Southeast
Killer mom Susan Smith’s romances show ‘humans are disposable’ to murderer hoping for parole: expert
Susan Smith is approaching her first shot at parole this fall, 30 years after she drowned her two young sons, but reports of her romances from behind bars show she still sees humans as “disposable,” one expert said.
Smith, now 51, is scheduled for her first parole hearing on Nov. 4, three decades to the date after she confessed to drowning her 3-year-old, Michael Daniel, and 14-month-old, Alexander Tyler, in a South Carolina lake.
Prosecutors had said Smith was driven to kill her boys a week after her ex-boyfriend and prospective affair partner, Tom Findlay, penned a letter about her sons being an obstacle.
“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.
MURDEROUS MOM SUSAN SMITH TOLD SUITOR IN JAILHOUSE CALL SHE IS ‘READY TO GO’ AHEAD OF PAROLE HEARING: REPORT
Susan Smith, 51, is serving time in a South Carolina prison for the murder of her two young sons. (South Carolina Dept. of Corrections)
Licensed clinical and police psychologist Dr. Katherine Kuhlman told Fox News Digital that Smith’s behavior is symptomatic of Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD), which she said was likely a contributing factor in Smith’s 1994 crime and is showcased to this day by her litany of romantic correspondences.
DPD is characterized by a “need for others to be responsible for the most important aspects of their life,” according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. People with DPD have “difficulty disagreeing with others because they fear the loss of support or approval.”
Over the past three years, Smith has courted nearly a dozen suitors over monitored jailhouse messages and telephone calls, according to the New York Post. Many of them have offered her financial security should she be released from prison, and conversations with many have taken breathy, sensual turns, the newspaper reported.
Most recently, one of those men told the outlet that he first fell in love with the inmate, then felt “duped.”
SUSAN SMITH, NEARING PAROLE AFTER MURDERS OF YOUNG SONS, SAYS SHE’D BE ‘GOOD STEPMOM’: REPORT
Michael Daniel Smith, 3, and his 14-month-old brother, Alexander Tyler Smith, are shown in a family photo. Their mother, Susan Smith, was convicted in their deaths.
“She always wanted something from me,” the South Carolina man, who corresponded with Smith for 18 months before cutting ties with her, told the Post.
“We’re not men to her; we’re marks,” he said. “She’s always figuring out what she can get.”
“To her, it looks like humans are disposable,” Kuhlman said. “Her kids are disposable, relationships are disposable. Once they no longer serve her, she’s done…the question is whether she’s intentionally manipulative or if it’s a product of this disorder she’s suffering.”
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Toys are pictured at a small memorial beside the spot where Michael and Alexander Smith were drowned in 1994. (Photo by William F. Campbell/Getty Images)
Kuhlman told Fox News Digital that there is “not a lot of treatment” available for personality disorders – especially not while incarcerated.
“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.
SUSAN SMITH, MOM WHO KILLED TWO SONS IN 1994, SENDS ROMANTIC LETTERS TO BOYFRIEND FROM PRISON: REPORT
Legal identity photograph of Susan Smith. She was convicted on July 22, 1995 of murdering her two sons, 3-year-old Michael Daniel Smith, and 14-month-old Alexander Tyler Smith. (Photo by Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma via Getty Images)
With a parole hearing slated for Nov. 4, Smith seemed hopeful in one recorded phone call.
“It’s time for me to get out,” Smith reportedly told one suitor over the phone earlier this year. “I’ve done my time. I’m ready to go.”
But criminal defense attorney Philip Holloway told Fox News Digital that her chances of an early release are “unlikely.”
“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.”
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Holloway mentioned Smith’s lengthy record of prison misconduct. According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Smith lost canteen, visitation and telephone privileges for drug use twice in 2010 and again in 2012. Also in 2010, Smith lost privileges for self harm.
“[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 said. “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.”
David Smith holds up a picture of his murdered sons Michael and Alex and smiles after his ex-wife, Susan Smith, was sentenced to life imprisonment on two counts of murder in Union, South Carolina. (Reuters)
Smith’s jail time romances shouldn’t play a role in the parole board’s decision, Holloway said – instead, surviving relatives of her slain children could impact the board’s decision with statements opposing her parole.
David Smith, the father of the two murdered children, has since remarried and fathered two additional children. He and his family reportedly intend to oppose Smith’s release.
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“David still thinks of his boys every day, and doesn’t ever want Susan to get out,” one of the man’s relatives 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 has confirmed her intention to show up at the hearing, the Post reported. Meanwhile, the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services has notified victims’ families about the upcoming hearing.
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Southeast
Naked woman allegedly assaults deputy while intoxicated, claims she was ‘trying to be a mermaid’
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A Louisiana woman’s attempt to go for a skinny-dip did not end swimmingly, authorities said, after she allegedly attacked a sheriff’s deputy responding to a trespassing complaint before finally surrendering to deputies Tuesday.
According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor standing in their driveway screaming and refusing to leave the property despite having been warned previously.
When a patrol deputy arrived, authorities said the suspect was found nude and swimming in a pond located on the caller’s property.
The woman was later identified as Erin Elizabeth Sutton, 41, of Marion. Sutton initially refused to exit the pond or speak with the deputy, telling him she was “trying to be a mermaid,” according to a sheriff’s office Facebook post.
