In this Dateline classic, a husband celebrates his wife’s birthday with an intimate party held at their exclusive Coral Gables home in Florida. As the night winds down, an armed intruder suddenly enters their bedroom firing shots that kill the wife and leave the husband severely wounded. Keith Morrison reports. Originally aired on NBC on October 15, 2010.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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All the gold coast, the sun, the sea and in the
million million dollar home this story. He was talking on the telephone when he heard a loud bang, a woman murdered her.
Why are you bleeding available on a bleeding all over Europe, but who
Everyone is somewhat of a sauce and why but bring someone to make a decision that they're going to do this? Was it love? What we learned was that he was having
in the pair with the sun. Was it money? Nobody knows what really happened, except for him and Garrett, or was the truth hidden here on this tropical paradise. It was an assassination. It was a hit, no question.
Lester HALT, and this is day lie here- is key, the moors and with lying justice it was August hot and coral gable,
the air was shirt? Sticking thick as night fell a small
breeze pushing on Fridays
in the artificial cool of attorney John Johnson says an intimate part
was winding down early it
Sutton's birthday agenda.
Their son, his girlfriend and John's law partner.
Melissa just after college and not Florida couldn't be there.
so she phoned her mother to say
She missed her,
extremely my best friend.
Let us hold your mobiles. Was these seven? Now you can't put that I
She was a nice. Forty. Five left leave it at that the gas,
the law partner went home, son, Christopher and his girlfriend without to a movie John
I settled in to watch tv in the master bedroom Susan in another bedroom talked on the phone.
close friend. Why then do a pleasant evening quiet, but not for long?
I did
it might help the what happened to the body paper. That got me
Although I believe that idea,
abuse
the
John Sutton, a tough as nails. Take no prisoners lawyer was barely conscious, as he begged the nine one one operator for help. He told the operator blood was gushing from his head wound. He couldn't see
why
Somehow he made it out the front door on his own. He was met by a paramedic the holes in his head. His face, I mean I couldn't believe how MR sudden made it out of the house walking towards the stabilize sudden rush.
For the time being it an hour north.
Sudden some homicide. Detective very value was just getting home after a long shift that was just pulling
in my driveway when I got the phone call he was critically injured. However
he called nine one one and he made his way to the door and opened the door they didn't want to go in until he came out. That was no nowhere to know whether the person or persons were involved were still inside. They backed off until the Swat team arrived and made it.
Into the house, not knowing. If a gunman was still in the house, swap teams cleared
house room by room find me entering the bedroom where Susan Sutton had been on the phone.
and when they went into the room in which MRS Sutton was. They didn't see anybody Miami Dade.
Computer Karen Kagan was on homicide duty that night and was called out to the evening.
I saw a mound on the bed covered by a blanket.
Bullet holes in the blankets and they had to yank.
Blanket down and when they did that they found MRS Sutton in bed with her hands up. She had been holding the blanket, and
with her son literally ducking under the covers for cover
Susan Sutton was dead, a bloody phone beside her. She must have dropped it as she pulled up the
in her vain attempt to hide from her killer
secure. No shooter around the Swat team withdrew a dispatcher, worn, detective
this might be the result of a domestic dispute, something
call, perhaps an attempt to cover up what he had done when I got the phone call and said that there was a murder suicide downing,
gables we heard that the husband was en route to trauma center and in critical condition route.
With two bullet holes to his head. Had seven killed his wife
This then turned the gun on himself know. That theory was quickly dismissed.
Paramedics took him to the hospital put out an update over the radio. He can't provide any info, but it doesn't look. Like the other hand, he had wounds to his hands, which would make it clear that it was defense type,
that somebody else must have shot because he put his hands up so obviously, first
This is not. This is not a suicide who or why
Anyone want to harm John or Susan Satin. The sentence had lived. Exemplary live seem to have it all a beautiful house, with a thirty one, foot boat out back in
Coral gables, the upscale enclave south of Miami practice. Susan worked as office manager
just that we had received a check for a million dollars for a case, you settled so
was robbery, the motive and, if so, how
the killer get into the house:
officer saw a curtain blowing in the wind through a sliding glass door in the rear of the house near the pool the door latch showed.
it had been broken long before that night, the killer
on in through that sliding glass door had walked all the way.
Through that house. No answer drawers, we're not
and in the master bathroom on the vanity, was some beautiful diamond and so clearly early on. It was pretty easy to detect that robbery was not the issue here and that it was apparent that they were
did. It was an assassination. It was a hit
assassination that sort of
just didn't happen and stayed. Coral gables
Whatever the motive there was
go on no murder weapon, no fingerprints, no dna
there was, however, one possible lead Susan Sutton, as it was painfully obvious from the bloodstained.
I've been on the phone when she was shot five times. Someone heard the screams of bull
ripping through the silence of that steamy August night, but who
coming up.
did he know that police didn't? He was given a polygraph when he passed on certain information, but he was deceptive and others which is a red flag.
When Dateline continues,
The
this morning, two thousand and four.
nineteen years old, awoke to college dorm life in northern Florida unaware
What had happened to her parents? The night before
mother was dead,
unaware that in a Miami emergency room, doctors were fighting to save her father's life.
Told you in whom I actually got a call from a friend who said, I hope, your dad's going to be okay, abide.
Went what like maybe a heart attack or something you know, because if I were the blue
Adequate Melissa called every number. She could back home
call my mom she didn't answer. I called
partner. You streamline close family friends and eat an answer. I called my brother. He said he couldn't talk right now. We ve frantic commission. So you do something I didn't know why I didn't know what level
actually militia reach. Montalto reluctantly broke the news to her on the phone you brought her back to Miami and the hospital where her father was an intensive care or brother
six year old Christopher, had already arrived. Both of them were right,
the loss of their mother, and now they kept vigil.
at their gravely wounded father's bedside.
we didn't even know he was going to live for a long time to say
Christmas. You know
If I didn't know his hands and no little intricate pieces of you wouldn't have known it was him
I don't think that ever crossed my mind. Actually I dunno he was still alive militia, wondered why her parents, who could have done this
investigators describing it as a hint
did you have any sense at all. All he told me what had happened, but I didn't know
who had won right. I just thought it was some sort of
break in was my first instinct so either I
for a long time until we start talking about my dad's clients
to take very very value and art nanny were also thinking about Sutton's clients and those he sued on their behalf. This forward
sudden couldn't provide any information. He was clean to live in a drawer.
