Findlay said his relationship with Smith then took confusing turns in the days before Smith killed her children. All the time, people bring them gifts. ``Well, I hope I said everything right. But on Oct. 16, Findlay testified, Smith acknowledged she was not even separated from her husband. The married man broke off their extramarital relationship and her reaction to the breakup was to attempt suicide by taking painkillers. Back in the 1990s, Susan Smith claimed a Black man kidnapped her sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander. ". All Rights Reserved. Smith ended her marriage to the poor boy who loved her and gambled on a rich boy who didn't. . Why not simply give custody of the boys to their father? I will always be here for you! ``I do hope that we will be able to date some and be together again someday, but if we never made love again, my feelings for you would not change because having you as my friend is worth more than sex could ever be worth. And as for your relationship with B. David Smith, last anyone heard, had moved to Florida. We met at Conso (the company Findlays father operates, where Ms. Smith also worked), and I fell for her like `a ton of bricks. Well, even though I fell enlove (sic) with Laura, I had my doubts about a long and lasting commitment, but I never said anything, and I eventually hurt her very, very deeply. During his ex-wifes trial, he visited her once in jail to get answers as to why she did what she did but got nothing. Even before Susans confession, investigators already suspected her. They still credit him for containing a potentially volatile racial divide by refusing to detain the many black men who might have fit Smith's description of her hijacker. They eventually settled down in a brick starter home in Union. A team of state psychiatrists certified that Smith was competent to stand trial. Nearly 30 years after her conviction, Smith's cellmate is speaking out and . ``I want you to know that I have never felt with anyone, the way I feel when Im with you. The report says Linda later asked Beverly about Susan's story "and he didn't deny that it had happened. Russell, 48, was then active in South Carolina Republican politics and in Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition--but he is no longer, and the shattering disclosures triggered by his stepdaughter's prosecution are the reason. "Dear Susan," Findlay said. Source: http://www.thomasandrewart.com/KathyKemparticle.html. Susan could not continue working at the same place as David, so she looked for a new job. I care for you, but also care for Susan Brown and I would hate to see anyone get hurt. We have been raised in two totally different environments, and therefore, think totally different. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. When it all came apart, she committed an act of savagery that defies understanding. This compact, bushy plant produces bright red tomatoes that ripen early in the season. It seemed to be the first time she had ever been rejected by a man. ``Friends Forever, (two heart-shaped designs). Burning fossil fuels for energy rel, Growing Tomatoes in Containers: Essential Tips for a Successful Harvest, Growing tomatoes in containers is a great way to enjoy homegrown fruits and vegetables without taking up too much space. Smiling nervously and occasionally stumbling over his words, Findlay described an emotionally volatile Smith days before she sent her car rolling into the lake with her children strapped in their car seats. Send it to us! Susan became famous for the brutality and coldness with which she killed her two children. When a place has been forced to defend itself before the eyes of the world, there is no road map for recovery. Susan Smith chose to do the worst thing a mother can do and covered it up, Pope argued, pushing for the death penalty. With Findlay, Susan finally believed she would be able to have some stability in her life but, she was mistaken. Whether you are using plastic or fabric containers, Earthboxes, or even old buttercream buckets, there are a few important things to consider before planting. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Red Rocket is a determinate tomato variety that is well-suited to hot, muggy climates like those found south of Memphis. Yet nobody talks about his guy or where he is or what other girls he has been doing. And city and county leaders, who had to work together to prepare Union for a trial-time media deluge, allied again this year. Tom Findlay testified as a prosecution witness at the trial-for in the prosecution's view, he was the real reason Susan killed her boys. ", It was not her loss alone. "I didn't know what to do," he said. So is Sheriff Howard Wells, whose office wall is crowded with photographs and certificates of gratitude, not only for his integrity, but for coming across on camera as a noble representative of Union and South Carolina. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. Smith's supervisor, Sandra Williams, testified about the day Michael and Alex Smith disappeared. The town of 10,000 started the event following the Susan Smith murder trial to showcase its softer side," the Journal wrote. THE BOYFRIEND'S STORY. Keep scrolling below to find out more about Susan Smiths case, trial and to find out where she is today. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. "That's one of the things that helped the healing process," says the Rev. Smith was convicted of two counts of murder and is serving a life sentence in Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood, S.C. This didnt seem to work, so she told him about the supposed affair with her boss, also Toms father, and warned him that the details of the relationship might come to light during the next few days. The following year, prison captain Alfred Rowe also pleaded guilty to having sex with Smith and was sentenced to five years probation. UNION, S.C., July 25 -- A sobbing Susan Smith apologized Tuesday to her ex-husband for killing their children after he twice broke down in tears while testifying in the sentencing phase of her. Final testimony for the prosecution includes a tearful David Smith saying, 'All my hopes and dreams, everything that I had planned for the rest of my life-it ended that day. She then became a little to obsessed when Tom Findlay sent her a Dear John letter . But I wanted to write you this letter because you are the one who is always making the effort for me, and I wanted to return the friendship. And your friendship is one that I will always look upon with sincere affection. He relocated to another city and runs an art business using his first and middle name. I was a good mother, and I loved my boys. HLNTV Last summer, Tim and Angie Phillips came with their three small children and two family friends, one of them a 3-year-old. Susan told her mother and Social Services what had happened. Davids parents were grieving the recent loss of another son who died of Crohns disease just 11 days before Susan and Davids wedding. Tom Findlay is the son of Cary Findlay, president of the company. I could never express in words how much you mean to me. On top of that, Ms. Smith later said that a cause of her depression was her breakup with Conso employee Tom . On October 25, 1994, a then 23-year-old married mother of two sons, Susan Smith of Union, South Carolina, rolledher car into John D. Long Lake with herboys strapped inside, drowningthem both. Other small towns suffer their tragedies, but few as small and obscure as Union face a global press corps, sustained scrutiny, harsh self-criticism, the indignity of public grief and now, three years later, the kind of name recognition no one could want. However, when he began to learn more details of the story, he came to his senses. ``Susan, I could really fall for you. ``Susan, I am not mad at you about what happened this weekend. Bruck had it exactly right. A letter. David passed, but Susans results were inconclusive. He has turned to his part so often the spine is creased. Everyone is held accountable for their actions, and I would hate for people to perceive you as an unreputable person. Last year, I grew Fortamino but the seeds didnt do well at all. After picking up her children from nursery, she stopped to chat with a friend in a parking lot and expressed her fears about Toms reaction now that he knew she had slept with his father. Im just going to live one day at a time. There was even an episode at the end of high school where Susan sought help from a school counselor. , filed for divorce in September 1994 and it was finalized in May 1995. But seeing you kiss another man put things back into perspective. During the trial's penalty phase, the courtroom became a-battleground for the two competing views of the defendant-the scheming vixen and the emotionally damaged post-adolescent. The outcome flatly contradicts current public opinion. In Touch Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. On the weekend of Oct. 15, Tom invited Susan to his father's estate for a hot-tub party. Although prosecutors sought the death penalty, Susan was sentenced to life in prison. He really got a bad rap out of all of this even though, IMHO, he had no contribution to the situation. He admits molesting Smith before she turned 16-and then continuing a consensual sexual relationship until just weeks before the murders. Smith, now 26, is in prison in Columbia; she was sentenced in 1995 to life in prison and must serve at least 30 years. Susan graduated from Union High School in 1989 and went to work in the local Winn-Dixie supermarket as a checkout girl. One diver described seeing the little hand of one of the children pressed against a window. ``One more thing before I go, please dont ever hesitate to call me if you ever need anything! Yet after hearing new and compelling testimony about her tangled life, the same jury that took only 2 1/2 hours to convict Susan Smith on July 22 decided just as quickly to spare her life last week--and voted unanimously. In. The bottom line is: Im glad we are friends and if that is all we can be, then we will just have to do a hell of a job of being that. Is Every Duggar Ridiculously Messy? According to a deposition taken in March in connection with Susan and David's divorce (which became final in May), soon after she began working at Conso Products in 1993, Susan took up with. . Many people believe her motive was because she was dating a