Susan Smith's ex-husband and father of kids she murdered reacts to parole

The begetter of 2 children murdered by his ex-wife said helium felt 'much relief' aft learning her petition for parole had been denied.

David Smith was campaigning against Susan Smith's bid for state yesterday, which came 30 years into her beingness condemnation for sidesplitting their sons Michael, three, and Alex, 14 months.

Mr Smith told NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield that helium welcomed the unanimous verdict of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services board.

'It was, similar they say, lifting the satellite disconnected my shoulders,' helium said. I could conscionable fto retired a sigh.'

Smith was jailed for beingness over the 1994 murders. She strapped her 2 children into car seats earlier allowing them to rotation into a water to drown.

The kid slayer past claimed she was the unfortunate of a carjacking and blamed an unidentified achromatic man, nevertheless investigators rapidly saw done her lies.

On Wednesday, the seven-member committee did not judge her requests for 'mercy',  adjacent arsenic she attempted to compression retired tears. 

Mr Smith was besides unmoved by her assurances that she had changed since the horrific killings. 

'Susan hasn't been remorseful successful my eyes,' Mr Smith said. 'Not 1 spot since she's done this, not 1 spot person I seen immoderate remorse from her, truthful I wasn't expecting thing from her.'

Smith's chances of state were slim. Data shows the committee grants astir 8 percent of parole requests for convulsive offenders.

However, Mr Smith revealed helium was inactive 'worried' she could beryllium released and had been talking to his sons to assistance hole for the hearing.

'I talked to Michael and Alex a batch beforehand,' helium said. 'We had a lot, we had a batch of discussions beforehand.'

His woman of 30 years Tiffany, who besides appeared successful the interview, explained however the full family, including the couple's 23-year-old girl Savannah, had been forced to reckon with the unspeakable crime.

'When the beingness condemnation was given, it was like, you know, it's going to 30 years is going to beryllium a agelong clip down the road. That's going to beryllium agelong clip away,' she said. 

'So, for, you know, for 30 years, you know, we haven't had to deliberation astir Susan each these years.

'And past the past six months, arsenic her parole has travel up, it's like, you know, she is, she has been astatine the beforehand and foremost each time trying to woody with this and, you know, not wanting her to get retired due to the fact that it to us, it would not beryllium justness for Michael and Alex.'

Mr Smith explained that the nonaccomplishment his sons inactive looms ample successful his life, contempt the transition of time. 

 'Maybe it does heal some, immoderate wounds, but for me, personally, clip does not heal. The losing of a child, that 1 it does not heal,' helium said.

'It utilized to beryllium for me, connected anniversaries oregon holidays oregon conscionable landmark dates, it was truly tough.

'But past it, past it got to wherever it could, it could beryllium the eighth year, the 12th year, conscionable a random twelvemonth that got truly pugnacious to woody with. So, it's, it's up and down each the time.'

He admitted that implicit the years helium has thought astir 'what they would look like, oregon what they would beryllium similar person chosen arsenic a career'.

But successful my mind, I ever travel backmost to 3 and 14-month-old,' Mr Smith said.

At the time, prosecutors claimed that Smith was having an matter and had murdered her children successful bid to beryllium with a antheral who did not privation kids.

 At her parole hearing, the killer's lawyer argued that the murderers were a 'mental wellness story' and argued that she had changed. 

But Mr Smith pointed retired that her condemnation served was conscionable '15 years per child'.

The boys' fractional sister Savannah Smith besides spoke earlier the committee and urged them to support Smith down bars.

'Growing up, I didn't rather recognize it my full life, but erstwhile I yet did, I felt similar I had witnessed it, similar I was there,' Savannah said.

'The symptom that not lone was caused to maine and I successful similar a domino effect. But what I've seen firsthand with my father, my aunt, and our full hometown, we tin nary longer accidental that we're from Union County without Susan's actions being brought up.'

Smith volition beryllium eligible to use for parole again successful 2 years, but the household accidental they are prepared.

'We are united,' Mr Smith said. 'We're going to beryllium determination each 2 years.'