out the sheriff
8:58says investigators will do whatever it
9:00takes cost has not been a consideration
9:03with two children's lives in state Susan
9:05Mundy news3 this
9:08morning a horse somebody on horses at a
9:11higher level you know from the ground
9:12they might see over in a a ditch or a
9:15gully or something of that nature there
9:18today Searchers used horsepower to try
9:20and turn up a clue in the case of the
9:22two missing boys more than 20 volunteers
9:24hopped on Horseback to search miles
9:27around the remote area where Susan Smith
9:29says the alleged carjacker dropped her
9:31off we trying to help to see if we can
9:33find these children or some clue to the
9:35children just just team up with somebody
9:38and and go from there if anything's
9:39found be sure and notify us at the
9:41Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement
9:43Officers hoped these Searchers might be
9:45able to find something new they hit the
9:47side roads and scanned thick brush in
9:49fields not covered before all the way
9:52down to our County Line anything down
9:54either embankment any location where it
9:56looks like a car may have ran out of the
9:58highway Di also searched a lake in the
10:00same area not because Law Enforcement
10:03Officers got a tip but because they
10:05don't want to leave any stone unturned
10:07we're looking for anything that could be
10:09a product of this uh crime that will
10:12help us in this investigation whatever
10:14it may
10:19be while the search continues community
10:21members wait and hope the Smith story
10:24weighed on church goers this morning the
10:26Hein Baptist Church in Union was one of
10:28several taking part in aroundthe clock
10:30prayer vigil father we lift up Michael
10:34and
10:35Alex pray Lord wherever they be your
10:37hand upon them a church member who knows
10:40Susan Smith summed up the thoughts in
10:42everyone's hearts these boys have been
10:44missing too l so let's lift up prayer
10:48for her and for these boys they are F
10:51safe and sa Susan Mundy in Union County
10:55South Carolina for ABC News
11:01at a morning news conference Sheriff
11:03Howard well said that despite the
11:04frustrations of a fruitless search his
11:07investigators still haven't given up
11:08hope for Michael and Alex we continue to
11:11have just as much resolve as we've ever
11:13had to solve this case but uh we want
11:15the children back as our first priority
11:18then we will try to determine who did it
11:20a cousin of the family once more
11:22appealed to the alleged
11:24carjacker we can only hope and pray that
11:26the man who took our precious babies
11:28from us
11:30can find it somewhere in his heart to
11:31return them
11:34safely Searchers have spent much of the
11:36day in and around Highway 49 Northeast
11:38of Union that's the route investigators
11:40think the car Jacka may have taken as he
11:42fled they've been looking at abandoned
11:45properties where the missing car could
11:46possibly have been hidden and also
11:48diving in area Creeks looking for Clues
11:51I'm sure sort of hoping I don't find
11:53anything right here why is that uh they
11:55basically if I find them down there they
11:57drowned
12:03people in Union gathered with reporters
12:05this afternoon to hear the latest from
12:06Sheriff Howard Wells he says his
12:08deputies are following some leads today
12:10but he put the ground search on hold
12:13while he and state and federal agents
12:14regroup we are all very very determined
12:18that we're going to solve this case
12:20we're very satisfied that we're doing
12:22everything that we could possibly do and
12:24that none of us are in disagreement
12:25about the way that we're going and I
12:27don't think this case has developed
12:29being run any different than any major
12:30case of its kind anywhere Stephanie and
12:32Ray Duncan came to town this afternoon
12:34to buy 2-year-old Travis his first
12:36Halloween costume they plan to attend a
12:39downtown Halloween festival instead of
12:41taking their son door too you know I'm
12:43going to bring him up town instead of
12:44taking him out on the outskirts I don't
12:47believe I going go out much now on the
12:49out you never know somebody could snatch
12:51your children away from me and whatever
12:53so I hope that you know if they go out
12:56tonight they'll hold on to their kids
12:58cuz I like for nothing else to happen to
13:00anybody else's I'm going to hold mine
13:03close to me I mean it's it's very
13:05upsetting Union Merchants have staged
13:08the Halloween festival for 5 years but
13:10this year safety has taken on new
13:12meaning for parents and children
13:13frightened by a real tragedy in their
