Susan Smith could have been a normal woman. If you passed her on the street, you wouldn't know that she would turn out to be a killer. Susan, however, had a secret, a deadly secret. Susan Smith was a cold and calculating killer, capable of killing in cold blood. I believe many factors contributed to the mindset she had before the murder of her two sons, such as her traumatic childhood and the many dysfunctional relationships she had. Susan Leigh Vaughan Smith was born on September 26, 1971, in Union, South Carolina. Linda and Harry Vaughan. She is the third child in the Vaughan family, with two older brothers. Linda Vaughan divorced Harry when Susan turned 7, and five weeks later Harry committed suicide at age 37 (Montaldo). A few weeks after Linda and Harry divorced, Linda remarried Beverly (Bev) Russell, a successful local businessman. Linda and the children moved out of their home and into Bev's, a larger home in an exclusive subdivision in Union, South Carolina. Susan became a well-liked teenager and even became president of her Junior Civitan Club and friendliest woman during her senior year (Montaldo). Everyone loved her and she put on a great show at school. But after the final bell rang, she had to hope to see Bev home again, something she feared most of all. Bev had begun molesting Susan when she was sixteen, and soon after, she sought help from the local Department of Social Services (Wiki). The Department of Social Services did little to help Susan, only requiring Bev to attend a few counseling sessions (Wiki). Upon returning home, he severely reprimanded Susan for "airing her dirty laundry in public" and continued to assault her (Montaldo). I believe that...... middle of article...... LSI Laboratory for Scientific Interrogation Inc. nd Web, February 7, 2012McClish, Mark. “Susan Smith” http://www.statementanalysis.com/susan-smith/ Advanced Interview Concepts. May 6, 2002. Web, February 7, 2012 Bragg, Rick. “Sherriff Says a Prayer and a Lie Led Susan Smith to Confession” http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/18/us/sheriff-says-prayer-and-a-lie-led-susan- smith-to-confess.html New York Times. July 18, 1995. Web, February 9, 2012L.E. Our “A justice adapted to Susan Smith? ^ Orlando Sentinel, August 2, 1995. Web. FEBRUARY 9,2012