Alfred Rowe Jr. and Houston Cagle, two men associated with the Susan Smith case, have been in the news recently as the debate regarding Smith's parole intensifies. Alfred Rowe, a retired South Carolina corrections captain, has spoken out against Smith's release, expressing concerns over her conduct while in prison.
At the same time, Houston Cagle, a participant in the case as a prosecutor, has also made his statements regarding Smith's parole. To date, Rowe remains vocal in opposing Smith's release, whereas Cagle is also a key figure in this case.
As per Cinemaholic, Alfred currently lives in South Carolina, while Houston Cagle leads a private life, and his current whereabouts are unknown. Dateline's episode, titled Return to the Lake, which aired on February 14, 2025, at 9 pm ET on NBC, covers this case.
The show features new information and updates surrounding the case, including an interview with Smith's former husband, David Smith. In the interview, he offers his views regarding her potential parole and reminisces the tragic events that unfolded at the time of the murder of their two boys in 1994.
Alfred Rowe Jr.'s current position
According to Court TV, Alfred Rowe Jr. is now a strong critic of Susan Smith's possible parole. He has recently commented in interviews like the one with News 13, highlighting that he feels that Smith has not shown true remorse or rehabilitation while in prison.
Her prison record suggests to Alfred Rowe that she has learned only how to manipulate the system instead of examining what she has done in the past.
According to the New York Post, he said that Smith's actions show she is not yet prepared for reintegration into society and has a lot more to work on her criminal history. Alfred Rowe knew Smith from his days as a corrections officer at the Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution, where he dealt with her daily.
He explained their relationship as one in which he would frequently hear her complaints and advice to inmates. According to Court TV, however, he afterward confirmed that their relationship became increasingly complicated and featured romantic undertones after the demise of another corrections supervisor.
Houston Cagle's perspective
According to Court TV, Houston Cagle, who was a prosecutor in Susan Smith's trial, has also commented on whether she should be released. Cagle does not see Smith as having rehabilitated and being prepared for parole, citing her crime of drowning her two young sons as a reason she should not be released from prison.
According to Court TV, Cagle has pointed out that numerous individuals who were involved in the case believed that Smith would receive a life sentence with no chance of parole. The jury was not told that life sentences do have chances for parole at some point in the future.
The ongoing debate over parole
According to Court TV, the controversy surrounding Susan Smith's possible parole has brought back into the limelight her case, which happened almost three decades ago. In 1994, Smith murdered her two sons, Michael and Alexander, by sending her car into a lake where they were buckled up in their car seats.
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According to Court TV, she initially told everyone she had been carjacked before confessing to the crime after a countrywide search effort. Both Rowe and Cagle actively worked against Smith's release as she reached her first parole eligibility in November 2024. Her parole was denied.
In short, both Alfred Rowe Jr. and Houston Cagle are actively making oppositional voices regarding Susan Smith's possible parole.