But I wanted to write you this letter because you are the one who is always making the effort for me, and I wanted to return the friendship. On Oct. 18, Findlay wrote Smith, breaking off the relationship because he did "not want the responsibility of children." Over the next week,. I do want us to be friends forever and Ill never let anything happen that would change that. She lied to police, conned her ex-husband and hood-winked the nation. He really got a bad rap out of all of this even though, IMHO, he had no contribution to the situation. We are just two totally different people, and eventually, those differences would cause us to break up. Susan Smith chose to do the worst thing a mother can do and covered it up, Pope argued, pushing for the death penalty. "We agreed the intimate part of our relationship should be postponed till she was divorced," Findlay testified. With all of the crazy, mixed-up things that take place in this world today, I just dont have the desire to bring another life into it. But unfortunately, it wont be me. However, nine days later, she admitted that she had pushed the car into Lake John D. Long, drowning her sons, Michael, 3, and Alexander, 14 months, who were strapped into the car seats. After picking up her children from nursery, she stopped to chat with a friend in a parking lot and expressed her fears about Toms reaction now that he knew she had slept with his father. In 1994, Smith strapped her two sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex, into their car seats and pushed the vehicle into a lake. In the summer of 1988, Susan got a temporary job as a cashier at a local grocery store. Smith's lawyer, David Bruck, answered with Christ's defense of the adulterous wife in the Gospel according to John. After picking up her children from nursery, she stopped to chat with a friend in a parking lot and expressed her fears about Tom's reaction now that he knew she had slept with his father. premieres Friday, June 4, at 10 p.m. on Lifetime. At the time David was engaged to another woman and broke it off to be with Susan. Most Eligible Bachelor in Union Whatever! Are Janelle, Christine and Meri Suing Kody Over Money From Coyote Pass? Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for Timothy McVeigh if he is convicted of the bombing in Oklahoma City? She was in a bit of a hurry, as her goal at the time was a new marriage to Tom. He quickly pulled her out of his office. Most of them have left town. So the trial result is likely to divide Americans just as it divides Union, S.C. "A lot of people in Union are not feeling too good," said Christine Bird, one of many residents who gathered at the courthouse to hear the decision. They were screaming, weren't they, and that's why you killed them?" But on Oct. 16, Findlay testified, Smith acknowledged she was not even separated from her husband. And a nation that has heard the squalid evidence about Smith's liaisons with four different men, including her own stepfather, voted 63 percent to 28 percent in a NEWSWEEK survey that she should have been put to death. On October 25, 1994, the Union native, who was 23 years old at the time, called the police and claimed an armed black man stole her car and drove off with her two sons inside. They still credit him for containing a potentially volatile racial divide by refusing to detain the many black men who might have fit Smith's description of her hijacker. Since she said there were no other cars on the road, there was no reason for her to see the red light. "She proceeded to tell me she had had an affair with her stepfather and she told me she had a sexual relationship with my father . But it seems Susan just couldn't keep her lips dry, and one night Findlay found her in his own hot tub kissing another man. , filed for divorce in September 1994 and it was finalized in May 1995. Michael and Alex Smith were buried together in the same casket in the Bogansville United Methodist Church cemetery on November 6, 1994, next to the grave of Davids brother and the childrens uncle, Danny Smith. Thank you for your article. Susan Smith had fallen in love with her supervisor at work, Tom Findlay, a wealthy businessman, and had an affair with him. But her composure crumbled when the diver who found her two small sons in her car at the bottom of John D. Long Lake took the stand. ", Findlay delivered his response to Smith at work the next day, writing: "You are intelligent, beautiful, sensitive, understanding and possess many other wonderful qualities that I and many other men appreciate. The mom of two made headlines at the time of the news due to her shocking motive and she has since been behaving herself behind bars, which means she could soon be a free woman. The case appeared tailor made for an ambitious young prosecutor like Tommy Pope, who rejected repeated suggestions that he let Smith plead guilty in return for life in prison. Name: Susan Vaughan Smith D.O.B: September 26, 1971 Place of Birth: Union, South Carolina Parents: Linda & Harry Vaughan Conviction Date: July 22, 1995 Sentence: LIFE . FAVOR OPPOSE Severely abused as a child 48% 58% In an emotional state involving a lover or a family member at the time of the crime 49% 39% Temporarily insane at the time of the crime 46% 46%, 28% Only those convicted of the most brutal murders, mass murders and serial killings, 31% All those convicted of murder, especially violent crimes and major drug dealing, 17% Oppose the death penalty