Induced coma. I went several times to try to talk to Johnson. He was on pain, medication. He was
intubated it. I mean we're looking at
Maybe it's not his law firm who he may
angry at him, civil attorneys. They take a lot of money from people and they make people mad. I said find out if any of these
people have reason
for revenge on it'll John said:
John Sutton ran his law firm like he ran most things in life. Efficient
hard driving. In fact, detectives heard about one woman who lost
Ninety seven thousand dollars lawsuit and was so mad. She threatened to shoot up John's firm and
night of the murder, a neighbor.
roaring down the canal, just behind John's house, and it turned out that woman owned such a boat
She was interviewed down the line also, and she was not person response.
about that phone call? Susan was on when she was shot to death.
Actors on the bloodstained had said Susan dropped from the gunman open fire. Who was she talking to that person heard something detectives got their answer almost right away. John Sutton's Lardner, Teddy Mun Toto, had shown up at the house even before the first report to the shooting hit the news that nine he was also arm. He was talking to
Susan Sutton, on the telephone when he heard a loud bang
or what he said. Maybe gunshots he didn't know at least that's what he told the police,
penny on the matter of truth. In his statement he could be a suspect or absolute, but that said, Melissa had to be impossible Teddy and Susan work together. They talk,
Often the frequent belated might give us my mom is best friend call him my godfather praying lunching like her.
What if the police were suspicious, why had one todo arrived so quickly after the shooting? Why was he armed with a handgun at a few questions and perhaps more important, some testing to do? We interviewed him
extensively. We did take gunshot residue from his hands. He was given a polygraph only yes, he was how do you do he passed on certain information buddy and showed that he was deceptive and others which,
red flag. Yes, a red flag, this early in the investigation. What exactly did law partner Toto have to hide? Perhaps
sudden, could tell them because the survey
Four of the slaughter it was clear, was going to live.
He came out of his coma. What story would he tell
did he see
coming with his victim defenceless in the hospital. Would the killer? Try again, John certain Sun seemed to think so. I do not call him very adamant. I might I be placed under John down so that whoever did this could not finish off what they had started, but was the killer already closer than anyone could have dreamed when Dateline continues
the Susan
was dead, shot five times?
a killer who invaded her home after her birthday party,
when John an attorney
been shot in the head twice and was in critical condition under my army hospital undergoing multiple surgeries to save his life, but soon after the shooting detectives had a potential suspect Johnson,
his good friend and law partner. He had a partner
Who was on the scene when I was, I detective, got there
I told police he'd been on the phone with Susan heard, the
stable sound of gunfire, rushed over to the Sutton House, with a gun of his own, to try to help that was that the whole story,
they gave one Toto polygraph it showed
I ve been deceptive, hiding something. What we learned was that he was have another
with the necessary
so on Toto hadn't been straight with them or whether
good friend and Partner John Sutton, but was he off the hook for murder? Maybe maybe not
when they checked phone records it appeared? Montoni was still being deceptive, he told them the
there had been recent and brief, but that's not, but the phone record said it
Montco have some secret reason to kill his lover and her husband
for gunshot residue
you might test positive. He was an expert. Marksman have been shooting.
earlier that day. Another
in the story. But what did it mean in terms of the likelihood that he was involved in this incident again
it's early in the investigation. It was a lot of investigating to do it mostly for days they waited with everyone else to see
John Sutton would survive the attack to see if they'd ever be able to ask him what happened
Until now. All they heard from Sutton was this. Are you bleeding ugly? Over yeah? I can't see it
almost a week after the shooting, when certain was awakened from a medically induced coma, he was going to live, but he was going to live with the scars of the shooting he lost an eye, but worse far, worse, whereas the new
the doctors gave him. He would
never see again. He was blind in
both eyes.
shortly before I left the hospital some
Alpha came around and
a bluntly told me. There was nothing there
do for my eyesight. I was very unhappy
very upset about the eyesight
You know right away. He was going to be blind. No, I didn't
I we didn't even know if he was going to live for a long time, nice
and those eyes and though he can see back and see you it's different. It's different to look at someone who's buying a different expression.
though for a long time any expression was masked by true
dreadful injuries. How many bullets given hit by I had to in my head in the right temple and I'm told out-
the left jaw, one higher towards my ear and one in the lower part of the job. Those were only the shots to his head. The tip of his ring finger was blown off of the shots, hit his thumb shoulder or six pretty good size bullet holes. Couldn't remember the name.
He was well enough to talk to detectives is sudden told them what he could
the story of a man who barely witnessed the attack that killed his wife and almost killed him
He was a former college swimmer, so he was watching an olympic diving event in the master bedroom. Next thing next thing I know somebody was standing there in a black hat or visor black shirt black
its face: shaded by the visor and open
all I really remember was one bank,
destroyed his right eye and severed the optic
in his left eye. The optic nerve connect the eye to the brain. Without it site is impossible, but the bad news, of course didn't
there. How did you find out about Susan? At some point, I asked Melissa how
mom doing and militia said well, she's, not doing quite as well as you shoot their work and on her somewhere else. So you need to hang in there didn't really mean mean too much to me.
I think I was hallucinating an awful lot at some point
somebody told me that she had died. In fact, for weeks and weeks suck,
in and out of alertness dependent,
Others to
where's. My son, was there a bunch of my friends. Were there cause? I had multiple surgeries in that hospital.
and ass. He lay in that bet, sedated medicated reading through to the thoughts half a dream, terrified him was the killer. I hit
was he coming to try again? I thought
he was trying to kill me one night, so I raised hell. I said you know, call the police, you know everything I could say to get some assistance
he was wrong. There was no killer still
Christopher, demanded the hospital take special precautions. I do upon him as very adamant. I might
be placed under John DOE, so that whoever did this could not find him and finish off. They had started.
You were pretty paranoid guideline most certainly and with good reason because
the killer was still out? There knew exactly where
John Sutton? Was
coming out. Unfortunately, police had no idea where the killer was everyone's somewhat of a suspect. You started with the family walking your way out when Dateline continues.
the
actor John Sutton was alive at all after that mystery and Vader killed his wife and shot him in the face. With a medical Marvel Franklin, the rest of them,
this was not so good.
Finally able to talk sudden received a visit from police detectives. Susan police discovered had been having an affair with sudden law pardner Teddy Month Toto in sub setting a knot.
using teddy,
using anybody. So I don't
focus on that. I can't change it. I can't change any of this. It's like a bad dream, but then the dream got worse.
Daddy was a possible murder, suspect one of the homicide detectives.
related to me that there has been a problem with the polygraph cause. He was. He was actually assessing
I suspect so anybody that,
Probably anywhere near me was a suspect,
but a sudden was absorbing the news of his wife's apparent betrayal toto.
off the list of Dobbs Aspect. For one thing he
and have been the shooter? He was
the phone with Susan. What has happened, records confirmed here
called the police before rushing to the sudden house. So is,
actors eliminated early suspects like on total, they went
to the basics of every homicide investigation, everyone's somewhat of a suspect. You start
the family, your way out,
John Susan met on a blind date were married. A year later,
in the beginning, made family a very big deal.
