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| '''Susan Polk''' (born '''Susan Mae Bolling''' in ]) is an ] woman convicted in June 2006 of ] in connection with the 2002 death of her husband, Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk.<ref name="Conviction">McKinley, Jesse. (] ]) . '']''. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref><ref name="CBS5">CBS 5, San Francisco. (] ]) cbs5.com. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref> Polk's trial, described by one ] correspondent as "circus-like", drew extensive media attention with its sensationalist elements.<ref name="Circus">AP. (] ]) CBS News. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref><ref name="Lee">Lee, Henry K. (] ]). . '']''. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> | |||
| <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] --> | |||
| '''Susan Polk''' (born '''Susan Mae Bolling''' in ]) was a housewife and mother of three who was convicted of murdering her husband, Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk. Dr. Polk was a prominent ] psychologist. He was found with numerous stab wounds in the pool house at the couple's upscale ] home on Oct. 13, 2002. The murder trial of Susan Polk drew wide-spread media attention because the testimony in the case pitted brother against brother and sons against mother. The media interest also centered around the 26-year age difference between the couple and the fact that Dr.Polk had been Susan's therapist during her adolescence, before becoming her lover and later husband. Susan's claims that she was a psychic, who was being used by her husband (who she alleged was a ] agent) to elicit predictions of world events, including the attacks on the ], added to the sensationalism surrounding the case. | |||
| ==Background== | ==Background== | ||
| Polk met Dr. Polk, a wealthy psychotherapist, as an adolescent, when in 1972 administrators at her high school recommended she see him to treat her panic attacks.<ref name="Circus"/><ref name="Pogash">Pogash, Carol. (] ]) '']''. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref> Polk later claimed that Dr. Polk first had sex with her when she was 16 and still under his treatment, a taboo relationship between therapist and patient that is now illegal in California.<ref name="Pogash"/><ref name="Pogash2">Pogash, Carol. (] ]) . Originally published in ''] Sunday Magazine''. Hosted at pogash.com. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> At the time, Dr. Polk had a wife and two children,<ref name="Pogash"/> though the couple subsequently divorced in 1982.<ref name="Pogash2"/> | |||
| In 1972, Susan Bolling was living in Clayton Valley. A school counselor at ] in ], recommended that Susan see Felix Polk because she was cutting class. | |||
| ==Life with Felix Polk== | |||
| Felix Polk began seeing Susan in 1972, when she was 14 years old. Within a year Felix Polk violated the doctor-patient relationship and entered into a sexual relationship with Susan. Susan claimed that Felix had drugged and raped her. | |||
| Susan went to ], an all-women's school nestled in the Oakland hills, before moving to ], from which she graduated. She stopped seeing Felix as a therapist, but the personal relationship continued. | |||
| In 1982, Polk divorced his wife, prominent concert pianist Sharon Mann, and married Susan. They have 3 sons: Adam (1983), Eli(1985), and Gabriel(1987). | |||
| Susan claimed that he was a domineering and manipulative husband, obsessed with controlling her life and the lives of her children. Felix Polk would see his wife and sons in his home office regularly for therapy sessions which he led himself. He would use hypnosis, guided visualizations, execute IQ tests, etc. Adam and Gabriel testified that Susan was mentally unstable and habitually spoke of murdering their father. However this was after Adam and Gabe accepted a $300,000 insurance payoff. Prior to that payoff, Adam had been a supporter of Susan and stated on several occasion, including a statement to Judge Mary Anne O'Malley in court, that he believed Susan had acted in self defense. | |||
| In 2001, Susan Polk filed for divorce. | |||
| == Conviction == | |||
| Susan Polk has been convicted of second-degree murder for the ], ], death of her husband in a cottage on the couple's $3 million estate in ]. She faces 16 years to life in prison. | |||
| Prosecutors argued that the killing of Felix Polk was a cold, calculated attempt by his wife to gain control of his multi-million dollar estate. When Susan Polk permitted others to represent her, the defense attorneys argued that Susan Polk had long been controlled, abused and battered by her husband, and she acted in self-defense when he flew into a rage and attacked her. Susan's former defense attorney, ], claimed that she had long been a battered wife under the physical and emotional control of her husband. | |||
| ==Trial== | |||
| Susan Polk was originally released on bail, however it was subsequently revoked. Polk has remained in custody since that time. | |||
| After graduating high school, Polk attended ] and ] before, in 1982, wedding Dr. Polk, who was then an instructor at the ] and an occasional consultant as well as a private practitioner.<ref name="Pogash2"/> At the time of their wedding, Polk was 24 and her husband 40.<ref name="court">Sweetingham, Lisa. (] ]) Court TV. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> During their marriage, the couple had three sons.<ref name="Crier">Tatko-Peterson, Ann. (] ]) . '']''. Hosted at bnet.com. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> In 2001, Polk filed for divorce, a complicated and contentious proceeding during which each contacted police with allegations of domestic violence.<ref name="Sweet">Sweetingham, Lisa. (] ]) . CNN. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref><ref name="Conviction"/><ref name="Pogash2"/> In 2002, the courts granted Dr. Polk custody of the couple's minor son, Gabriel Polk, granted the family home to Dr. Polk and reduced Polk's alimony.<ref name="Dateline">Morrison, Keith. (] ]) '']'' transcript. Hosted by msnbc.com. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref> Police records indicate that Dr. Polk reported threats from his wife.<ref name="Pogash"/><ref name="Dateline"/> | |||
