Susan Smith denied parole 30 years after drowning her 2 children

globalnews.ca:

A parole board decided unanimously Wednesday that Susan Smith should remain in prison 30 years after she killed her sons by rolling her car into a South Carolina lake while they were strapped in their car seats.

It was the first parole hearing for Smith, 53, who is serving a life sentence after a jury convicted her of murder but decided not to sentence her to death. Under state law at the time, she is eligible for a parole hearing every two years now that she has spent 30 years behind bars.

Smith made her case for freedom by video link from prison. When she began to speak, she started to say she was “very sorry,” then broke down in tears and bowed her head.

“I know what I did was horrible,” Smith said, pausing and then continuing with a wavering voice. “And I would give anything so I could change it.”

The parole board asked Smith about the law enforcement resources used to try to locate her children. In reply, she told the board she was “just scared” and “didn’t know how to tell them.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know, I know that’s not enough; I know it’s not,” Smith said.

In her final statements, Smith appealed to her Christian faith, saying, “God is a big part of my life.” God has forgiven her, Smith said, and she asked the same of the board.

“I ask that you show that kind of mercy, as well,” she said.

Prosecutors have long said that Smith killed 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex because a man she was having an affair with suggested the boys were the reason they didn’t have a future together.

A large group of about 15 people entered the room to urge against parole. They included her ex-husband and the father of the boys, David Smith; his family members; prosecutors; and law enforcement officials.

As family members and