Josh Mankiewicz

Now, for this episode, Craig spoke with her ex-husband, David, in a very rare, very revealing interview about how this case, this loss, how it impacted him and how he is fighting to keep the woman that he once loved behind bars. Now, if you've not listened to this episode yet, it is the episode right below this one on the list of podcasts that you just chose from.

So you can go there and you can listen to it and come back here or you can go to Peacock and stream it. Now, when you come back, Craig and I will talk about the episode. Craig also has an extra clip that he wants to play for us from the chief of SLED, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Mark Keel. And then later, we're going to be joined by a special guest.

So you can go there and you can listen to it and come back here or you can go to Peacock and stream it. Now, when you come back, Craig and I will talk about the episode. Craig also has an extra clip that he wants to play for us from the chief of SLED, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Mark Keel. And then later, we're going to be joined by a special guest.

And that is Dateline producer Carol Gable, who exchanged letters with Susan Smith for 20 years. And she's going to talk about that and also answer some of your questions about the broadcast from social media. So stick around for that. And now let's talk Dateline. You were a small child when this happened. I know that. It's not a small child.

And that is Dateline producer Carol Gable, who exchanged letters with Susan Smith for 20 years. And she's going to talk about that and also answer some of your questions about the broadcast from social media. So stick around for that. And now let's talk Dateline. You were a small child when this happened. I know that. It's not a small child.

No, you were like, you saw this, I'm thinking, through the bars of your crib.

No, you were like, you saw this, I'm thinking, through the bars of your crib.

I was 15. Okay. All right. Because I was, I think, 65 then. Shut up. Uh, I remember, I remember this story. I was actually, um, not only was I a TV reporter at this, at this stage, I was not working. I had not come to Dateline yet.

I was 15. Okay. All right. Because I was, I think, 65 then. Shut up. Uh, I remember, I remember this story. I was actually, um, not only was I a TV reporter at this, at this stage, I was not working. I had not come to Dateline yet.

And I was working for a show that had stopped producing episodes and we were all just kind of getting paid, waiting for them to figure out what they were going to do next, which turned out to be nothing. So I had a lot of time to watch coverage of this. And I did, I remember watching a lot of it.

And I was working for a show that had stopped producing episodes and we were all just kind of getting paid, waiting for them to figure out what they were going to do next, which turned out to be nothing. So I had a lot of time to watch coverage of this. And I did, I remember watching a lot of it.

And I'm presuming that even when the TV wasn't on, everybody was talking about it. It's all anybody could talk about. You know, the detail of her story, I remembered this when I saw it in your broadcast. The guy jumps in the car, supposedly, and says, you know, he's got a gun. He's like, just drive. And she said, and the boys were crying.

And I'm presuming that even when the TV wasn't on, everybody was talking about it. It's all anybody could talk about. You know, the detail of her story, I remembered this when I saw it in your broadcast. The guy jumps in the car, supposedly, and says, you know, he's got a gun. He's like, just drive. And she said, and the boys were crying.

And I remember thinking, like, man, they must have been terrified. Like, they could tell something was wrong. They knew how frightened she was. That was the moment where I thought, oh, my God, how awful that must be. And, of course, all made up.

And I remember thinking, like, man, they must have been terrified. Like, they could tell something was wrong. They knew how frightened she was. That was the moment where I thought, oh, my God, how awful that must be. And, of course, all made up.

I mean, she she sold this really well. It wasn't like she was refusing to talk to anybody or wouldn't speak afterwards. I mean, correct. She absolutely played her part.

I mean, she she sold this really well. It wasn't like she was refusing to talk to anybody or wouldn't speak afterwards. I mean, correct. She absolutely played her part.

Yeah. I mean, I don't want to say it was a simpler or more innocent time, but it may have been a less suspicious time because without, without social media and the internet, uh, The impulse was to believe her story. She's telling the truth. Yep. And people did believe it.

Yeah. I mean, I don't want to say it was a simpler or more innocent time, but it may have been a less suspicious time because without, without social media and the internet, uh, The impulse was to believe her story. She's telling the truth. Yep. And people did believe it.

And then, clearly, I mean, at some point, law enforcement starts doing what I think was a pretty good job, like figuring out, like, her story about the stoplight couldn't have been true. That's a... That's pretty good police work in a time when there weren't cameras at every intersection.