THAT HE WILL 100% OPPOSE HER RELEASE. ANOTHER MAN WHO WANTS TO KEEP HER LOCKED UP IS TOMMY POPE. HE WAS THE LEAD PROSECUTOR DURING SMITH'S TRIAL AND WAS PRESENT AT THE LAKESIDE WHEN SUSAN'S CAR WAS PULLED OUT OF THE WATER WITH THOSE LITTLE BOYS, BODIES STILL INSIDE. MR. POPE IS ALSO A FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND CURRENT SPEAKER PRO TEM OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AND HE JOINS ME NOW EXCLUSIVELY, MISTER SPEAKER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOR BEING ON THE PROGRAM. I THINK BACK TO HOW YOUNG I WAS BACK AT THE TIME OF THE SUSAN SMITH CASE. YOU ARE 32. I THINK WHEN YOU ARE PROSECUTING THIS CASE HOW DID YOU GET? PAST? HOW DID YOU PROCESS BEING AT THAT LAKESIDE WHEN THAT CAR CAME UP WITH CHILDREN INSIDE? >> SO I GOT A CALL ABOUT A STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ALL SHE CAN PASS. AND I WENT I THINK LOT OF CRIME SCENE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT BEFORE. BUT I THAT WAS PROBABLY WORST EVER SEEN. ALSO GROWN MAN CRY AGENTS. I WORKED WITH CRIME. THE 2 BOYS WERE STRAPPED IN THE CAR. AND WHAT I ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS I WAS A PARENT IS SO HARD TO PROTECT. YOUR KIDS FINE WITH THE CAR SEAT. GET THEM OUT OF THE WHITE CAR. PUT THEM IN YOUR CAR AND THEIR SEASON AND USE THEM FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. THERE WAS IT WAS IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT MINE AND EVERYBODY THERE AND I'M SURE IT ALWAYS WILL >> MR. TRUMP, THE SO I GUESS HER WEDDING GOWN AND HER WEDDING ALBUM WERE ALSO FOUND IN THE CAR. THAT WAS A DETAIL EITHER. I DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME OR DIDN'T REMEMBER. WAS IT YOUR ANALYSIS IN THE INVESTIGATION THAT SHE HAD BASICALLY JUST TRIED TO ERASE HER FORMER LIFE? >> ALWAYS SAID EVERYTHING. BUT DAVID SMITH WAS IN THAT CAR AND YOU HAD THE WAY DOWN WAY THE KIDS BECAUSE I THINK SHE TRULY BELIEVE WHAT TOM DELAY TOLD HER THAT. IF SHE DIDN'T HAVE KIDS, THEN SHE COULD HAVE AND CERTAINLY WHAT WHAT HE WAS REALLY THINKING. BUT THAT'S WHAT HE TOLD HER. NOT THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU BOUGHT IN IF YOU GET RID OF THE YOU'RE A BAD MOTHER. BUT A CAR PROTECT YOUR KIDS. YOU'RE A VICTIM. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED THERE, TOO, AS SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A VICTIM. SHE EVEN TOLD EARLY ON THAT SHE EXPECTED TOM TO COME BY THE HOUSE COPPER. >> I KNOW YOU SOUGHT THE DEATH PENALTY AT THE TIME. WHAT WHAT ENDED UP BEING THE BARRIER TO A WOMAN LIKE THIS, GETTING THE DEATH PENALTY? BECAUSE, LOOK, I MEAN, EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE DEBATE OVER THE DEATH PENALTY IN AMERICA, IT ALWAYS COMES UP THE LINE THAT IT IS ONLY RESERVED FOR THE WORST OF THE WORST NIGHT. CAN'T IMAGINE ANYONE WORSE. A WHAT STOPPED HER FROM GETTING THAT I HAD THE DEFENSE CREDIT. I WHAT HAPPENED >> SHE WENT FROM SUSAN, THE MONSTERS, SUSAN OF COMMUNITY TALK ABOUT HER STEPFATHER. THEY TALK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS CAME ABOUT SUSAN, INSTEAD ABOUT MICHAEL AND ALEX. I WAS ALWAYS FRUSTRATING CAMERAS WORN IN THE COURTROOM WHERE LET GLORIA HELD I DON'T WANT HAVE SOME HIGH, BUT I WANTED THEM TO HEAR DAVID WHEN DAVID SMITH TESTIFIED, YOU KNOW WHY CASE DESERVED THE DEATH BECAUSE THE BLACK MAN COMMITTED THE CRIME, HAD DAVID SMITH COMMITTED CRIMES, CERTAINLY THERE WILL BE A CLAMOR FOR THE DEATH PENALTY. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT COMMUNITY. >> DIDN'T WANT TO FACE THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN, IT'S A TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THEY ALSO PAUL SAYS GOING TO BE A GENTLE THE REST OF HER LIFE. >> AND LITTLE DID THEY KNOW THAT I THINK IS WHAT OCTOBER NOVEMBER. SHE'S SHE'S UP FOR PAROLE. THAT BRINGS ME TO YOU'RE NO LONGER PROSECUTE A YEAR. THE SPEAKER PRO TEM RIGHT BUT YOU'RE JOINING FORCES WITH THE CURRENT D A TO HELP WORK ON THE CASE AGAINST HER RELEASE. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT WE KNEW? >> CURRENT SOLICITOR AND THAT'S WHAT WE CALL DISTRICT ATTORNEY WAS ACTUALLY MY DEPUTY SOLICITOR. AND HE HELPED ME WITH THE CASE KEVIN BRACKETT, HE'S THE ELECTED SOLICITOR. NOW. REALLY ENTAILS. NOT LET THE PAROLE BOARD. FORGET THE NATURE OF THE CRIME. AS YOU DELINEATED CITIZEN AIRMEN WERE FACTORS. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KILLED OTHER INMATES IN PRISON. TO THE EXTENT THE JURY BELIEVE THAT LIKE ME MEANT LIFE, WHICH IT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T. AND THEY WERE ABLE BATMAN ALONG THE TOLL THAT THEY EXPECTED, SUSAN, TO THEY WERE MORSEL THAT MICHAEL AND ALEX SINK. CLEARLY HER BEHAVIOR, PARTICULARLY WITH GUARDS WITH THE MAN. IT'S ALL