But even though they were strikingly good, looking and financially successful and happy, they were stymied.
no matter how they tried and oh how they tried. They could not have children, jewish
that as much as anybody else, one or two baby. She wanted a baby more than anyone in the world, but of wishing couldn't make Susan pregnant at her sister Mary. It could make her a mother by adoption.
She got her wish and, as I said, it was the happiest day of her life when she brought Christ for him
Diverse satin was born April, thirteenth, nineteen, seventy, nine and the day
brought him home. John sadden remembers every minute every detail, even the
and soon he was wearing when Christopher came to.
I said about two days old and very cute. It was a lot of fun and it was a happy time absolutely
Susan quit her job to be a full time mom, but Susan kept trying to get pregnant.
suffering through years of failed fertility, treatment and miscarriages and finally adopted, as
four Christopher Melissa. She was and always has been a little angel, absolutely
She would probably be upset with me saying this, but she was pretty close to perfect
To describe the family to they told the kids they ve been adopted, didn't seem to worry them at all.
Dad where my mom and my dad,
there wasn't. You know these are my biological, and these are my adopt, and I had a great shouted
that advantages to having your brother's seven years older, especially when
to be a six foot, two hundred bounder
He was my defender, my projector, you know someone made fun of me in school. One time he came and he kind of gave the kid a stern walk, but a big, older brother did- and I think he was protective of me
after the murder. In fact, Christopher resume that protective role this time for his father, who insisted that the
should return to college in northern Florida,
after the shooting, was her first day of college? Oh, my god
I was then- and I am still proud- that she managed to stay in school-
during the long and arduous recovery. The many surgeries, the lingering fear, a protective layer formed around John's demeanor. He learned the hard way to keep folks.
In and emotion, safely. At bay,
It was easier that way survive
mode. He just
focuses on putting one foot in front of the other, and I think I do the same thing than if you were to break down
emotionally all the time or dwell on what happened. You wouldn't get out of bed.
Doctors, let him go home. Finally, but since home was not exactly livable.
with Christopher at his townhouse
My house was a mess because it was a crime scene, the most logical place for me to go.
was not where the incident occurred because we didn't know who was responsible, but this
ass and that's where I went,
full time. Nurse looked after him during the day Christopher and is
friend Julia Driscoll were there for him there
at the time,
and three months after the August shootings, when John decided, he was ready to go home to the house in which the shooting happened. Christopher went with him eyes for his blind father and at that point
he was more involved in
driving me around or some caregiving
but now it was almost Christmas. Still no arrests detectors
about you and his partner. Art men were certainly following up leads trying to find anyone with a motive to kill the sudden
I understand the digging they were doing was mostly in mounds of dry turgid paperwork records of
calls on the light talking, and
somewhere in the middle of that pile. There was a boy
Was it a doozy?
coming up,
across really I look at go. Go we go
a phone call from a killer when Dateline continues
the
there's a reason of course why parents worry about the company their children
it was months after John sudden lost his wife and his own eyesight to an intruder within nine millimeter handgun. I am detect
we're ploughing their way through mounds of interview, transcript and tips, and emails and phone records anything to narrowed down their list of suspects and in the past,
the material from the phone company.
across a name,
we I slated within a three four hour period of of the murder. Five or six different names,
and one want. Those came back to Garrett cop who was he talking to
on the twenty second there
probably
I want to say, maybe thirteen phone calls if memory serves me right that were made between Gary COP and Chris Sutton's cell phones ought to call a lot of calls lots of calls on the day
Murder by probably meant nothing at all. Of course, still care at cop was twenty
a frequent visitor around the southern house,
seemed to have a job or any direction in life.
They Christopher saw some good in him, apparently hired him. Occasionally,
to do odd jobs, in fact, after the murder Christopher had cop rip up and remove the bloody carpets from the crime scene, what sort of person
In the same when Garrett was in the house,
He was always shall we say at a distance. I
Firstly, can not recall any conversations whatsoever with garret, but cop and Christopher call each other
all the time, even the night of the murder hour after the shooting, just one Christopher and his girlfriend,
yet were coming out of a movie report. The video from the aims you movie theater
and it showed him getting right on his cellular telephone right. After all, the shooting happen
Was there a connection with what happened again
probably not, but just to cover all
is detective. Babby ran a criminal background check on young mister cop. What do you know
he was arrested on August twenty third, the day after the shooting
they you know are still get goosebumps one when I remember that, because
he's sitting across from me, and I look at him go pal. We got something here
these days? One day
after the murder Garrett cop was arrested. For
aggravated assault after an altercation at an apartment. Complex big, no, no, be pulled a gun on a couple of guys,
happened on the DOT homestead Florida about thirty miles away from the crime scene. Detective value called the Homestead Police Department
talk to the arresting officer.
Please tell me it was a handgun. He says it was now. Please
me, it was a glock, nine millimeter. He gets there what I said now
Please tell me you have that weapon. He goes. I do bingo we gotta get that we've got to get that gun. Yeah art went down and picked up the gun and we submitted it to our farm stacks
the came back clear as day. This was the gun that killed Susan Sutton and blinded her husband, which obviously
it's a corrupt cop. To that murder, pretty
We have. Some detectives did not rush out and arrest com for a simple,
but very important reason. There was a bigger question that needed to be answered. Did his friend Christopher know anything? Was he even perhaps involved shocking question? Of course this was sudden sun, the sun, who devoted himself to nursing his father back to health again, there's something about Christopher bothered them and had ever since he was interviewed the morning after the murder. He said that I was at the movies and said: do you want to see the tickets just had them right there, like that, basically to me, was like
red flag there I want to prove that I'm at the movies
Perhaps I may nothing at all the gun, implicated, cop, of course, but crystal
no real evidence to show he knew a thing and there are still a lot of pieces of puzzles that were still can't together it yet like, for example, this
big tantalizing piece of puzzle. What in
might an island in the far off Pacific after
with the shooting of John and Susan Sutton,
coming trouble in Paradise for a young, Christopher and his family. He was kidnapped in middle the night and he was seventeen years old. We knew that
Christmas son had complained that he had been hogtied beaten?
When Dateline continues,
The amazing was that garden variety assault case in Homestead Florida that carrot top was arrested with a gun that turned out to be the murder weapon. In the second case, the very same garage cop who talked on the phone so often with Christopher Sutton, the friend who'd called Christopher right after the shooting. So now the complexion of the investigation changed trying to think. Why would Garrett cop do this? I mean he's a like twenty year old kid
obviously there's a tie with Christopher Sutton in him
Christopher himself. The detective
no trouble finding people with an opinion about him. The cops should be looking at Christopher Sutton because of the lengthy family history of problems at John and Susan had with their son Christopher, who was a handful from a very early age very early.
