Mothers Who Kill Their Children: Understanding the Acts of Moms from Susan Smith to the "Prom Mom"

by Cheryl Meyer, Michelle Oberman, Kelly White (Contributor)

An inside look into patterns and potential prevention plans for one of the most hotly sensationalized crimes

A special kind of horror is reserved for mothers who kill their children. Cases such as those of Susan Smith, who drowned her two young sons by driving her car into a lake, and Melissa Drexler, who disposed of her newborn baby in a restroom at her prom, become media sensations. Unfortunately, in addition to these high-profile cases, hundreds of mothers kill their children in the United States each year. The question most often asked is, why? What would drive a mother to kill her own child?

Those who work with such cases, whether in clinical psychology, social services, law enforcement or academia, often lack basic understandings about the types of circumstances and patterns which might lead to these tragic deaths, and the social constructions of motherhood which may affect women's actions. These mothers oftentimes defy the myths and media exploitation of them as evil, insane, or lacking moral principles, and they are not a homogenous group. In obvious ways, intervention strategies should differ for a teenager who denies her pregnancy and then kills her newborn and a mother who kills her two toddlers out of mental illness or to further a relationship. A typology is needed to help us to understand the different cases that commonly occur and the patterns they follow in order to make possible more effective prevention plans.

Mothers Who Kill Their Children draws on extensive research to identify clear patterns among the cases of women who kill their children, shedding light on why some women commit these acts. The characteristics the authors establish will be helpful in creating more meaningful policies, more targeted intervention strategies, and more knowledgeable evaluations of these cases when they arise.

Genres: True Crime

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

Reviews

[Margaret Cornell · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is unfair to women incarcerated for violent crimes, especially those who kill their children. The authors use a very broad brush to describe and discuss a subject with tremendous variation and nuance. They overgeneralize at every turn. Basically, the authors blame "the system": medical, legal, child advocacy, prison without considering each woman's state of mind. The effect of serious mental illness is glossed over and replaced by the failure of social services. None of the women are seen as competent accountable adults, rather portrayed as wounded children.
Terrible treatment of a serious and complicated issue.

[Sky · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️¼ (2.25/5)

Mothers Who Kill Their Children was a very heavy and often difficult read, and overall it moved much slower than I expected. The subject matter is undeniably intense, and while I went in anticipating something more psychologically gripping, it didn’t fully land that way for me.

The strongest part of the book, without question, was the inclusion of actual case files and documented details. Those sections felt the most engaging and grounded, and they gave a clearer sense of the real cases being discussed. I also found myself wishing there had been more of that—more primary material, more court transcripts, and especially more direct interviews or firsthand perspectives from people involved in the cases.

The psychological analysis was present and clearly well-researched, but it didn’t hold my attention the way I thought it would. I expected deeper insight into motivation and behavioral breakdowns, but it often felt more academic and detached, which made it harder to stay invested.

I also expected more focus on courtroom proceedings and legal outcomes, but those elements felt surprisingly limited. Instead of a narrative-driven true crime approach, this leaned much more toward a structured academic examination, which wasn’t quite what I was looking for.

That said, the topic itself is handled with seriousness and care, and there are moments where the book does stand out in how it categorizes and examines different cases. It just didn’t quite connect with me the way I hoped it would, and I found myself wanting a more immersive, story-driven experience.

Ultimately, this was informative but emotionally and narratively flat for my personal taste, especially given the subject matter. A solid concept, but not the execution I was expecting.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very interesting and one of the few nonfictions that I read this year. I loved how the author dove deep into this harrowing subject. It was fast paced and did not feel like reading a textbook at all!

[Valerie, Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Was expecting an Ann Rule type of book. This went into a broader understanding.