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The upcoming episode of Dateline is all set to delve into the double murder of Michael Daniel and Alexander Tyler, who were murdered by their own mother, Susan Smith. The case sent shockwaves across South Carolina, and despite being decades old, it is still widely discussed across the world.
The upcoming episode of Dateline, titled Return to the Lake, will cover this case in detail when it premieres on Friday, February 14, 2025, at 9.00 PM EST on NBC. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"Exclusive new details in the case of Susan Smith, who murdered her two young boys in 1994. Craig Melvin speaks with David Smith about his ex-wife’s recent attempt to be released from prison."
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Initially, Susan Smith dramatically tried to plead for her sons' return on national television while simultaneously claiming that she was carjacked and a black man drove away with her two sons.
However, with pressure from investigators, she ultimately confessed that she killed her children for a motive that is nothing less than shocking.
Ahead of the upcoming episode of Dateline, let us go over what happened to Michael and Alexandar and why Susan Smith committed this heinous crime.
Who is Susan Smith, and what did she do?
Born on September 26, 1971, in Union, South Carolina, Susan Smith had to endure a difficult childhood. Her father committed suicide when she was only six years old. She attempted suicide herself when she was only 13.
Her mother married Beverly C. Russell Jr., who allegedly assaulted Susan Smith through her teenage years. After passing out of high school in 1989, Susan tried to commit suicide again after she was allegedly rejected by a married man.
Finally, she met David Smith, and things finally started going her way. The two married and had two kids, but an affair with Tom Findlay, a local wealthy man, hampered this in the most twisted way possible.
On October 25, 1994, Smith reported to the police that she was a victim of a carjacking. She claimed that a black man wearing a toboggan hat carjacked her 1990 Mazda Protégé sedan and drove away with her two children inside.
For the following nine days, Smith dramatically pleaded on national television and prayed for the safe return of her children.
However, authorities became suspicious of her behavior and her contradictory statements. Due to inconsistencies in her story, the authorities began investigating her, and soon, she cracked under pressure and confessed that she let her 1990 Mazda Protégé sedan drive into the John D. Long Lake with her children strapped inside the car.
She did this to facilitate a relationship between her and Tom Findlay, who reportedly broke their relationship because she had children. She confessed to her crime on November 3, 1994.
Where is Susan Smith now?
Smith stood trial for the murder of her two sons. Despite her defense claiming that she had several mental health issues, the jury found her guilty of the murders and ultimately sentenced her to two concurrent life sentences, with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
She became eligible for parole in 2024, but her first plea was rejected. She remains incarcerated at Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood, South Carolina, awaiting her next parole hearing, which will take place in 2026.
The upcoming episode of Dateline will cover this case in more detail.