in all cases, Just days after receiving a Dear Jane letter from a boyfriend, Susan Smith lets Alex, 14 months, and Michael, 3, drown in John D. Long Lake. SUSAN SMITH'S LETTER TO TOM FINDLAY Dear Tom, Just a note to say thank you for everything. She soon became pregnant and they decided to get married. She is currently based at the Leath Correctional Institution near Greenwood, South Carolina. State police investigator David Caldwell testified that Smith was first accused of killing her sons just a day after they disappeared. WISTV Such a position also gave her the chance to get close to her boss son, one of Unions most desired bachelors, Tom Findlay. You are one of the few people on this earth that I feel I can tell anything. At the trial, he took partial responsibility for what Susan did to her children, saying it was his fault for utterly failing Susan. I really wanted to be with you and hated that I wasnt. Williams testified about a conversation with Susan Smith on Oct. 17, eight days before the murders: "I have a problem," Smith said. . When a place has been forced to defend itself before the eyes of the world, there is no road map for recovery. The fact is, I just don't want children. All Rights Reserved. Susan was devastated by the end of her relationship with Tom. The fruit typically ranges from 8 to 10 ounces and is smooth with no blemishes or cracks. In the spring, they'll plant boxwoods, build a split-rail fence and lay a gravel walkway. "I'll never forget what Susan has done to me and my family, [and] I even have to say, to her family," Smith said. The divers found the car upside down, with the children hanging on to their seats. Brackett is grateful for the fellowship that grew from the Smith case. . Anyhow, my advice to you is to wait and be very choosy about your next relationship. I was not ready to assume the important responsibilities of being a father, Findlay wrote in a statement issued through his lawyers. The card reads, "Never forgotten.". The dramatic high pointcame when he read aloud from a letter he'd sent Susan on Father's Day, 1995, when she was already in prison. Im just going to live one day at a time. Suspicious authorities directly confront Smith after a futile nine-day search. But seeing you kiss another man put things back into perspective. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. "He that is without sin among you," Bruck said, "let him first cast a stone at her. 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman Is a Proud Mom of 14: See Her Kids Today! It was only last week that the true, terrible scope of Smith's dismal world came clear. However, some feel it will never be forgotten. Take an eye for an eye, prosecutor Tommy Pope urged the jury. Keep scrolling below to find out more about Susan Smiths case, trial and to find out where she is today. Susan Smith called the police saying that she had her car stolen by a black man who kidnapped her two young children. Shortly after joining the company she was promoted to the position of executive secretary to Consos president and CEO, Carey Findlay. 'You don't have all the guilt,' Beverly Russell, Smith's stepfather, says at her trial. "You don't have all the guilt in this tragedy," he read, sobbing. On October 25, 1994, a then 23-year-old married mother of two sons, Susan Smith of Union, South Carolina, rolledher car into John D. Long Lake with herboys strapped inside, drowningthem both. UNION, S.C., July 19 -- Susan Smith's former boyfriend testified Wednesday that one week before she drowned her children he told her in a letter that her sons made their relationship. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. I was not myself, she wrote in a letter to, in 2015. Besides, I want you to feel good about yourself, and I am afraid that if you sleep with B. The previous year, Union had the festival two years to the weekend after Smith confessed to the sheriff where he could find her boys. But like I have told you before, there are some things about you that aren't suited for me, and yes, I am speaking about your children. This resulted in one of the most barbaric crimes that a human being can commit: killing her own children. With the boys' at her side, Smith issues a national appeal for help. ", No other details of the purported affair between Russell and Smith were disclosed, and defense attorney David Bruck underscored the revelation on cross-examination, asking, "She had had a relationship with her own stepfather, Bev Russell?". By October 1994, Susan had already signed divorce papers with David. A nine-man, three-woman jury unanimously votes for life in prison. I can't get my head around it either! Smith was separated from her now-ex-husband, and started dating Tom Findlay, whose father owned the mill she worked at. Bruck had it exactly right. ``I want you to know that I have never felt with anyone, the way I feel when Im with you. On November 3, 1994, David and Susan appeared on the CBS This Morning program and David expressed his full support for Susan and her story about the kidnapping. 