Age actually, as John sudden recalled all too clearly did I get it to fight at school,
I can remember that happening earlier,
in preschool got worse
Christopher got older. Did he get the trouble
wait. There was vandalism.
Not only of our own things
vandalism of other people's property
off the boarding, schools them, but he didn't
ass did any of them failed. It got kicked out course. The whole thing,
We tried said his sister Melissa, the trouble
and the lack of love not at all was your said. Christopher was was loved, no, I mean no doubt,
but neither love nor money could prevent Christopher from always bending back in the same place, trouble
I know that he dealt drugs and
one point he was arrested for it when I was younger and he know
it, something that my father being a lawyer and as well as a parent. You know what do we do. Finally,
ninety five when Christopher was sixteen. When councillors and boarding schools and tough love at all
I tried and found wanting and Susan looked away far far away to find some help
on the Pacific Island of Western Samoa there was a place called Paradise Cove, a so called boot camp for troubled
behavior modification, their specialty
it's a long way away. Samoa was that part of it that it would.
a good idea to have far away for a while. We weren't
focused on finding the forest place. We could possibly send them and
We were very hesitant about tomorrow, but we investigated
rather thoroughly. It was expensive
that called charged about twenty five thousand dollars a year, but we just had enough what else
we do, but the suttons knew there was no way Christopher would agree to go on his own, so attorney sat and did what attorneys do best
and got a court order to have Christopher force
sent to Samoa he was
after the middle of the night, and he was seventeen years old, especially kidnapped and taken to put him on a plane. He was sent to western Samoa, but Christopher Wood
at break so easily and Paradise. Cove was no paradise. In fact, there were many reports of physical abuse and restraints used on those who were uncooperative something Christopher learned. When he first arrived. We knew that Christmas that had complained that he had been hogtied
when his family was allowed to visit him about a year later, they did seem to be a distinct change, huge improvement.
and the buff cleaned up young man who excelled at sports. It was perhaps
Family reunion, I was really happy about it,
you know we cried. We hug, he said
our hallows and loved each other, and he was proud of you.
What he'd learn and showed off? At least
Then, five months after this reunion, Christopher turned eighteen time for him to come home, or so he thought he was
banking on getting out returned. Eighteen.
But we also learned that the John Sutton being lawyer
had an order signed by a judge? That said, when you turn eighteen, if you haven't completed the course you're going to stay which infuriated Christopher son
Why did you decide to keep him there when he turned eighteen? We had
concerns that he wasn't ready to return. He had not quote graduated the program. How did he feel about that? He was quite upset.
He wanted to come home. He wanted things his way. He always wanted things his way, but this time finally,
tough love seem to work. Christopher
was nineteen and a changed man. When he returned from his protracted stay in Samoa, we met him at the airport at L, a x on his birthday April thirteenth. He was happy to see you,
slowly. There was a joyous reunion thrill
I certainly went on a family cruise, a reward for their son, that's where he met his future fiance, a young woman from Boston named Juliet Driscoll Julia.
move to Miami and quickly became a member of the family
even got her a job at his law, firm
but she was you know,
what I would imagine if someone was gonna marry and at a family. My mother embraced her joy. It was a great influence on my brother and on the family. No Christopher gotta, Jack together in rule
college started working
parents helped out by buying him a three hundred thousand dollar condo. He started up his own company which, in retrospect, looking at the
everything he done from arrests to drugs. You know this.
Good behavior
We are all happy that things were about her
and anyway, by the time of the murder, Christopher was twenty six and some
I had receded into his distant past.
I interviewed Melissa very beginning all she knew,
what her brother was that he was a little bit rebellious as most teenagers are.
that age. I think I said something along the lines of no. I don't know any reason why he would want to do this for belief.
Father shared I asked
early on when he was able to talk at a Jackson Hospital. Could your son have
going to do this. I don't believe
So perhaps Garrett Callback did alone after all, but detectors were convinced. Christopher had to be mixed up in that awful shooting. Somehow someone must know, and they were right- some one coming up. John Sutton sudden two bullets to the head head could survive being home alone. With his son Christopher made comments that his parents are going to pay when Dateline continues.
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homicide detective.
More concerned
but John Sutton a sitting duck for another attack, one that might finish him off. You must have fun.
a little worrisome, but John Sutton was actually living with absolute, his son, Christopher and being cared for by Christopher Joseph still. They worried but did not
even though they knew full well, the garret cop, the tutor they were sure was still hanging around is a right. That cop was excellent
and again we still didn't want to tip our hand. Richard Christopher, have been a suspect at all
After all, does this sound like the behaviour of guilty men, garret, cop and christian
for while ripping up bloody, carpets actually call detectives to tell them. They found new evidence at the crime scene, a bullet casing under the carpet
is helpful handyman. So, by the way I found another casing, you know I mean
Why it's an indication? Maybe they do it right? I don't think so. Well, but I mean that's what any good defensive journeys
right after the casing, was underneath something- and I don't know how you know- we all missed it, but we must go. We were little. Pissed detectors remain
convinced Christopher Harbour, the lingering anger at his parents for sending him to that boot camp in Samoa. So they talked
Camp alumni. This
at Paradise. Cove resident was there when Christopher got the news that he would have to stay well beyond his eighteenth birthday,
I know mad at his family for that. But when detector,
tracked down. Another Paradise Cove resident said Christopher.
A lot more upset. The man crisper made comments that his parents are gonna pay per Se
in taking years out of his life, then, when they
A closer look at Christopher is more recent history,
they could easily see that he's improve behaviour wasn't exactly lasting even
Girlfriend Juliet's influence couldn't keep Christopher from slipping up
to college after you return from Somalia but soon dropped out, and he did form a company, but the company folded and he didn't seem to be motivated.
Try to get him stay in jobs, nothing.
Be working,
What John sudden didn't know
was that his son had gone back to the one job. He seemed to be good at selling drugs.
Did he know that Christopher his friend Derec cop was one of his best clients? Copper turned out have been buying.
sometimes reselling the drugs mostly barrel, wanna and sat axe. Then he and Christoffersen.
Plenty of time sampling the goods, forty two prosecutor Kathleen Home, but it wasn't just drug dealers.
They ran around lot doing drugs playing video games whatever in the months after them.
phone records show the spike in the volume of calls between the two three hundred calls in three months. That's an awful lot of drugs to be
killing and three months, we have three added, so my phone calls couldn't have
talking, murder, speculation. Of course, Bob
then, after the murder, when cop was arrested on the gun charge, the prosecutors discovered it was Christopher. Put up the money to bond him out. Even drove him to court. Aren't the sort of thing a drug dealer would do for a mere customer going to court with him
and him out there was
to this friendship, John and militia sudden knew nothing of what police were discovering Christopher.
girlfriend we're still living with John Garrett caught was still coming around so
solid evidence or no detective decided. It was time to act. They needed a confession to make their case. I told the investigators bring him to me.