13:15Town people are still so upset from all
13:18this and everything that we're afraid
13:19that someone might not take time or
13:21they're afraid or or so much of emotion
13:24things are going on that they might not
13:26come downtown but it's a beautiful day
13:28and so we're hoping that the people will
13:30come and bring their children like they
13:32have in the
13:35past this is Cheryl Barber for ABC
13:42News we haven't developed anything that
13:45uh has led us in a new direction we
13:48haven't had anything that's promising so
13:49far that's the disheartening news from
13:52Union tonight one week after 3-year-old
13:54Michael Smith and his 14-month-old
13:56brother Alex were allegedly taken in
13:58their mother car during a carjacking
14:01Sheriff Wells says he stumped a search
14:03of the lockart mill Canal today turned
14:05up nothing and officers again
14:08interviewed Mitchell Sinclair he's the
14:10family friend Susan Smith says she was
14:12going to see when her car and her
14:14children were allegedly taken will says
14:17he was concerned about a comment
14:18Sinclair made on the TV show a current
14:21affair truth's going to come
14:24out what is the truth tell everybody
14:28what the truth is
14:37exactly what the
14:38sheriff says it is he thought that I was
14:42following the case as a random
14:44carjacking from the scene and that the
14:46truth would finally be found out and
14:48that everybody would not be involved or
14:50be implicated as a suspect sources also
14:53dispute reports that the boy's Father
14:55David Smith is a suspect in the case a
14:58friend of the family says allegations
15:00like those hurt they try to avoid um
15:06listening to a lot of the rumor in
15:08inuendo that seems to be coming out in
15:10the
15:10media and we pray a lot and we cry a lot
15:15and the praying continued tonight at the
15:16highway 49 intersection where Smith says
15:18her boys were taken at a candlelight
15:21vigil residents asked for the boys safe
15:23return and an end to Union's nightmare
15:26Suzanne Hudson news3 this morning
15:33the parents of the missing children
15:35emerged from their isolation today to
15:37talk publicly for the first time since
15:39last week the mother Susan Smith made an
15:41emotional plea to the alleged kidnapper
15:44pray every day that you're taking care
15:45of
15:46them and know that we will do anything
15:50anything we will to help you to get them
15:53home back to us I I just can't express
15:57it enough the Father David Smith made a
15:59plea to the public the American public
16:01continued to pray for Michael and Alex
16:04that they all return home safely the
16:07couple was surrounded by family members
16:09they agreed only to make a statement
16:10with no questions asked by the media
16:12after it was over the family embraced at
16:15the same time investigators switched
16:17gears authorities went door Todo
16:19questioning people who live along the
16:21Route the alleged kidnapper took more
16:23than a week ago the sheriff says the
16:25case is back to square one as we
16:27followed every lead we've had people go
16:29in every other state where there's been
16:30a tip and none of those have developed
16:33we come right back here but the massive
16:35Manhunt is still growing even larger the
16:37sheriff's office moved the central
16:38operations in the search for Michael and
16:40Alex out of the courthouse and into a
16:42larger building the sheriff believes the
16:44truth will come out and the boys will be
16:46found Susan Smith prays he is right
16:50please I mean please bring them
16:54home to us where they belong
17:00I was going everywhere asking questions
17:03neighbors of Susan Smith are talking
17:05about yesterday's visit by investigators
17:07they watched as police searched the
17:08Smith home looked under the house in the
17:10crawl space and took fingerprints they
17:13say Susan and David along with their two
17:15missing children had lived in this home
17:16for more than a year they played with
17:18the children and they T you know just
17:21like any ordinary family what neighbors
17:23didn't know was that back in September
17:25Susan Smith filed for divorce from her
17:27husband on grounds of adult tree she was
17:29seeking full custody of the two young
17:31boys but questions still surround this
17:34man Mitch Sinclair he's the friend Susan
17:36told police she was going to visit the
17:38night she was carjacked and her boys
17:40were kidnapped on Good Morning America
17:42today she was asked about their
17:43relationship Mitchell and I are nothing
17:46more than friends and um it was not I
17:49going to necessarily see him I was
