Craig Melvin

No, in part because of not wanting to give air to Susan Smith. No, in fact, this was the first time he talked about it on national television. I mean, he runs SLED now, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. We actually talked to him during the Murdoch trial, which he had also not talked about before. But during this particular case, Chief Keel, he was in law school at the time.

but he was also an amateur pilot and he was part of the search team. So he would go to class. In fact, he talked about at one point, he skipped some class to go search for these two little boys or that black guy from the sketch. And this is for him as well. This is one of those stories that really has always stayed with him. And he was there at the parole hearing in November and,

but he was also an amateur pilot and he was part of the search team. So he would go to class. In fact, he talked about at one point, he skipped some class to go search for these two little boys or that black guy from the sketch. And this is for him as well. This is one of those stories that really has always stayed with him. And he was there at the parole hearing in November and,

Which he never does.

Which he never does.

What do you remember about the emotions of members of law enforcement back then after we found out that you had an effect?

What do you remember about the emotions of members of law enforcement back then after we found out that you had an effect?

I think to the chief's point, like even these guys who had, you know, I mean, you've been at SLED for a while. You've seen a murder. You know, you've seen probably a double murder, car accidents. You've seen some stuff. But to see two little boys who were still, when they hoisted that car from John D. Long Lake, they were still strapped in. And they'd been strapped in for nine days. Yeah.

I think to the chief's point, like even these guys who had, you know, I mean, you've been at SLED for a while. You've seen a murder. You know, you've seen probably a double murder, car accidents. You've seen some stuff. But to see two little boys who were still, when they hoisted that car from John D. Long Lake, they were still strapped in. And they'd been strapped in for nine days. Yeah.

So you can only imagine what these officers saw. And by the way, and this is, I think, one of the other reasons that this case has resonated with so many for so long now, it wasn't just the killing of the children. It was the way that she did it.

So you can only imagine what these officers saw. And by the way, and this is, I think, one of the other reasons that this case has resonated with so many for so long now, it wasn't just the killing of the children. It was the way that she did it.

As odd as that may sound.

As odd as that may sound.

Correct. And anyone who's had small children, You know, kids are 10 and 8 now, and I remember the car seat phase. And, I mean, the car seat is sacrosanct. You've got to make sure they're buckled in the car seat. You've got to have the car seat. You've got to make sure the car... You become obsessed with the car seat.

Correct. And anyone who's had small children, You know, kids are 10 and 8 now, and I remember the car seat phase. And, I mean, the car seat is sacrosanct. You've got to make sure they're buckled in the car seat. You've got to have the car seat. You've got to make sure the car... You become obsessed with the car seat.

And to think that these two little boys, they get strapped in their car seats by their mother, and they die this slow... Death submerged in this lake that they, and I think that's for a lot of people. It's not, it's not even, it's not what she did. It's not why she did it. It's the way that she did it. It's even now, 30 years later, that's the part that I think pisses me off the most.

And to think that these two little boys, they get strapped in their car seats by their mother, and they die this slow... Death submerged in this lake that they, and I think that's for a lot of people. It's not, it's not even, it's not what she did. It's not why she did it. It's the way that she did it. It's even now, 30 years later, that's the part that I think pisses me off the most.

But, you know, David Smith, Mank, he is—and this is of the takeaways for me of the episode. I'd never met David before. Obviously, I knew who he was. And he doesn't do a lot of interviews at all. No. And he decided to sit down with us exclusively because he wanted to make sure.

But, you know, David Smith, Mank, he is—and this is of the takeaways for me of the episode. I'd never met David before. Obviously, I knew who he was. And he doesn't do a lot of interviews at all. No. And he decided to sit down with us exclusively because he wanted to make sure.

that even though times have changed and the way we view abuse and depression, even though a lot of that has changed for us as a society, he did not want anyone using that lens to view what happened to his two boys in a sympathetic light back in 1994. So begrudgingly, he decided to make sure that we remembered what she did and what his boys were like. That had to be tough. It was.