Mother who drowned two sons faces first parole hearing

Susan Smith, who was convicted of killing her two young sons nearly 30 years ago, is approaching her first parole hearing on Nov. 4, but experts suggest her romantic relationships behind bars reflect a continued disregard for human life.

Smith, now 51, confessed to drowning her 3-year-old son, Michael Daniel, and 14-month-old son, Alexander Tyler, in a South Carolina lake. Prosecutors said Smith's motive was driven by her former boyfriend, Tom Findlay, whose letter indicated her children were an obstacle to their relationship.

"Susan, I could really fall for you. But like I have told you before, there are some things about you that aren't suited for me, and yes, I am speaking about your children," he wrote, according to Deseret News.

Licensed clinical and police psychologist Dr. Katherine Kuhlman spoke to Fox News Digital, describing Smith's behavior as symptomatic of Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD). "These behaviors exhibit a pattern of seeing people as disposable, which likely contributed to her horrific actions in 1994 and is still evident in her continued romantic correspondences behind bars," Kuhlman said.

In DPD, an overwhelming need to be cared for by others results in clinging and submissive conduct, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. People with DPD often struggle with the fear of losing support or approval, making them dependent on others for important aspects of their lives.

Reports surfaced from various media outlets, including the New York Post, revealing that over the past three years, Smith has engaged with nearly a dozen men through monitored jailhouse messages and phone calls. Some of these men have expressed feeling manipulated after offering her financial support, only to feel "duped" later.

One man, who corresponded with Smith for 18 months, told the New York Post, "She always wanted something from me. We're not men to her; we're marks. She's always figuring out what she can get."

Given the nature of personality disorders, Kuhlman explained that such behaviors are not surprising. 

"There's no medication that can treat it," she said. "It's a mindset that becomes ingrained in somebody, typically starting in their younger childhood years. They can learn to try to manage it...but treatment of personality disorders is pretty intensive."

"Prisoners are not operating at that intensive level of treatment," Kuhlman continued. "They're more focused on making sure that depressed people don't kill themselves and keeping people calm."

"She could [tell the parole board] that she was working through it, but I'm not sure that would be possible," Kuhlman said.

Criminal defense attorney Philip Holloway brought up Smith's extensive history of misbehavior in jail. The South Carolina Department of Corrections claims that Smith's drug use in 2010 and 2012 resulted in the loss of his canteen, visiting, and phone privileges. Smith also lost privileges in 2010 as a result of self-harm.

"I expect that she would be denied parole – the facts of this case are horrific," Holloway said. "I see it's unlikely that she would be released into society," he told Fox News Digital.

"[Her record] would suggest that there is an inability that remains in her, the inability to conform to rules and regulations in things that we expect," Holloway stated. "We have societal norms and rules and laws that we are all expected to abide by – if she is not able to follow the rules and live within the expected guidelines that are given to her [in prison], I don't see any reason to expect any different if she is released into society."

Holloway stated that the parole board's decision should not be influenced by Smith's romantic relationships during her incarceration. Rather, the families of Smith's deceased children may affect the board's decision by making statements that are against her release.

Since then, David Smith—the father of the two slain children—has remarried and fathered two more children. It is said that he and his family plan to fight Smith's release.

"David still thinks of his boys every day and doesn't ever want Susan to get out," a relative told The Messenger. "She belongs in jail… she is exactly where she needs to be – in prison. And we will do what it takes to keep her there."

Smith's presence at the hearing is confirmed, according to recent reports.