Turmoil In Susan Smith’s Life Kept Jurors From Death Penalty ‘I Just Feel Really Bad Because Of The Way That Men Used Her’

Susan Smith’s life saved her from a death sentence, said jurors who decided she should spend at least 30 years in prison for drowning her sons.

“At first it seemed like the death penalty would be the choice,” said Robbie Christian, the only one of the 12 jurors who went into the jury room Friday favoring a death sentence. “But a lot bad happened in her life.”

Her father’s suicide, her two failed suicide attempts as a teenager and her sexual molestation by her stepfather impressed the panel.

So did the defense argument that she meant to kill herself along with her sons when she strapped them into her car and rolled it into a lake on Oct. 25. Smith at first accused a carjacker of abducting the boys; she confessed nine days later.

“Everyone pretty much thought she had tried to commit suicide,” juror Leroy Belue said.

The jury took 2 hours to reach its unanimous verdict for a life term, the same amount of time it took six days earlier to convict Smith of murder. The 23-year-old will be eligible for parole in 30 years.

Testimony from Smith’s stepfather about sexually abusing her when she was a teenager was a key for some. “He should be locked up with her,” Christian said.

Smith and her mother decided at the time not to press charges.

Deborah Benvenuti said the panel didn’t feel sorry for Smith, but they agreed that mistreatment by her stepfather and others played into her decision to drown 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex.

“I just feel really bad for Susan Smith because of the way that she’s been treated, the way that men used her,” Benvenuti said. “One of the most important things that me and a lot of the other jurors were worried about is that Susan Smith gets help in prison for mental illness.”

Another juror, Michael Roberts, said, “Susan had an irrational way of seeing things. Even though she knew right from wrong … it appears the way she came to conclusions wasn’t the way we would.”

Juror William Rice Jr. was happy to get back to his life.

“I’m relieved that most of the community is satisfied with our decision,” he added.