Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Return to the Lake’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ the focus is on Susan Smith, who killed her two sons in October 1994 in South Carolina. Pretending to know nothing about her children, she claimed someone else took them. She was trusted and supported by her husband at the time — David Smith. However, when her dark truth was revealed, he was shocked, to say the very least. The documentary also features an exclusive interview with David, who talks about his experience in a detailed manner.
David Smith Never Thought Susan Smith Could be Involved in Their Sons’ Murders Until She Confessed
Hailing from Union, South Carolina, David Smith tied the knot with Susan Vaughan in 1991, and in the course of the next two years, they became parents to two adorable sons — Michael Daniel and Alexander Tyler. About three years into the marriage, he lost both his kids after his wife strapped them to the backseat of her sedan and let the car roll down into the John D. Long Lake in South Carolina on October 25, 1994. For the following nine days, she pleaded with the authorities and the public to help them get her sons back safely, claiming that she was carjacked by a black man who drove away in her car containing her children. As per David, he noticed no signs of her ever causing harm to their children before she took their lives.
David didn’t suspect Susan to be the killer even once until November 3, when she confessed to murdering them. In 1995, Susan was convicted and sentenced to two life terms with the possibility of parole after serving 30 years behind bars. During the trial, he admittedly thought about killing her in the courtroom. He told TODAY, “I used to sit there and look at the back of her head and then look at where the bailiffs were, the officers were and think about killing her. How quick could I get to her? Could I reach her before that officer reaches me or could I get to her before that person would jump in front of me before I got my hands on her?” In the same year, he got divorced from Susan and worked on moving on.
David Smith Still Keeps the Memories of His Sons Alive While Leading a New Life With His Family
Soon after his divorce, David Smith got into a relationship with a woman named Tiffany. They dated on and off ever since then and even gave birth to a daughter, Savannah, in 2001. Finally, after about a decade of togetherness, they made their relationship official in the eyes of the law by getting married in April 2003. However, before tying the knot with Tiffany, he reportedly dated another woman for a short period of time, resulting in the birth of his son, Nicholas, in January 2003. When Susan’s parole hearing date approached in November 2024, he was vocal about his opinions.
He stated, “I just want to tell that parole board that they can’t let her out — 30 years, it’s just not enough. I mean, this wasn’t an accident, a tragic event where she didn’t mean to do it. She deliberately killed Michael and Alex.” He also believed that his ex-wife could not ever be rehabilitated after what she did three decades ago. However, David claimed that he had forgiven her as it was necessary for him; otherwise, he would not have been able to move on with his life. After all these years, he still remembers his late sons, Michael and Alex, and misses them a lot, especially while listening to some songs. He also said, “What scares me is that she would get out and then running into her somewhere in the local Walmart or the local store somewhere. Because I don’t wanna see her. I don’t ever want to have to face her in public like that.”
Residing in Spartanburg, South Carolina, David Smith has reportedly been working as an Assistant Store Manager at Walmart since December 2021. Being a family man, he is not only a devoted husband but also a doting parent to his two children — Savannah and Nicholas. Supporting them in their endeavors, David and Tiffany make sure that they are always there for them through thick and thin. All in all, most of the aspects of David’s personal life are a mystery, as he prefers to keep himself and his family away from the spotlight.
Read More: Beverly Russell Jr: What Happened to Susan Smith’s Step-Father?
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