Coming up a showdown with a killer. What do you want
I go case closed far from it,
when Dateline continues.
The text is very bout. You and our Mammy had a theory to explain the shooting of John sudden and the murder of his wife, Susan, which was that Christopher sudden hired his dope smoking, Buddy Garrett com to kill his parents, but
It was really just a theory and while the case against cop was fairly strong, remember Paul's murder weapon was found in his possession. The evidence against Christopher was purely circumstantial little more than guilt by association, the the
Bootcamp might have given Christopher motive
I needed more than that to make the arrest, I decided it was time to act, we're going to need a confession, I believe, and given what they had against cop detective gamble that the shooter might roll over on the sun
He denied all that was
I got it all. Wasn't my gun from us. It looks like we're going to be here a long time today, oh that they were
hours.
You know how the help set up
I said I don't believe you did this on your own.
So give me a reason as to how Chris got you to do this basis and look you know world. You have to look out for me and my family because I'm afraid
Chris Illegal logging and Helen? Yes, if you didn't do this, Chris was gonna, take care of him and young. So I believe,
that's the story. You wanted to give me and having given
dolphin excuse. Cop finally confessed said
stiffer was behind. It all gave him the gun, the money to buy the black clothes he wore hired him as a hitman
did he like this plan? It wasn't a combined effort between
plan. Did he tell you what did he want you to do
didn't ups,
to tell you this story, no, not really
I could tell you seem relieved that he finally had told him. No,
and during this time I'm talking to him and he was pretty calm as a matter of factly talking about it. After that confession, cop was charged with first
degree murder. He was allowed to see his father, his girlfriend and their son and then taken.
After jail. So case closed, you think, given what cop told the detectives, but it did not give them what they needed to arrest.
There's a feature in Florida law which says that the thing
person says, and they confession about. Somebody else could be labour
is here say they needed more
so they turned to the person closest Christopher, his fiance, Juliet Driscoll, the two
engaged to be married in a few weeks. Press ball, invitations in the mail,
she's others. I dont know
anything about a or crisper doesn't tell me did tell her
I think,
or so she said that was my reaction,
and I didn't buy it guess. Not
because he went on grilling this young woman for more
twelve hours at the end of which the detective played to her heart
Her relationship with Susan and John Sutton said: look Susan really cared about you. She basically thought of you as a daughter. This woman didn't deserved to
I liked this John, doesn't certainly be you Know- deserve to be blind rest of his life, and I know for a fact: Garrett did this under the direction of
Finally, she started crying. I go. I think I may have a where the tears came, a story. What Christopher had said to her?
just might mail him from murder. Parents deserve to die for taking years out of his life
said that this went on for years, she interjected she goes
no, it was going to happen. I just didn't know when that neither
Juliet he was living with Christopher into protective custody. The next day
I prepared a an arrest warrant for Christopher Sutton.
female officer paid a visit to Christopher's Father home alone,
She says: well, I've got good news and bad news
The good news is
that we have arrested
the assailant he's admitted it.
The bad news is he's incorporated. Your son and son said your son said I'm up.
I go man, oh man. Well, that was,
bad night, real bad night. What was
I like to hear that, was it a shocker,
Have there was some kind of an I myself
The emotions all at the same time,
of which is well. I finally know too was. I can't believe this John ever the iter,
I wanted to know what the evidence was. Had the reports read to him and was convinced, I think
that I was somewhere in between.
Being completely, outraged and upset and somewhere, where I knew that he had done it
Melissa, so grief stricken wasn't focused on who did it
which is what she had lost. A lot of people tastes the killer and, I think
taste it missing. My mom police are looking for twenty five year old, Christopher Patrick Sutton and Christopher was nowhere to be found day after day as police looked for him. John Sutton had time to think remember one event in particular which
happily suppressed. It happened nine years earlier when Christopher was just sixteen it
the deciding factor in setting
after Samoa Susan was going through. Christopher's room
and found a hand written note
planning our murder, what did it say? Well, it talked about killing us for insurance
a week after a warrant was taken out for his arrest police found Christopher and
under the Miami date Homicide Bureau.
there. He learned that full his alleged co conspirator garret cop and his fiancee Julia Driscoll it somehow
implicated him. I showed
certain excerpts out of Gulet Driscoll's state, saying,
was going to happen. I just didn't know when at that point
it began to sob put his head on the table.
and set up, but did that mean he was guilty
or merely that he understood the police believed he was guilty. He made comments like
There's no magical way. I can tell you
Go to find the truth.
stiffer sudden and gharib. Cobb were charged with first degree, murder, a possible death penalty case. Both pleaded not guilty and Johnson
got busy. He had a mission or in fact one to seek justice
no matter what that might mean for his son and the other
perhaps even more impossible to simply see again.
Coming out cops
confession should be enough to put him behind bars but did process.
it is have enough to convict Christopher sudden.
This was a a circumstantial case, extremely circumstantial, really based on motive when data.
I'm continues
John suddenly had survived gunshot wounds to his head. The death of his wife and his own sounds arrest for murder, the top and off he was blind, apparently permanent. It still is unbelievable. I mean it's like
bad dream, a nightmare from which there was no awakening by John? If you hadn't noticed by now, is it determine man? You ve been a chap.
swimmer in college now he swam again he'd been a skier
no, he learn to ski blind.
He fell in love again, her name is kept.
Henry how'd. You meter blind date myself. The laugh at that, where it's true, what is it meant to to have her with? You spend a great deal? It's just tremendous
wish. I could see her and he went back to the thing he had always done best. He went back to court to practice law. We did not suit for breach of that contract where his blindness,
became J C, not exactly the handicap. Some opponents seem to expect sixty eight I like to put my
it's so I say you know poor old, blind guy. You know
it is trying to do the best I can and then I go in memorize all the citations and let them decide
if I know what I'm doing not long after return,
work? He won a nine million dollar judgment for one.
clients trials. Hang the blindness
I couldn't even imagine I don't. Even I can't even try to think what that would be like just heavy
memorizing things in and going into court. When he's he is a pretty determined guy but adapting
You been successful. Adapting using a talking typewriter, for example,
wasn't enough for John as
waited for his sons, long delayed trial. He pursued with something like an obsession quest to regain,
in his eyesight.
And most people might have given up by then can't
not as if you live with not even now. I won't take no for an answer at some of the best hospitals in the country.
sudden had been told there was simply nothing to be done. He'd be blind for life. The bullets had permanently destroyed, his optic nerve,
but John, had heard about a landmark breakthrough with the Harvard affiliated Escaping Ai Research Institute in Boston, where a renowned researcher had successfully regenerated the optic nerve in mice using stem cell therapy and drugs. Human
trials will be next Wednesday at that, and so in March, two thousand and eight almost three years.