17:51taking my boys to see him she was
17:53allegedly bringing the children here to
17:55the home Mitch shares with his brothers
17:57Jeffrey and Patrick I asked Patrick
17:59about that did you know the children you
18:02never met them Susan never brought them
18:04over here before but she was going to
18:07Tuesday night I guess that's what they
18:10say the brothers say Mitch wasn't even
18:12home the night Susan claims she was
18:14bringing the children here they also say
18:16Mitch has been staying at this home with
18:18Susan and her family since the alleged
18:20abductions state senator Reverend Jim
18:22Lander visited the home today the
18:25grandparents and I just shared prayer
18:27Susan's is
18:29sleeping now the latest twists in the
18:31case leave police with more questions
18:33about the family but no more answers
18:35about the whereabouts of the two little
18:37boys who've been gone from home for N9
18:45days around midafternoon investigators
18:48began cordoning off a portion of Highway
18:5049 near John D long Lake the place where
18:53Susan Smith claimed a carjacker forced
18:55her out of her car and drove off with
18:57her little boys the place where police
19:00say her story of Deceit started 10 days
19:03ago a tow truck rolled in divers had
19:06recovered the missing Mazda Protege and
19:08the bodies of the two young children
19:10about an hour later a helicopter brought
19:12the sheriff to the home of Susan Smith's
19:14family the sheriff broke the news of her
19:19arrest as late as yesterday morning
19:22Susan Smith was on national TV pleading
19:24for her children's return meanwhile
19:27outside the courthouse reporters were
19:29breaking the news of the day's events to
19:31stations and cities Across the Nation
19:34cameras were poised for the big
19:35announcement just before 700 p.m. the
19:38sheriff walked out and he offered
19:40nothing more than this statement Susan
19:43Smith has been arrested and will be
19:46charged with two counts of murder in
19:49connection with the deaths of her
19:51children Michael 3 and Alexander 14
19:55months the sheriff said Smith is being
19:57held at an undisclosed location
19:59he was visibly shaken and refused to
20:01answer any questions as the night wore
20:03on investigators continued to gather
20:05evidence at the lake a few hours later
20:08the sheriff stepped out to say more that
20:10I think the Press attention to this case
20:14was very
20:15beneficial that in the absence of
20:17knowing that the car was in Union County
20:20the national attention the intense
20:23pressure the scrutiny placed on by the
20:25media probably had a great deal to do
20:28this being broken but sympathy for Susan
20:30Smith has now turned into shock for
20:33Union
20:36County I want to say to my
20:40babies that your mama loves you so much
20:44and your daddy these whole families love
20:46you so
20:48much and you guys have got to be
20:51strong because you are we we I just know
20:56I just feel in my heart that you're okay
20:58okay it was a plea that touched the
21:00heart of a Nation a young mother
21:02pleading for the safe return of her two
21:03young children kidnapped she said by a
21:06carjacker one day after Susan Smith made
21:09that emotional plea for her children's
21:10safety she confessed to killing them
21:13police pulled her car out of Lake John D
21:16long her two young Sons still strapped
21:18in their car seats police had already
21:21released part of Smith's handwritten
21:22confession today they released it all in
21:26it Smith says she was despondent to be
21:28because she was in love with a man who
21:30didn't love her I was very emotionally
21:33distraught she wrote I felt I couldn't
21:35be a good mom anymore but I didn't want
21:37my children to grow up without a mom I
21:39felt I had to end our lives to protect
21:42us from any grief or harm I wanted to
21:45end my life so bad and was in that car
21:47ready to go down that ramp into the
21:49water and I did go part way but I
21:51stopped I went again and stopped I then
21:54got out of the car and stood by the car
21:56a nervous wreck
21:58I dropped to the lowest point when I
22:01allowed my children to go down that ramp
22:03into the water without me I took off
22:05running and screaming oh God oh God no
22:08what have I done why did you let this
22:11happen I wanted to turn around so bad
22:14and go back but I knew it was too late
22:18Smith also apologizes to her two young
22:20Sons saying she's praying for their
22:22forgiveness
22:32as Susan Smith came to court this
22:34morning an Angry Crowd was there to
22:35greet
22:37her many were from Union's
22:39African-American Community angry not
22:41only at the death of two innocent
