Susan Leigh Vaughan Smith is an American criminal who was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her children. Born in Union, South Carolina, and a former student of the University of South Carolina Union, she was convicted on July 22, 1995 for murdering her two sons, 3-year-old Michael Daniel Smith, born October 10, 1991, and 14-month-old Alexander Tyler Smith, born August 5, 1993. The case gained worldwide attention shortly after it developed, due to her claim that a black man carjacked her and kidnapped her sons. Her defense attorneys presented expert testimony that she suffered from mental health issues that impaired her judgment when she committed the crimes.