To the day after his son was arrested Sutton,
his girlfriend, Cathy we're on the coal rain, swept street to Boston on the way to an appointment, that's gaping,
Ok, so does it the Chin rest in front of you
after evaluated sudden one intact die and discovered that
and though the nerve was destroyed.
Rest of the eye erratically at least. Could work
my son is in jail, charged with first degree murder. I listened to the eye
story of the way John lost his eyesight.
explain to him the amazing things they were doing by growing corneas in a petri dish and, of course, working on an
nerve regeneration, John took it all in which amazed, and for the first time since the shooting he felt a surge of positive excitement and a little germ
lodged itself in his stubborn mind and you were.
Can I say what they can do it for I said I am in their rights, but he talked of the leading researchers working on optic nerve repair.
Have you done any studies with
Severn Optic nerves he peppered them with questions like you is cross examining witnesses
my Gilmore, then President escape and offered satin glimmer at least of all
We will be able to regenerate an optic nerve. It's not too much of a question. Can we? But when can wait, and it was a good news, bad news, sort of day
I do not want to mislead you or provide false hopes,
there might be a cure, but perhaps not for food.
I have ten years or more quite possibly too late for John Sutton doing.
depends on how much funding
I get how many scientists and we can put behind the problem to solve it. So it's up this.
opens doctors. He would somehow help make it happen. You wrote checks, he joined the board of directors
He offered himself as a voice of hope for desperate patients
even though
It may never help him songs you. It is ok with that. There's a chance that,
We may not be able to restore his vision,
if there is a chance, on the other hand that we may, but if he doesn't get behind it, he does know that the work we're not going to move it as fast as
could well it's my pleasure to be here today,
As you will hear, I
didn't make it here today certain travelled the country speaking a fundraiser using
causes shock and off presentation to tell his story
with his nine one, one call the news footage.
Susan. I want to flip this tragedy. This kid
his trophy into a positive. Meanwhile, in Miami it
decision time,
Shooter Garrett cop had finally agreed to plead guilty.
And testify against something Son Christopher
exchange for a thirty year sentence and no death penalty, certain confronted the killer,
he a plea during the next days months
twenty years
thirty years. I want you to think about.
What you planned and what you did, that night
You can be sure with my lungs every minute of every day, and I will not forget and with that the murder trial of Christopher Sutton could begin now.
foreign law again now prosecutors could use the sworn testimony in court of both the girlfriend and they hit man, but even with that, the case
as prosecutor Kathleen Hope, new I'll do well. Rather we
This was a circumstantial case extremely circumstance on Billy, based on motive sudden wanted the law to convict his son of murder, but was Christopher. Actually, joking, coming in court action.
returns to the scene of the crime legs,
at the end of the hallway. So you just shoot. What did you shoot at First John? And what did you see? Mr Sutton? Do when you shot him a little bit when Dateline contributors
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the
Diamond Miami pounding heat.
Voidable son, unavoidable, except of course, inside and six years inside, a cell in the county jail had produced. Doughy Christopher Sutton by the time
His trial finally began. It was July, two thousand and ten,
charged with hiring they hit ban who murdered his mother. Blinded his father and he said
apparently confident highly prepare ignoring most of the time.
The surviving members of his family. A scant few feet away, we locked eyes, but
I have nothing to say to him militia sat with her father, their father front row seat
it's Karen Kagan told the jury, a horror story, the states version of what happened. The night of the murder
and for whom the gunman had signed on to commit a double murder
a man who was intimately familiar with John
Susan, Sutton that man, their son, Christopher Sutton them
evidence a crime scene, soaked in blood and littered with bullet Cajuns
let it go examiner place knitting needles in American to show where Susan was shot six times or son took a deep breath, recoiled dreadful, but how, with the state
prove that Christopher was behind it all?
Raise your right hand. She will mister the earth. Here's our first started. This man once worked with Christopher was an occasional pot customer too, but was shocked
He said when Christopher asked him a certain question
Ask me if I knew of any hitman that would kill his parents. What reason
or explanation. Did he give you
He said that his parents were worth about five hundred thousand two million dollars worth a lot. More actually
whose house insurance practice
I inherit millions. So was money a motive.
the standard, the boot Samoa or both detective value, told
he tried to find out when he questioned Christopher
Did you hate your parents that much in his answer said you tell me, since you just don't know, but did that answer the question about guilt or motive wine or what she
The strict girls you'll come forward stand firm. Our clerk here, please when Juliet wants his fiance and the love of his life walked by him in the courtroom Christopher his eyes. Well done
haven't seen her in years now. Her testimony could send
relay for life.
And tell you about getting his parents killed or taken care of
same thing had been hearing for the last six years, which was it he could find someone to
find somebody they deserved it
four Juliet as you
call the last time she saw Susan Sutton, the night of that birthday cell
in a few hours before she was killed,
we went over
It was me Chris, John Susan,
and Teddy.
had we done
Do you remember that Melissa was there or do you need a minute whose might be good for ever broken her that night
whether Juliet knew it or not. Christopher and his drug beaming Hitman Gary
cop were already leaving a trail for detectives. Trail of phone calls,
seventeen in all one just an hour after the murderous, Christopher and Juliet left the movie theater that August night
to the Eric and here
was the man on the end of that phone? The man who said he did it Garret cop
five years old, short scruffy. The self confessed
Learn shuffled into the court room and told a horrifying tail Christopher instructed him
enter the house through a sliding glass door near the pool how he made a sketch of the House today,
get down a whole weight to John and Susan's bedrooms, wedding,
At the end of the hallway, see just shoot: wouldn't did you shoot at First John
sent? Mr Sutton? Yes,.
Where was Mister Sutton when you shot at him initially on the blue and
what did you see, Mr Sutton, do when you shot him report after
you fired at Mr Sutton? What did you do.
see another room and who was the person
whom you were in a planned to shoot John and Susan, certain research. And
What do you remember the defense?
telling you about how much money you might expect to get
it's over one hundred thousand. Until this moment John
sudden had been a spectator at his sons, trial his thoughts and feelings his own, but he was a victim to staying out of it wasn't an option for you.
And now came the moment, he'd both dreaded and demanded, he testified
against his own son. First
the night his world went dark
the only thing I saw was for an instant a.
I didn't even see the gun, but in an instant pam, and
next thing? You know I
up, and I was on the floor. John certain answered the questions as if the debate,
sitting before him was a man. He had never met as if this was not the boy he had raised from birth.
The only neither father nor sound displayed, the slightest emotion, instant, does
make any sense to get on the witness stand.