22:42children but also at the racial aspect
22:45of the case her lying about it saying
22:47that a black man done it she didn't have
22:49no obedience doing that to some in the
22:50African-American Community here the case
22:52of Michael and Alex resembles other
22:54high-profile murders in which an
22:56African-American man has been falsely
22:58accused
22:59William free says it reminds him of the
23:00Charles Stewart case in Boston where
23:03Stewart murdered his pregnant wife but
23:05told police an African American man had
23:07done it matter of fact I got some calls
23:09from people in Boston this morning and
23:11they expressed the sentiment also of
23:13what we're feeling around here how
23:14everyone is just ready to believe in pen
23:16a crime on um on black black people and
23:19and that's not necessarily the case all
23:21the time for many African-American men
23:23in Union the last 10 days have been
23:25uncomfortable oh man I had to walk very
23:28soft you know it's just like walking on
23:29Cotton you know uh that was time that I
23:31wanted to go fishing you know but hey I
23:33couldn't get caught you know going
23:34fishing that was time that I wanted to
23:36go hunting I couldn't go hunt what if a
23:38what if a black man would have got
23:39caught in the woods hunting with a gun
23:42less attention has been paid to the race
23:43issue among the white Community yeah I
23:46can understand them being upset about it
23:48but again like I said it that should be
23:51put aside that anger should be put aside
23:53and and focused on what she has done to
23:55the children and what's what it's done
23:57to this town and some in the black
23:59community agree this is bad enough but W
24:02to pull up something else and make a
24:03racism thing out of it that's just going
24:05to make the M of the situation worse
24:09but in a procession of police cars Susan
24:12Smith arrived at the courthouse under
24:14heavy security and hiding from everyone
24:16who came to see her The Angry Crowd of
24:18onlookers Jered Smith was led into the
24:20courthouse without showing her face but
24:23just 24 hours earlier she faced the
24:25nation as a desperate mother praying for
24:27the safety of her children and pleading
24:29for their safe return the hardest part
24:31is not knowing you know just not knowing
24:35I mean several hours after that
24:36interview she confessed she told police
24:39she killed her sons three-year-old
24:40Michael and 14-month-old Alex she
24:43directed police to the bottom of the
24:44lake where they recovered her Mazda
24:46Protege the little boys were in the back
24:48seat still locked in their car seats
24:51she's one wave the right to be present
24:54to today another surprise just before
24:56her first court appearance on double
24:57murder charges Smith waved her right to
24:59a bond hearing the hearing was set but
25:02she did not she had not asked for it so
25:04there was no reason to have a hearing
25:06Smith's defense attorney David Brock was
25:08just hired today he refused to comment
25:10further Tommy Pope is the solicitor it
25:13qualifies as a death penalty case Pope
25:15hasn't decided whether or not he'll seek
25:17the death penalty he calls this an
25:18unusual case because the Smith family is
25:20both the family of the victims and the
25:22defendant when I can do what the
25:24families want I try to do it but I also
25:27have to take consider itation for the
25:29the greater good and the greater justice
25:31so ultimately it comes back I have to
25:33make the decision for the first time in
25:3510 days the sheriff of Union County
25:36wasn't saying much I have no comment on
25:39the not and Smith left the courthouse in
25:41the same manner she was brought in
25:43ducking her head and shielding her face
25:45the crowd of people screamed baby killer
25:48as the car drove
25:55by just bear with me okay cuz it's going
25:57to be a very emotion or time David Smith
26:00is the grandfather of Michael and Alex
26:03he said these words of gratitude on
26:05behalf of his son David your cards your
26:08flowers they overwhelmed us the the the
26:11the well-wishing letters they have come
26:14from I can't tell you from around the
26:16world and and it's just more than it's
26:20just more than one person one person can
26:23bear also speaking publicly today was
26:25Scotty vaugh the brother of Susan Smith
26:28smth on behalf of my
26:31family we want to apologize to the black
26:34community of Union he's sorry because
26:37his sister falsely named a black man as
26:39the person who carjacked her and
26:41kidnapped her sons but police sources
26:43now say this drawing of the fake suspect
