Susan Smith: Victim or Murderer
Susan Smith's murder of her two young sons has been swept off the front page by other equally horrific events, but the questions about the crime and the criminal still linger, mostly because it remains so hard to believe that a by-all-accounts loving mother would kill her own sons. Rekers is the clinical psychologist who served as the designated spokesperson for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, where Smith had her mental evaluation. Drawing from both medical records that have been made public as well as court transcripts, Rekers attempts to create a psychological portrait of the mother as murderer. His use of a modified question-and-answer format ("What is different between a criminal mind and a mentally disturbed mind?" ) lends a certain clarity of focus, but the advantages are offset by repetitiveness. In addition, Rekers' writing style occasionally borders on the baroque ("The dark hues and complex shading of pure tragedy were cast over their union . . . piling stress upon stress on the tender, delicate bond of their togetherness" ). Despite the desperate need for an editor, the book does succeed in its basic goal of presenting Susan inside out, so to speak. Is the public still interested? A tough call--Smith's brand of grisly fame vanishes quickly--but publicity is still likely to engender a spate of requests.Ilene Cooper