| The trial began on ], ], but was declared a mistrial, because of the slaying of ], the wife of her lead attorney, ]. | |||
| On October 13, Polk went to the home to retrieve her belongings; the following day, Dr. Polk, then 70, was found dead.<ref name="Dateline"/> Dr. Polk had 27 wounds on his body, including 15 stab wounds and evidence of blunt force trauma.<ref name="Dateline"/>. Polk, too, was cut and scratched and had "red discoloration around her eyes, bite marks on the hand and a red welt on her shoulder".<ref name="Dateline"/><ref name="Sweet"/> | |||
| On ], ], a judge removed her lawyer Daniel Horowitz after he said he had a conflict of interest. On ], ], after a two-hour hearing, Judge Laurel Brady set Polk's trial date for ], ]. | |||
| ==The trial== | |||
| On ], ], jury selection began in a jury assembly room where 300 prospective jurors arrived. Judge Laurel Brady has said the trial may last as long as 2 1/2 months. | |||
| At trial, prosecutors contended that Polk planned the murder of her multimillionaire husband for money and sough a conviction of ].<ref name="Circus"/> Polk, who had first denied knowledge of or involvement in Dr. Polk's death, claimed self-defense, asserting that, after years of having beaten and sexually abused her, Dr. Polk brandished a kitchen knife against her.<ref name="Pogash2"/><ref name="Circus"/> She indicated that she had taken control of the weapon and stabbed him instead.<ref name="Pogash"/> Prosecuting attorneys dismissed Polk's claim, arguing that she had no defensive wounds from her husband's alleged attack.<ref name="Circus"/> | |||
| On May 24, 2006, Eli Polk was convicted by a jury of misdemeanor battery against an ex-girlfriend, violating a restraining order and violating probation in connection with two arrests in March at the home where his father died. | |||
| Polk, whose first trial ended in a mistrial when her then counsel's wife was murdered in an unrelated incident, fired her attorneys to represent herself.<ref name="Dateline"/><ref name="Sweet"/> She supported her defense with allegations of a history of marital and professional misconduct, including claims that Dr. Polk had drugged and raped her when she was a teenager, brainwashed the couple's children and threatened to kill her if she tried to leave.<ref name="Sweet"/> She also claimed to be a psychic with foreknowledge of the ] that could have been used to thwart the attacks if "her husband hadn't prevented her from alerting authorities", asserting that her husband was an ] ] who was passing her psychic prediction to ].<ref name="Circus"/><ref name="Crier"/> Polk repeatedly requested a second mistrial, lodging accusations of conspiracy against the prosecutor and judge.<ref name="Dateline"/> During her closing statements, Polk, who had refused to pursue a line of defense based on mental illness, questioned whether public perception that she was delusional was coloring opinions of her guilt.<ref name="Circus"/><ref name="Crier"/> | |||
| On May 25, 2006, the prosecutor began cross-examining Polk. | |||
| Each of Polk's children testified at the trial. Polk's youngest son, who had found the body, testified that his mother had speculated means of killing her husband in the weeks before Dr. Polk's death.<ref name="Pogash"/> The oldest son, Adam Polk, also testified against his mother, receiving widespread media coverage when he referred to her on the stand as "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs",<ref name="MSNBCAP">Associated Press. (] ]). . MSNBC. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> The couple's middle son, Eli Polk, testified on Polk's behalf that Dr. Polk was the unstable parent.<ref name="Sweet"/> | |||
| On June 12, 2006, both sides gave their closing arguments to the jury. | |||
| Jurors disagreed that the crime was premeditated, but did find Polk guilty of second degree murder in relation to her husband's death.<ref name="Circus"/> Sentenced to prison for a term of 16 years to life, Polk's conviction is on appeal.<ref name="Dateline">Morrison, Keith. (] ]) '']'' transcript. Hosted by msnbc.com. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref> She will be eligible for parole in 2017.<ref name="court"/> | |||
| On June 16, 2006, Susan Polk was found guilty of second-degree murder. The jury would later comment that neither Susan Polk nor her son Eli were credible witnesses. | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| On February 23, 2007, the MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL; MOTION TO MODIFY VERDICT was argued by both the defense and prosecution. The motion was denied, and Mrs. Polk was immediately sentenced to 16 years to life. | |||
| *{{cite book | last = Crier | first = Catherine | title = Final Analysis: The Untold Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case | publisher = William Morrow | date = February 20, 2007 | url = http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/28857/Catherine_Crier/index.aspx | isbn = 006113452X}} | |||
| *{{cite book | last = Pogash | first = Carol | title = Seduced by Madness: The True Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case | publisher = William Morrow | date = May 29, 2007 | url = http://www.pogash.com/sPolk/landing.htm | isbn = 0061147702}} | |||
| == |
==References== | ||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| *http://www.pogash.com/magazine.html | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Polk, Susan}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Polk, Susan}} | ||
Revision as of 15:59, 31 January 2008
Susan Polk (born Susan Mae Bolling in 1957) is an American woman convicted in June 2006 of second degree murder in connection with the 2002 death of her husband, Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk. Polk's trial, described by one Associated Press correspondent as "circus-like", drew extensive media attention with its sensationalist elements.