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Erin Elizabeth Sutton, 41, is accused of threatening a sheriff’s deputy in Louisiana after being caught skinny-dipping in a neighbor’s pond. She claimed she was “trying to be a mermaid,” according to police. (Union Parish Sheriff’s Office / Getty Images)
After repeated commands, Sutton eventually exited the pond. Due to cold temperatures, emergency medical services were contacted to evaluate her, authorities said.
A blanket was provided, and as the deputy attempted to escort Sutton inside a residence to warm up, she allegedly charged at him.
Authorities said Sutton ignored multiple commands to comply and resisted detention. A taser was deployed but had no effect, according to the sheriff’s office. Sutton was taken to the ground, where she allegedly continued to resist, kicking and punching the deputy before being restrained.
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The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office in Farmerville, La., announced on Facebook that 41-year-old Erin Elizabeth Sutton had allegedly attacked and threatened one of their deputies after skinny-dipping in a neighbor’s pond, citing she was “trying to be a mermaid.” (Google Maps)
Sutton was transported to a hospital for further treatment. During the transport, she allegedly threatened to kill deputies and paramedics, authorities said.
Because Sutton required medical care at the time, deputies later sought arrest warrants, which were signed by a judge in Louisiana’s Third Judicial District Court, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sutton surrendered to deputies on Jan. 6, 2025, and was arrested on multiple charges, including three counts of resisting an officer with force or violence, two counts of public intimidation, two counts of battery of a police officer, disturbing the peace/drunkenness and criminal trespassing.
According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor was trespassing. (iStock)
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Her bond was set at $62,000, authorities said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response. It was not immediately clear whether Sutton has retained legal representation.
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Southeast
Dem governor-elect taps Crockett’s former ‘chief brand strategist’ for top DEI role
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FIRST ON FOX: Soon-to-be Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has tapped the former “chief brand strategist” for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to serve in the state’s top diversity, equity and inclusion role.
In a Tuesday statement, Spanberger, who takes office on Jan. 17, announced she is appointing Dr. Sesha Joi Moon to serve as Virginia’s chief diversity officer and director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Spanberger said that Moon’s “experience across government, education, and the nonprofit sectors gives her firsthand insight into the ways in which we can build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Virginia for every family.”
“I’m excited to announce that Dr. Moon is joining our administration,” said Spanberger, adding, “Virginia deserves leaders who will make sure our work to grow our Commonwealth’s economy keeps the needs of all Virginians in mind.”
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Virginia Democratic Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger celebrates as she takes the stage during her election night rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Nov. 04, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“When every Virginian has the opportunity to reach their full potential, it benefits all of us,” she said.
Moon, whose doctorates are in public administration and policy and self-identifies as a “Black queer woman,” responded to her appointment by saying she is looking “forward to joining the cabinet of Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger as her historic administration works to advance a future in which all Virginians have access to opportunity — to include residents from some of the hardest-to-reach communities throughout the Commonwealth.”
Moon most recently served as the chief impact officer for the Girl Scouts of the USA. Before that, through her private consultant practice Moon & Associates, she worked as the “chief brand strategist” for Crockett, a radical far-left Democrat who is currently running for the U.S. Senate in Texas.
Earlier this year, Moon appeared on a 40-minute podcast episode, where she defended the importance of DEI and delivered a direct message to critics, saying, “This work has not stopped. You can defund and dismantle all you want, but the work continues.”
“I’m excited. I feel like DEI is just getting started,” Moon continued. “I know that sounds so insane to some people because some people think our discipline is crumbling, and I don’t see it like that. I feel like we’re onto something here.”
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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Moon also served as executive-in-residence with two-time failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’ American Pride Rises Network, a DEI advocacy network.
Before that, she was the chief diversity officer of the U.S. House of Representatives during the 117th & 118th Congresses under Speakers Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Mike Johnson, R-La.
Spanberger won a decisive electoral victory this November, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by a margin of over 10 percentage points.
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Then Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears speaks at a CPAC Latino Rally for Virginia on October 25, 2025 in Sterling, Virginia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Considered a purple state, Spanberger’s victory returns the Virginia governor’s mansion to the Democrats after being held by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger, Moon, Crockett, Abrams and the Girl Scouts of the USA for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
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Southeast
NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire
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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin shared an update on his mother’s condition after she was moved to a burn unit following a house fire in North Carolina that left his father dead earlier this week.
Hamlin thanked those who reached out to him and shared their condolences. Dennis Hamlin died from injuries suffered in the blaze that occurred in Stanley.
Denny Hamlin looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing,” he wrote on X. “My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.”
Officials said Mary Lou Hamlin was transferred to a burn specialist in Winston-Salem to treat her injuries.
Officials said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
The fire broke out at a home in Stanley around 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, which drew emergency responses from Gaston and Lincoln Counties, according to Queen City News.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 12, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Both Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were out of the house as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
“We are thankful for the multiple agency response and ask that the public be in prayer for the affected family and our first responders in fire, GEMs and police,” the Lucia-Bend Fire Department said in a statement to the outlet.
Dennis Hamlin’s death was announced later Monday.
NASCAR released a statement on Tuesday to honor the NASCAR driver’s father.
“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family,” the organization said.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
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“Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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