26:45made them suspicious of Smith from the
26:47very beginning when experts removed the
26:49stocking cap they saw the profile of
26:52David Smith Susan Smith's estranged
26:54husband who's now grieving over the loss
26:57of his sons
26:59he's broken
27:00up he wants his children back that can't
27:09happen and I just want to say all of you
27:13may God bless every all of you
27:24okay at first glance you might mistake
27:26John Jacobs for a tour
27:28he's from Anchorage Alaska he's taking
27:31pictures of the now famous Courthouse
27:33the site of so many news conferences but
27:35he and his wife are not sseeing actually
27:38seeing the place that we you know we've
27:40seen on television and seeing that it
27:42really happened just well help us to you
27:45know to heal this is how they're dealing
27:48with the tragic deaths of Michael and
27:50Alex is a therapeutic type thing that we
27:54would come
27:56and just we're in warning ourselves
27:59hundreds of other people are driving to
28:01John De Long Lake to do the same thing
28:03to try to accept what's so hard to
28:06believe it's just absolutely devastated
28:09all of us it's just been awfully
28:12heartbreaking they're coming from
28:14Gastonia from
28:16Greenville I don't think it'll ever be
28:18easy to deal
28:21with you just don't understand why
28:23something like this happens and from
28:25other places near and far they're here
28:28to look at the boat ramp where Susan
28:30Smith says she got out of her car and
28:32left her children
28:34inside and I just really wanted to come
28:36and see the place it's just been on my
28:39mind it's stayed on my mind ever since
28:40the day the children were reported
28:42missing at the lake where police say the
28:44car floated 100 ft out flipped over and
28:47sank it's
28:50hard cuz you can't imagine how somebody
28:52could do that and to look at the letters
28:55and poems stuffed toys and flowers the
28:58of love for two little boys I think it
29:01has reached people all over the world
29:04and I think everybody will be affected
29:06for a long
29:12time they watched as the single white
29:15casket containing the two little bodies
29:18was carried into the church and they
29:20expressed their pain and disbelief at
29:22the boy's senseless deaths we just can't
29:26comprehend something like this happened
29:28Michael and Alex drowned 12 days ago in
29:31John D long Lake their mother Susan has
29:33confessed to the murders their father
29:35David sobbed uncontrollably outside the
29:38church inside ministers offered words of
29:41comfort to him and all the mourners just
29:44because you've gone through the Deep
29:46Waters and just because the tears come
29:49so easily and they do to all of our
29:53eyes does not mean that God does not
29:56care and that God does does not love you
30:00he loves you and cares for you earlier
30:03in the day many Community residents
30:05sought solace in their own church
30:06services at St Paul Baptist Church they
30:09prayed for healing for their community
30:11and for the Smiths and oh God as we
30:14father remember our
30:16community remember the Smith family we
30:21pray that I would bless and strengthen
30:23them just a few blocks away members of
30:26Grace United Methodist Church also
30:28prayed for healing for hearts broken by
30:31the tragedy and they vowed to work
30:33together for that healing I think as a
30:36community it'll take us a long time to
30:38get over this but I think uh Union is a
30:40small town and it's close town and I
30:44think that with all of us having that
30:46neighboring spirit that we will help
30:48each other and we will come through this
30:51Erica andart news3 this morning
31:09sharing the same casket the little
31:10bodies of Michael and Alex Smith were
31:12carried into the church where they used
31:14to attend Sunday school hundreds of
31:16people who never even knew the boys
31:18gathered outside to
31:19grieve I
31:22think we love children and you know we
31:27we just can't comp for him something
31:29like this happening the Jeter family
31:31traveled 60 M to be here their
31:33four-year-old son has been asking
31:35questions he said mommy did what did did
31:38is did their mama stab
31:41him I said
31:43that's the Smith boys drowned 12 days
31:47ago in John D long Lake their mother
31:49Susan Smith has confessed to the murders
31:51news crews from across the country were
31:53not allowed inside to see the service
31:55but an amplifier was set up outside
31:58Michael and Alex have just gone home to
32:00be with the Lord so if they are home
32:03then where did that leave
32:05us that leaves us right here in a little
32:08town with all the world watching us