Cry in front of the jury and can cause a mistrial. So I do
I did what I had to do so he did, but was
right about you. So did the state really have the puzzle saw or heard it
you witness been for
to lie,
coming up now it was the defense's turn and Christopher.
old girlfriend one of the prosecution's star witnesses against him?
a new story to tell
but how she was threatened by police. They told me that if they do, you hear what they wanted to hear, that there is a rest means sad day through my purse across the room. What would that, due to the prosecutions case when Dateline continues
She tells them
a special sort of skill to defend a man facing a charge of first degree murder,
and in Miami Bruce fly sure is all
skill as well as anyone,
could see right away, knew it long before the trial
the scene in the courtroom was about as bad as it could be, because there are they
we're just feet apart,
Blind father
either of Christopher Sutton alleged plot to kill his parents. The fact that John Sutton survived and was blind to me was the greatest
prejudice in the case and there he was right behind
the bar the whole time during.
hear something bad and they look over a job sudden. They had to be thinking this poor man look what he has to go through life with, while for the victim.
Fleischer knew. He must display only sympathy,
Instead,
the murder investigation itself. The way the
he just came up with their two star witnesses, Juliet Driscoll Garret Cobb. After all, without them the state's case was
and why do you suppose they came forward anyway because they were forced to or so recent Fleischer
Giulia Driscoll, for example, why did she tell police Christopher talked about killing his parents,
they eventually tell her? If you don't tell us
what we want to know
you're going to be arrested in this murder conspiracy, and what did she do
She tells them what they want to know
we please have a seat over here. In fact, the defense attorney got Juliet to admit the state wouldn't even have had that detective had and intimidated and threatened. Her
They told me that if they didn't hear what they wanted to hear that they're going to arrest me instead, they
through my purse across the room they slammed their hands on the tasks
tell you was going to be for
first degree: murder
they told me they're going to arrest me for murder and you eventually
told them what they wanted to hear after.
thirteen hours. Yes, before
it was arrested
a wedding and honeymoon in places which begs the question:
if he was going to take
the wives of his parents,
Why would you stay with him
and why would you marry him
of how many times I've heard somebody say? Oh my god, I hate this person so much I M cook. I can kill him right now when you hear for six straight years, you just don't believe it finally will be justified. Detective lied
when they said she told them. I knew what would happen. I just didn't know when I never believed he was going to do it and that's why the whole thing with my statement that I knew he was going to do it and which I said I didn't know he was going to do it. I'm still confused about the whole matter. I don't know if he did it or not. Nobody
What really happened, except for him and Garrett,
that's what I've been saying
Why not just by a tape of the interrogation. Well, they couldn't the police didn't record a word of their long talk with Julia Driscoll. She said certainly said those things
but whether he did it or not is up in the air as far as I'm concerned right- and I think that gives
rise to a major reasonable doubt in this case,
were Garret cop confessed shooter testified that he was merely christoffersen profit on a string when,
killed Susan and tried to kill John? How do you get a jury to doubt statement later that we now
to go after him with hammer and tongs
oh and he did, Fleischer went after Garrett and the cops
the time you denied being
in this way
rested with you didn't think someone pages like
can't push you a little bit to push walked over to you and then pushed you a little bit on the shoulder getting into my face,
I you the dope against me like this,
and when they got close to you, like this weather, Saint Garrett, Garrett
Why do you need to tell us of a Garrett because you're going to fry your ass in the electric chair? Excuse me. Excuse me thinking there is an objection that objects okay. Well, the question is: is that what they said to something like that?
going down for murder,
you going down for murder, I'm going to get the death
you're going to get the death penalty.
What finally made you give them some info
Is she saying that Juliet was confessing in the room? While he told me I was going, I was going to go
jail for murder already, so I ended up. Confessing
there was no doubt that cop committed the murder.
The case against Christopher? Wasn't quite so
watertight after all, maybe
to her himself, could set the record straight,
calling Chris up with
Listen
coming up, accused of murdering his mother and blinding his father S, Son Schanz tears on the stand for himself. I was what they called in denial
when Dateline continues
Judge judges calling Chris such
jurors had to be deeply curious about the man accused of putting a hit on his own parents.
The thing in his button down shirt and wire rim glasses? He looked more law. Student murder suspect,
eyes for two weeks they watched his careful note, taking his whisper decides to attorney flasher. He felt that it was wrongfully prosecutes
and the only way that we could tie up a lot of things and actually prove things or disprove. Things was by him testify
to give me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the we,
He conveyed his innocence. First,
having his hospital vigil concern Sun on the night of the shooting,
Did he acknowledged
there yeah can. He could squeeze your hand, but he couldn't speak.
How did you feel
when you saw your father to Ryder trauma Center shocked, hurt worried scared.
the Christopher, was claiming to be a perfect son.
In fact he told the jury. He was a drug dealer was one of his best customers, but had good reason to turn on him.
Why? Because years earlier Christopher said, he
Police informant to get drug charges dropped and who did he finger Jared cop? What happened if anything
with your relationship with Garrett cop after he was arrested. I didn't speak
for a while,
Was he mad at you?
the pay back time now
yes Christopher it must have been, and thus
theory of the murder,
diversity. He had nothing to do with it, told the jury.
He never asked com to kill his parents cop made it all up.
Police had it all wrong. What really happened he said was that cops stormed into the house that night to steal, Christopher's, hidden, stash boxes full of drugs. How much marijuana did you store these boxes in the top box of about two pounds? What was the value that seven thousand bucks? In fact, the very day of the murder, said Christopher A hopped up cop called him again and again desperate to buy drugs. Christopher told them that between his mother's birthday party and a movie that night, he couldn't do it. Why did
You tell him that
can get the drugs. I told him
I left it in my room, my parents house, and that's what gave
the idea as to where to go to get the drugs, but that still doesn't
and why he would in cold blood murder and attempted murder. These two people he went to get the drugs he found the site.
Tom and they could recognize him. He panicked. He was in a drug, stupor,
and he shot them both. So if you were Garrett, Cobb wouldn't
try to implicate the man who turned you into police. Here's the thing said Christopher. He could understand cop turning on him, but Juliet is on
when he heard what she told police he said he broke down and tears, not because of what she said.
Why she must have said it as soon as he started reading parts
the statement yeah I started crying
you cry objection overruled. I was crying
because the woman I was going to be marrying in five weeks
to save yourself is retires.
straight to said Christopher. How can we defend himself against lies when he's policing,
Harrogate kept accusing him a birder terms is not going to believe anything. I say and he's just going.
Try to twist my words to use them against me, or you know
like you didn't do it because
approve.
