Read Study 3: Sins of the Mother

Link: https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/crime-history/a-look-back-at-the-susan-smith-case-23-years-after-the-south-carolina-mom-killed-her-2-young-sons

ID Crimefeed (2017, October 25). A look back at Susan Smith - the South Carolina mom killed her two young sons. (Webpage)

Study 3 Questions

1. Susan violated what most people consider our most sacred trust when she killed her children. How could she have done it? Provide Reference

2. Susan wanted relief from loneliness and the problems in her life. She wanted to commit suicide but did not want her sons to suffer as she had after her father's suicide. She believed that if she killed her sons first and then committed suicide, her sons would suffer less than if she left them on their own. She felt burdened and was overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a single mother. What role might depression have played in her actions?

3. Discuss potential effects that sexual abuse can have on a young woman. How might Susan's experiences with her stepfather have affected her behavior? Provide Reference

4. Why didn't her attorneys use the mental illness defense? Provide Reference