32:11today the question is how do we cope the
32:14look on the face of the anguished young
32:16Father David Smith touched everyone he
32:19could hardly walk he wept as the
32:21procession of cars left for the cemetery
32:23and people wondered again how could this
32:26happen I don't understand God no I don't
32:28have an at the gravide family and
32:31friends said their final goodbyes to the
32:33little boys who died such a tragic and
32:35senseless death and who millions of
32:37people have come to
32:41love Judy Johnson in Union South
32:44Carolina for ABC
32:52News in Union today people dealt with
32:55their grief by going on the Phil donu
32:57show during a taping of a town hall
32:59meeting and by visiting the grave of
33:02Michael and Alex it's covered with
33:04hundreds of flower arrangements toys and
33:06some written
33:07messages I needed the little boys to
33:10know that I um
33:13cared and I needed to also learn how to
33:16um accept it schmeer is from Michigan
33:19she's visiting family in Charlotte and
33:21drove down here today with her
33:222-year-old son he said bye-bye Michael
33:26and Alex and his own
33:28way without me even saying anything
33:30while a steady flow of hundreds of
33:31people arrived at the cemetery the
33:33attorney for the woman accused of
33:34killing her sons made a revealing
33:36announcement at the courthouse David
33:38Brook released part of the confession
33:40made by Susan Smith on the day of her
33:42arrest referring to the night of the
33:44murder Smith said I wanted to end my
33:46life so bad and was in my car ready to
33:48go down that ramp into the water she
33:51says she stopped then she says I went
33:53again and I stopped she continues I
33:55dropped to the lowest when I allowed my
33:57children to go down that ramp into the
33:59water without me finding out why becomes
34:04my job and that's what I am going to do
34:07now as best I am able I'm going to do it
34:10in private Brooke is refusing to answer
34:12questions about the case meanwhile Area
34:14Teachers are figuring out how to answer
34:16questions from students children have a
34:19need to talk about um the questions that
34:22they have the concerns that they have
34:24and the things that they don't
34:25understand outside City Hall the the
34:27flag is at half staff ribbons are
34:29everywhere and for the first time in
34:31more than a week Network news crews are
34:33packing up and moving out but the
34:36national attention focused on this small
34:38city is not going away today movie
34:41Producers were spotted scurrying around
34:42town trying to secure the rights to the
34:45Michael and Alex story Judy Johnson
34:48news3
34:52Union people of all ages and races
34:55gathered to pay their final respects to
34:57Michael and and Alex and their family
34:59David Smith the boy's father quietly
35:02made his way into the funeral home
35:04comforted by family members then hugging
35:06friends inside among the mourners
35:09Sheriff Howard Wells the man who kept a
35:11close eye on this case from the very
35:13beginning it was a night filled with
35:15sorrow and few comforting words there's
35:18not much you can say know you really
35:20don't know what to say so s we have two
35:24kids also who s us sympathy with with
35:29with with the with the Father the
35:31outpouring of grief wasn't confined to
35:33those from Union flowers poured in from
35:35across the world beyond the grief the
35:38question on everyone's mind tonight
35:40seemed to be why investigators have told
35:43the Associated Press that Susan Smith
35:45said she let her son to drown after a
35:47boyfriend said he was ending their
35:49relationship partly because he did not
35:51want to take on the responsibilities of
35:53being a father one law enforcement
35:55Source said Smith's world was crashing
35:57ing in around her but today in Union the
36:00focus was not on Susan thoughts were of
36:02Michael and
36:04Alex they are with gone today and
36:07they're laughing and
36:08playing throughout the day a steady
36:11stream of mourners made their way to
36:12John D long Lake the lake where Smith's
36:15car was found Thursday night with the
36:17two boys inside now a quiet Memorial to
36:20little Michael and Alex Glenda greater X
36:23drove an hour here so her young daughter
36:25could leave a reminder of the boys well
36:27it's been on my daughter's mind ever
36:29since it happened and the main reason we
36:32came was for her to come in here and try
36:35to get the memories out of her
36:38mind as the community and the nation try
36:40to cope with the tragedy the memories of
36:43Michael and Alex live on

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