Description
The first several chapters of the Belknap text cover various
criminological theories that have been presented as possible
explanations for female criminal behavior... with various levels of
success in this endeavor. For the purpose of this assignment, I want you
to put on your criminologist hat and select a theory to explain a
female offender's behavior. You can use any of the theories used in the
course text, but don't feel limited to do so - if you have another
criminological theory you feel would better explain the behavior, please
do so.
Our subject: Susan Smith
In October 1994, Smith strapped her children, Michael and Alex (ages 3 and 14 months, respectively) into her car, got out, and put it in drive - plunging it into the John D. Long Lake outside Union, South Carolina, with the boys inside. Both Michael and Alex died. For days, Smith claimed she was carjacked by a black man, and the boys were missing. When the car was located in the lake, police turned their attention to Smith. Susan Smith was found guilty of two counts of first degree murder; she was sentenced to 30 years to life; eligible for parole in 2025.
Please watch the video "American Justice: The Susan Smith Story - A Mothers Confession" (43:38) for a more detailed account.
Then address the following in an essay:
- Explain the facts of the case and the court proceedings.
- Select one theory, discussed in our textbook, that could be used to explain Smith's behavior.
- Briefly summarize the theory and provide at least 2 examples of how the theory applies to Smith.
- If there are any elements of the theory you have selected that clearly do not apply to Smith's case, please address this as well. This will show me that you are familiar enough with the theory to explain not only how it applies, but how it does not apply
he essay must be APA format, at least 3 pages in length in actual content, double-spaced, using 12-point font with 1-inch margins and include at least 3 legitimate sources. You can use the ASU Library Database system to search articles/newspaper articles. Wikipedia, blogs, and other nefarious sources of dubious credibility are not acceptable sources.
Explanation & Answer
Please find the answer in the attachment and feel free to reach out for any clarrifications
Running Head: SUSAN SMITH
1
Case Study on Female Offenders; Susan Smith
Name of student
Institutional Affiliation
Date
SUSAN SMITH
2
Overview of the Case
The nature of some crimes and the people who commit them can be hard to comprehend
based on the nature of the crime and the history of the individuals. It is the same case with Susan
Smith, a mother of two. She was accused of killing her to children by letting placing them in a
vehicle and let it drive into a lake where they were found dead. People find it to comprehend
what made her do the act, whether it was accidental, or it was something else. In her history, she
had not recorded any cases of criminal activities but had a good and clean life from childhood. It
is a case that became big to the point that it received national recognition.
Facts of the Case & Court Proceedings
Susan Smith was tried with two accounts of murder in Union County, South California in
July 1995 and was found guilty resulting in 30 years to life imprisonment. The two victims were
her two sons, Michael Daniel who was three years, and Alexander Tyler who was 14 months old.
Smith first claimed that it was a black man who had kidnapped her sons after stealing her car on
October 25, 1994. Investigators started conducting investigations and found Smith’s claim
incons...