On the night of October 25, 1994 Susan Smith took the lives of her two sons. Susan Smith committed the most unthinkable act when she broke humanity's most sacred trust, the love of a mother for her children (Crime Library).On November 18, 1994, a hearing was held before Circuit Judge John Hayes at the request of Solicitor Thomas Pope. Pope requested that Susan undergo a psychological examination by an impartial physician to determine whether she was criminally responsible for the crime she had confessed to and if she was competent to stand trial (Crime Library). On July 11, 1995, after a two-day hearing, Judge Howard ruled that Susan was mentally competent to stand trial. The trial ...view middle of the document...
It took almost six minutes for the car to be fully submerged (Crime Library).She turned away from the sinking car and began to run toward a small house. Shirley McCloud was calming herself in the living room of her home reading the Union Daily Times "Please help me!" "He's got my kids and he's got my car." Shirley led Susan Smith into her home and Susan told her, "A black man has got my kids and my car." Shirley's husband, Rick told his son Rick, Jr. to call 911 (Crime Library).She claimed that "I was stopped at the red light at Monarch Mills and a black man jumped in and told me to drive." "I asked him why was he doing this and he said shut up and drive or I'll kill you." Susan continued and told Shirley that, at the abductor's direction, she drove northeast of Union for about four miles until, "he made me stop right past the sign." Shirley confirmed that the sign was for the John D. Long Lake, which was located, several hundred yards outside of Shirley's front door. "He told me to get out. He made me stop in the middle of the road. Nobody was coming, not a single car." Susan continued, "I asked him, 'why can't I take my kids?'" Susan told Shirley that the man said, "I don't have time." Susan said that the man pushed her out of her car while he was pointing a gun at her side. Susan continued by telling Shirley that "When he finally got me out he said, "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt your kids." Susan described how she had laid on the ground as the man drove away as both of her sons cried out for their mother (Crime Library).During the investigation Susan and using the description she provided composed a sketch of a black man, around forty years of age, wearing a dark knit cap, a dark shirt, jeans and a plaid jacket. Throughout October 26, 1994, Union County sheriff deputies and SLED agents searc...