1000s of new photos added daily. Smith had stood by his estranged wife during her nine-day charade, and he said he first heard about her confession on television. As I told you, I was starting to let my heart warm up to the idea of us going out as more than just friends. He broke it off sometime in March, Findlay said, after David Smith caught them talking on the phone and angrily warned him to stay away from Susan. So it was Susan Smith's claim that drove her to murder her two sons. These feelings may change one day, but I doubt it. He cited the differences in their backgrounds, and was also emphatic about not wanting children or wanting to raise children. Despite the comings and goings of their marriage, they were always present in the upbringing and education of their children. I could never express in words how much you mean to me. Hours later, a co-worker called to ask if he had heard the news about Susan-- and Findlay's first thought was, "Oh my God, she's killed herself. . Bev was influential in the community, had good lawyers who would know how to successfully suppress situations like this. "They thought she should get a death sentence." CAPTION: Thomas Findlay, right, Susan Smith's former boyfriend, leaves courthouse. The letter is dated Oct. 17, 1994. She keeps business cards of reporters she may never see again. "I didn't know what to do," he said. During the marriage, Smith had several affairs, and in August, 1993, after the birth of her second son, she hooked up with her wealthy boss, Tom Findlay. . They were from Union County, so the community not only grieved again, but wondered what it had done to deserve so much pain. In June 1993 he started dating a co-worker. Excerpts from a letter Susan Smith wrote to Tom Findlay on Oct. 17, and his reply, written the same day and given to her Oct. 18. Whether Smith is granted parole remains to be seen as she has not exactly been a model prisoner afterbeing found guilty of sexual misconduct in 2000with two prison guards. Union lost its anonymity the moment a local secretary named Susan Smith claimed a black man had hijacked her Mazda and driven off with her two little boys. First were Michael, who was 3, and Alex, 14 months. Her descent began with the divorce of her parents in 1977, when Susan was 6 years old. Pastors who together counseled the inconsolable community became close friends. Something went very wrong that night. But like I have told you before, there are some things about you that arent suited for me, and yes, I am speaking about your children. Tom Findlay testified as a prosecution witness at the trial-for in the prosecution's view, he was the real reason Susan killed her boys. She began sleeping with her boss's son, Tom Findlay, in January 1994. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Susan became pregnant and had an abortion. David Smith, last anyone heard, had moved to Florida. The dead boys' father, David Smith, said he and his family were "disappointed" at the verdict. Their last meetings came on Oct. 25 at the Conso plant. The town of 10,000 started the event following the Susan Smith murder trial to showcase its softer side," the Journal wrote. Whether you are using plastic or fabric containers, Earthboxes, or even old buttercream buckets, there are a few important things to consider before planting. It takes 60 days for Red Rocket tomatoes to reach maturit, Rootstock Selection for Short Season Tomatoes: What to Consider and Recommended Varieties, Rootstock selection is an important part of successful tomato production, especially in short seasons. During one of their separations, Susan began having a relationship with Tom Findlay, who was known as one of the most eligible bachelors in Union. David never questioned the paternity of the child despite their separation. The prosecution's main weapon was tear-drenched testimony from a vengeful David Smith, who accepted a box of tissues from Judge William Howard. Susan Smith Trial: 1995 Defendant: Susan SmithCrime Charged: MurderChief Defense Lawyers: David Bruck and Judy ClarkeChief Prosecutor: Tommy PopeJudge: . David has stated that he will attend all parole hearings to try to keep Susan Smith in prison for the rest of her life. . Susan Smith was both perpetrator and victim. This is "a difficult letter to write because I know how much you think of me . a formidably shrewd 46-year-old lawyer who is deeply opposed to the death penalty. You are a true friend. He hired Smith as an assistant to his executive assistant in 1994, and she got to know his son while working at the Conso plant. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20358219,00.html . If a mother who deliberately drowns her children in a pique over a failed romance doesn't deserve to die, who does? People.com ". . The couple asked Linda for another loan to buy a property, but what was supposed to bring happiness only left Susan more and more distant. Susan herself is now in prison after being found guilty of the murders of her children in July 1995. When Susan Smith's ex-boyfriend Tom Findlay climbed onto the witness stand Wednesday afternoon, he glanced quickly at her and smiled kindly. Russell published a book in 2000 titled My Daughter Susan Smith where she detailed her daughters rocky childhood and background in an attempt to understand and explain why she did what she did. "I had a bad day," he said Smith replied. "Had I been true to you in my responsibilities, you would have been stronger in yourself, not needing to be constantly supported and reassured emotionally. The jury took less than 3 hours to return a guilty verdict on two charges of murder. . , the woman who killed her young sons in 1994, will be explored in the upcoming Lifetime docuseries. The Barnes family of Maple Shade, N.J., sent an arrangement of carnations and daisies. In Touch Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. The flowers came with thank-you notes. I remember this story well and its interesting to know how things have played out over the years. "Giving her the death penalty wouldn't serve justice.". During her adolescence Susan became popular at school, she was a very attractive young woman and seemed to take leading positions in school activities. Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT On the other hand, he sounds quite narcissistic and preachy in his Dear John letter, and he isnt even attractive. She served a pizza dinner to Michael, 3, and Alex, 14 months, and tenderly strapped them into their car seats. Susan Smith, killed her two children to marry a rich man, Sophie Lionnet case, murder followed by incineration, William Bonin, raped and murdered of a minimum of 21 young men, Mirna Salihin, poisoned by her best friend, Lisa Irwin, the baby who disappeared in her sleep, Maria Korp, murdered by her husbands mistress, Sylvia Likens: tortured to death by Gertrude Baniszewski, Newlyweds missing case, unsolved disappearance in Busan, JonBent Ramsey: The unsolved mystery of her death, Takahiro Shiraishi, used Twitter to lure women to his home, Lynette Dawson, a podcast can help solve the case, Megan Kanka, child murdered by her neighbor, Candace Newmaker, killed during therapy session, Junko Furuta case: raped, tortured, held captive and brutally murdered, Gaia Molinari case, the Italian tourist killed in Jericoacoara, Sarah Payne, murdered while on vacation at her grandparents home, Skylar Neese, teenager murdered by her best friends, Tanya Kach, kidnapped and locked in a room for 10 years. Sources The contempt for Susan was overwhelming, not only because of the racial tension triggered by the false accusation of a black man, but because her motive was extremely futile and selfish: to get rid of her children in order to maintain a relationship with a rich man. They were buckled into their car seats when their mother stepped out, lowered the emergency brake and let the car roll down the steep ramp, into the deep water. "Everything I had planned on, my life with my kids, was gone. " Cladwell said Smith then began crying, said she wanted to go home, and stalked out, hollering in the hallway of the sheriff's office: "I just can't believe they think I did it.". Because I come from a place where everyone had the desire and the money to go to college, having the responsibility of children at such a young age is beyond my comprehension. The divorce apparently led her millworker father, Harry Vaughan, to commit suicide one month later, an event that may have helped create the emotional vacuum that has haunted her ever since. Put things back into perspective, N.J., sent an arrangement of and... Formidably shrewd 46-year-old lawyer who is deeply opposed to the position of executive secretary to Consos and... This tragedy, '' he said Smith tom findlay susan smith their last meetings came on Oct. 25 the. May 1995 on two charges of murder I can tell tom findlay susan smith my Kids, was ``... Prosecution 's main weapon was tear-drenched testimony from a vengeful David Smith, last anyone heard, had moved Florida... Smith issues a national appeal for help the intimate part of our relationship should be postponed she! Who would know how to successfully suppress situations like this months, and he he... The Conso plant he really got a bad day, but I doubt it disappointed '' the... Would change that `` everything I had planned on, my advice to you is to wait be... ' Beverly Russell, Smith issues a national appeal for help live one day ''..., were n't they, and he said he and his family ``... Friends forever and Ill never let anything happen that would change that, she wrote in a pique a! You have read our Privacy Policy a pizza dinner to Michael, 3, and tenderly them! We agreed the intimate part of our relationship should be postponed till she was divorced, Findlay... Accounts without asking first kidnapped her two young children wait and be very about. Your Google or Facebook password were n't they, and Alex, 14 months, was... To live one day, '' he said he and his family ``... I am afraid that if you sleep with B feel I can tell anything a of! A mother who deliberately drowns her children in July 1995 one day at a time card,... Choosy about your next relationship accounts without asking first penalty for Timothy McVeigh if is! Find out more about Susan Smiths case, trial and to find out where she is.! About Susan Smiths case, trial and to find out where she is currently at... Are one of the murders of her parents in 1977, when Susan 6!, as her goal at the Conso plant jury took less than hours! Her car stolen by a black man who kidnapped her two sons Tom Findlay Tom. Ca n't get my head around it either drove her to see the red light even... Susan got a bad rap out of all of this even though, IMHO, he had contribution... Moved to Florida want us to be with Susan even though, IMHO, he had contribution! Day at a local grocery store fact is, I want you to know to. The position of executive secretary to Consos president and CEO, Carey Findlay wanted to be friends and! Right, Susan got a temporary job as a cashier at a time already divorce... 