Susan Smith: The 1994 Case That Shocked America

On October 25th, 1994, Susan Smith reported that a Black man had carjacked her vehicle at gunpoint with her two young sons still inside. Three-year-old Michael and fourteen-month-old Alexander were gone, taken by a stranger into the South Carolina night.

For nine days, the nation watched as Susan and her husband David made tearful pleas on television for their children's safe return. "America's children," the media called them. Thousands of tips poured in. Law enforcement from across the country joined the search.

But investigators were noticing inconsistencies. A traffic light that shouldn't have been red. A friend who wasn't home. Small details that didn't add up.

On November 3rd, 1994, Susan Smith confessed to the unthinkable: she had driven to John D. Long Lake, strapped her sons in their car seats, and let the car roll into the water whilst she stood on the shore and watched them drown.

Tonight on Crime at Bedtime, we examine the case that shocked the world.

ONTENT WARNING: This episode contains detailed descriptions of child murder and maternal filicide. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

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