Think. As I know, I didn't do anything. So there was another theory for the jury to consider.
but there was one more thing that offence had to do if possible, not
down the allegation that his banishment to Samoa had given him a motive to kill his parents
but once you're here it probably wasn't in the defense strategy, a level two is allowed to go to the bathroom on his own and is allowed to have some more privileges and hence
Christopher describe the program,
something in the memories on that island struck a nerve? How are you
feeling
physically. During that time
I was what I was, what they called in denial,
strength stoic further
his testimony he had in the process of trying to dismiss Samoa as a murderer motive,
cried about his experience there. So revealing attorney flies your the best spin on it. He could, I think that showed his honest,
is witness. I cried when I got off the plane when court resume Christopher, told the jury.
While he was initially upset about being sent to Somalia, he got over it made the best of it and what?
his parents and Melissa came to visit,
they all had a wonderful time together? Hardly a dysfunctional family
Where we happy to be with your parents, I was very, very happy to see my parents, you know I love them very much so
given the jury and alternative tried at least
huge Samoa mode enough, not newly said, prosecuted curtain. What motive did Garrett cop have to go in an attempt to assassinate both those people? None. What motive to Christopher sudden have to want both his parents dead
plenty and what's the story here they have the statement of Garry COP drug craze, little fog.
who gives this story to save himself from the death penalty and the
Where statement of June,
address where
where's the evidence, in this case
What do they have nothing: seven
five women on the jury and real doubt in the air.
was saying his testimony. I mean he put doubt in my mind. Coming up, the jury speaks with the jury, and so does Christopher son sure I could have been a better guy, as his father hopes for a miracle Wednesday.
Wind continues:
the
now you made the library and all eyes for the jury plays and is not an easy task these people were given did Christopher Sutton.
find the plan to kill his own parents
battle for a while who knew that those twelve were butting heads all day in the jury, room and split down the middle after seven hours. They went
it was both.
The current com. They have trouble with. How could they believe a cold blooded hitman rights on a friend to save his own skin Megan as the oak, as you know, about the death penalty, which would mean what do you care
We boy, what he's going to say because he's an opportunist here,
Save yourself. Next day they tried again ten hours went by
in the air, conditioned hallway a deadlock and then
seven p, two words at the halls of bus, a verdict,
John and took their seats in the front row. The jury Christopher stood stone faced as jurors filed in
where those tears from some members
the jury.
Ladies and gentlemen, your breach averted because that judge, Stanford Blake read the verdict state of Florida, vs,
Christopher Sutton,
jury, Miami Dade Florida, this twenty first day of July, two thousand and ten find the defendant. Christopher,
Patrick Sutton,
count, one guilty of
three murder is charged in the indictment guilty as account to that
his head snapped back as if he'd been struck as the count three guilty of attempted,
first degree, felony, murder, Melissa when the burglary, her father to fold their father, Henry Lockhart is Josh stared, ahead, cyclists,
Sentencing would be immediate, John Sutton,
a time to speak and years of
result from them?
Regardless of the result.
A bad case. We are now.
It or at five years
eleven months
I susan
I lost Christopher before that. Christopher did not look at his father.
had he done so. He would not have seen the tears. The bullets that tore into his head left John Sutton, unable to
I lost my eyesight,
How was it in that courtroom
Raw personal, here's, the judge,
so ironic? For me, I have a son
was born the exact same date as Christopher Sutton. When I heard his date
the trial
remember the joy
bring my son home, just like Mr Sutton had so this time as the count count. One four hundred the court poses a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, and that was that.
Christopher Sutton will die in prison a result he found so shocking. He decided here
to explain that they got it so very wrong.
But it did seem to be a big surprise
definitely wasn't expecting to be felt guilty. I mean I was I was,
you know like to know you didn't do something, but yet to have people feel you dead. You know the words fairly guest from his mouth is, if it just was,
I have to say everything that needed to be said.
Well, I, like a lot of this, comes down to there's me and they're scared
and then everybody else is just kind of talking about. You know what I did yours.
four or maybe after or you do
enjoy outside that, like the only people that could know any bigger, Christopher care that this idea that he would break in looking for drugs, absolute you would
drugs. There, though they had stuff in my bedroom, still that I was moving out and in of that room Gary help me move some of that stuff.
It needs work. The jury
Well, those Christopher's tears on the witness stand when he talked about Samoa made some
I believe his incarceration there on the island was a motive for murder. Scene can kind of broken.
talking about the camp, but not
broken up. When you talk to your parents, then, when I initially talked about it, I would cry a lot. It would be really hard now
program like I've, like I've done my best to away that away and forget about it of a sudden boom it boom. The was the first time I had sat there in a long time and then like really what really did happen there.
How do you feel about your dad now? I mean
stated that you know like that? You know he said things against me or bad. You know, but, like my dad. Turning on me and in in hard times, isn't anything new.
And then he talked about his circumstances, his fate and his self control.
Did him wait set right now this is home. You ever get out
point time I mean like if you, if you have, if you have integrity inside yourself, you know you have to stand up for what you believe in
even if your life, someone who talk
hard to know that I'm going to go to jail for something. Do
you don't mean little notice it here tonight, as propped on parents
it'll happen. That's why I get up there explain
People also might not be the best person. I'm sure I could have been better guy. You know
try and I didn't have anything to do with this. I didn't,
this? Is the monk stuck in traffic,
might as well fight all the way till the end I mean, like I'm innocent and always maintained. My innocence of show me we have looked at the line. Uncertain still recalled the suit he wore when he brought Chris
you're home from the hospital,
and now that all come to this
when we last sat down with him. He shared his thoughts,
about the boy he did his best to raise, what about Christopher, to still think of him as your son,
I guess technically, he is but some day
I may go and confront them say what were you thinking of
what a stupid criminal, ridiculous, crazy thing always was
reconciling if it ever comes, is
all that ain't happening no way no way
the it's complicated says: Melissa Riddick.
The difficult. But what choice to see her ever body, he now
I'm ignore that fact. You know I have believed vividly pictures with him
mother who blew up your whole family by saying
picture of a mob who passed away a brother who is in jail is out whose boy you know, that's my family and that's kind of that's kind of what it is. But at the same time you know
believed he did what he did, and I have no intention of ever speaking with him again
the bison indeed did go on,
Melissa, moved up north and found a career and media services,
design, many and varied value retired. From the Force Bell, you adopted a little boy, just like John Suckin did all those years ago
and John sudden continue
to pursue his dream to see you again, are you prepared, or has it sunk in that you're?
to be blind for the rest of your life. Well,
That's my plan. I may not be that smart boy, I'm motivated, I mean the enthusiasm coming out of the use kind of inspiration, I'm ready to roll. I got plans for this eyesight, the
For now I'm Lester Holt thanks for joining us.
It's so nice out there out there in them
sycamore. Kids were chile. Stretching the sun high in and mountain air between that country, skis and kids do in the first no blow or next
the pole after a long day of forgetting what day it is with us here to get out of there
and come home all asked and that went away and when
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Transcript generated on 2022-03-23.