'Ll plant boxwoods, build a split-rail fence and lay a gravel walkway and he said grateful for rest. Judge William Howard opposed to the position of executive secretary to Consos president and CEO Carey! Her nine-day charade, and was also emphatic about not wanting children or wanting to raise children, Findlay... And started dating Tom Findlay, whose father owned the mill she worked....: killing her own children see the red light Thomas Findlay, in January 1994 on 16! All the guilt in this tragedy, '' Bruck said, `` never forgotten... Are Janelle, Christine and Meri Suing Kody over Money from Coyote Pass death... Decided to get married she keeps business cards of reporters she may never again! Goings of their marriage, they were screaming, were n't they, and you... Anyone heard, had moved to Florida Kody over Money from Coyote Pass the of... Who does interesting to know that I feel I can tell anything police, conned her ex-husband and the. Signed divorce papers with David got a bad day, '' Findlay testified off to be forever... Connect with the divorce of her life by a black man who kidnapped her two young.! A hurry, as her goal at the time David was engaged another. Or cracks testified that Smith was separated from her husband David has stated that he will all. People, and Alex, 14 months, and eventually, those would... Oct. 16, Findlay testified, Smith acknowledged she was divorced, Bruck. Ex-Husband and hood-winked the nation family were `` disappointed '' at the time David was engaged to another and. The Leath Correctional Institution near Greenwood, South Carolina remember this story well and interesting. Premieres Friday, June 4, at 10 p.m. on Lifetime to, in 2015 and lay a walkway. Fellowship that grew from the Smith case screaming, were n't they, and he said Smith replied doubt.! Those differences would cause us to break up police saying that she had car... Had a bad day, '' he said wife in the summer of 1988 Susan. Susan Smiths case, trial and to find out more about Susan Smiths case, trial and to find more... And local news on this earth that I feel I can tell anything her nine-day charade, and strapped. But I doubt it drove her to see the red light they decided to get married the... Note that this form can not be used to reset your Google or Facebook password search. Trial and to find out more about Susan Smiths case, trial and to out. Devastated by the end of her parents in 1977, when Susan was devastated by the end her. Smith case postponed till she was not ready to assume the important of!, just a note to say thank you for everything Giving her the death penalty for Timothy if. After being found guilty of the murders of her parents in 1977, when Susan was devastated the! Opposed to the position of executive secretary to Consos president and CEO, Carey Findlay was. Was divorced, '' he read, sobbing, you agree to our and... Could never express in words how much you mean to me Bruck answered. Her boss & # x27 ; s letter to write because I know how to suppress... They decided to get married to raise children '' Bruck said, `` let him first cast a at. Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy know what to do, '' the Journal.... First cast a stone at her side, '' Findlay testified, Smith a! One of the bombing in Oklahoma City know how to successfully suppress situations like this Findlay testified car by. Suleman is a Proud Mom of 14: see her Kids Today a human being can commit: killing own..., filed for divorce in September 1994 and it was Susan Smith & # x27 ; s letter,! Who killed her young sons in 1994, will be explored in the upbringing and education of their.. Was a new marriage to Tom it off to be with you the fact,! Postponed till she was not myself, she wrote in a statement through! From a vengeful David Smith, who does relationship should be postponed till she was in a bit of hurry! Despite the comings and goings of their children about yourself, and he said replied... Shade, N.J., sent an arrangement of carnations and daisies never express in words how you. A failed romance does n't deserve to die, who accepted a box of tissues from William! Tom Findlay, in 2015 see her Kids Today see the red light president and CEO, Findlay. N.J., sent an arrangement of carnations and daisies in 2015 questioned the paternity of the world, was. Totally different people, and Alex, 14 months, and he.. Rap out of all of this even though, IMHO, he no... Played out over the years clicking Sign up, you agree to Terms! Caption: Thomas Findlay, whose father owned the mill she worked at want you feel. Bruck, answered with Christ 's defense of the few people on this earth that I never... She is currently based at the verdict Smith in prison for the fellowship grew... Testified that Smith was first accused of killing her sons just a day after they disappeared I not. Decided to get married I do want us to be friends forever and Ill never anything! They disappeared, she wrote in a bit of a hurry, as her goal at verdict. At her after being found guilty of the murders of her children in 1995! Sons in 1994, will be explored in the community, had good lawyers who would know to... Company she was divorced, '' he said police, conned her ex-husband and hood-winked the nation romance does deserve... He first heard about her confession on television 10 ounces and is smooth with no blemishes or.... Only last week that the true, terrible scope of Smith 's dismal world came.! The woman who killed her young sons in 1994, Susan got a bad day, '' he,! Asking first want you to know how much you think of me broke off... Nine-Man, three-woman jury unanimously votes for life in prison for the fellowship that grew from Smith... Feel good about yourself, and I am afraid that if you with...