Susan Smith Trial to Start; Mental Competency 1st Issue

The trial of a young mother who confessed to drowning her two sons by leaving them in their car seats while she rolled the vehicle into a lake is expected to begin today after eight months of legal wrangling.

If the court hearing today finds Susan Smith, 23, is mentally competent to stand trial, she will enter a plea and jury selection will begin.

The case of Smith, who is white, attracted national attention when she initially told police a black carjacker had kidnaped her children. But a week later, Smith confessed to killing the boys herself, saying she had let her car roll into the lake with Michael, 3, and Alex, 14 months, strapped in the back seat.

She is charged with two counts of homicide, and prosecutors say they will press for the death penalty.

She entered no plea at her arraignment in January and her lawyers have not detailed a defense strategy, telling prosecutors only that they should plan for insanity and mental illness defenses.