man who didnt want children at the time. However, a letter sent by Tom Findlay took Susan by surprise. Thank you for your article. Susan gave the police the exact distance the car floated before sinking. . Susan had been a sad and introspective child. A nine-man, three-woman jury unanimously votes for life in prison. At this time Susan was having sex with at least three men. Smith was also disciplined in 2000 for having sex four times with prison guard Houston Cagle, who later pleaded guilty and spent three months behind bars for the crime. Miller saved videos of local newscasts and the Smiths' network interviews, and recently appeared in a Smith documentary for the Arts and Entertainment Network. After a few months Susan seemed to regret her decision, she filed for divorce once again. THE NEWSWEEK POLL (c) 1995 BY NEWSWEEK, INC. Susan Smith had fallen in love with her supervisor at work, Tom Findlay, a wealthy businessman, and had an affair with him. At the time of the murders, Susan and David were separated and David was working at the Winn-Dixie in Union where he met his now wife, Tiffany. She also had dramatic moments of deep sobbing, but remained dry-eyed and tearless. What more is there to say?". Keep scrolling below to find out more about Susan Smiths case, trial and to find out where she is today. "He that is without sin among you," Bruck said, "let him first cast a stone at her. . In her confession, she stated that she wanted to die and was going to her mothers house, but she gave up. However, RST 106 on large potato leaved types did well when grown in grow bags. Susan became pregnant and had an abortion. Crime.About.com For nine days, she pleaded for the safe return of her babies while making appearances on television, only to have the true story later be revealed. I told her the intimate part of our relationship would have to end. In 1994, Smith strapped her two sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex, into their car seats and pushed the vehicle into a lake. During the marriage, Smith had several affairs, and in August, 1993, after the birth of her second son, she hooked up with her wealthy boss, Tom Findlay. "There is no good outcome in this case," he said. Jurors heard Smith's love letters read aloud and watched a videotaped television interview Smith gave shortly after reporting that her two toddlers had been kidnapped by a black carjacker last Oct. 25. He finally understood that it all resulted from Susans desire to rebuild her relationship with Tom Findlay. Throughout the nine-day investigation, Susan received several polygraphs and was questioned about the inconsistencies in her carjacking story. The car apparently took almost six minutes to disappear-and Michael and Alex, trusting and helpless, can only have died screaming for their mother. This irritated David. Nov 01, 2008 #1 28 year old Tom Findlay had no idea when he began a relationship with Susan Smith, who worked within his father's company, that his name would be irrevocably linked with a tragedy that horrified the state, the nation, and many around the world. But just dont get seriously involved with anyone until you have done the things in life that you want to do, first. The emerging facts of her chaotic life--her father's suicide, her molestation by her politically prominent stepfather, her failed marriage and the tabloid prurience of her repeated love affairs-seemed to make her a symbol of small-town decadence. Buildings don't tell the whole story, that Susan Smith did not simply wake up one day and decide to kill her children, that it was a lot more complicated than that. If a mother who deliberately drowns her children in a pique over a failed romance doesn't deserve to die, who does? Many sent her flowers after the trial. The case of Susan Smith, the woman who killed her young sons in 1994, will be explored in the upcoming Lifetime docuseries Cellmate Secrets. She is currently based at the Leath Correctional Institution near Greenwood, South Carolina. Actually, he is online. Before she and David began to date, Susan told a psychiatrist, she had an affair with a store manager who was subsequently transferred out of town. Her mother Linda, weeks after her divorce, took up a new relationship. Allen, for one, doesn't need reminders. Linda, Susans mother, always consented to the borrowing, but on the other hand, she felt entitled to guide the couples life, mainly in the aspects related to Michaels upbringing. She will be eligible for parole in 2025 when she is 53 years old. In the summer of 1988, Susan got a temporary job as a cashier at a local grocery store. . " I was not myself, she wrote in a letter to The State in 2015. Susan seemed to be integrating high society, just like her mother Linda. ``It is 11:50 p.m. and I am getting very sleepy. So, where are all of the key players now, including the woman at the center of it all? . The most startling testimony, however, came from Smith's ex-lover, Thomas Findlay, who said aloud in open court what has been whispered in this small Southern town since Susan Smith confessed to murder last fall -- that she had been having a secret affair with her stepfather, Beverly Russell. 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