Background
Polk met Dr. Polk, a wealthy psychotherapist, as an adolescent, when in 1972 administrators at her high school recommended she see him to treat her panic attacks. Polk later claimed that Dr. Polk first had sex with her when she was 16 and still under his treatment, a taboo relationship between therapist and patient that is now illegal in California. At the time, Dr. Polk had a wife and two children, though the couple subsequently divorced in 1982.
After graduating high school, Polk attended Mills College and San Francisco State University before, in 1982, wedding Dr. Polk, who was then an instructor at the American Schools of Professional Psychology and an occasional consultant as well as a private practitioner. At the time of their wedding, Polk was 24 and her husband 40. During their marriage, the couple had three sons. In 2001, Polk filed for divorce, a complicated and contentious proceeding during which each contacted police with allegations of domestic violence. In 2002, the courts granted Dr. Polk custody of the couple's minor son, Gabriel Polk, granted the family home to Dr. Polk and reduced Polk's alimony. Police records indicate that Dr. Polk reported threats from his wife.
On October 13, Polk went to the home to retrieve her belongings; the following day, Dr. Polk, then 70, was found dead. Dr. Polk had 27 wounds on his body, including 15 stab wounds and evidence of blunt force trauma.. Polk, too, was cut and scratched and had "red discoloration around her eyes, bite marks on the hand and a red welt on her shoulder".
The trial
At trial, prosecutors contended that Polk planned the murder of her multimillionaire husband for money and sough a conviction of murder in the first degree. Polk, who had first denied knowledge of or involvement in Dr. Polk's death, claimed self-defense, asserting that, after years of having beaten and sexually abused her, Dr. Polk brandished a kitchen knife against her. She indicated that she had taken control of the weapon and stabbed him instead. Prosecuting attorneys dismissed Polk's claim, arguing that she had no defensive wounds from her husband's alleged attack.
Polk, whose first trial ended in a mistrial when her then counsel's wife was murdered in an unrelated incident, fired her attorneys to represent herself. She supported her defense with allegations of a history of marital and professional misconduct, including claims that Dr. Polk had drugged and raped her when she was a teenager, brainwashed the couple's children and threatened to kill her if she tried to leave. She also claimed to be a psychic with foreknowledge of the September 11, 2001 attacks that could have been used to thwart the attacks if "her husband hadn't prevented her from alerting authorities", asserting that her husband was an Israeli spy who was passing her psychic prediction to Mossad. Polk repeatedly requested a second mistrial, lodging accusations of conspiracy against the prosecutor and judge. During her closing statements, Polk, who had refused to pursue a line of defense based on mental illness, questioned whether public perception that she was delusional was coloring opinions of her guilt.
Each of Polk's children testified at the trial. Polk's youngest son, who had found the body, testified that his mother had speculated means of killing her husband in the weeks before Dr. Polk's death. The oldest son, Adam Polk, also testified against his mother, receiving widespread media coverage when he referred to her on the stand as "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs", The couple's middle son, Eli Polk, testified on Polk's behalf that Dr. Polk was the unstable parent.
Jurors disagreed that the crime was premeditated, but did find Polk guilty of second degree murder in relation to her husband's death. Sentenced to prison for a term of 16 years to life, Polk's conviction is on appeal. She will be eligible for parole in 2017.
Further reading
- Crier, Catherine (February 20, 2007). Final Analysis: The Untold Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case. William Morrow. ISBN 006113452X.
- Pogash, Carol (May 29, 2007). Seduced by Madness: The True Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case. William Morrow. ISBN 0061147702.
References
- ^ McKinley, Jesse. (June 17 2006) Conviction concludes bizarre trial for murder. The New York Times. Retrieved 30-01-08.
- CBS 5, San Francisco. (June 16 2006) Jurors find Susan Polk guilty Of 2nd Degree Murder cbs5.com. Retrieved 30-01-08.
- ^ AP. (June 16 2006) Woman guilty of slaying husband-shrink CBS News. Retrieved 30-01-08.
- Lee, Henry K. (February 23 2007). Murderer Susan Polk loses bid for new trial. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 31-01-08.
- ^ Pogash, Carol. (September 18 2005) A California murder case raises troubling issues The New York Times. Retrieved 30-01-08.
- ^ Pogash, Carol. (June 15 2003) No ordinary murder. Originally published in Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine. Hosted at pogash.com. Retrieved 31-01-08.
- ^ Sweetingham, Lisa. (February 23 2007) Susan Polk, defiant at sentencing, gets maximum term for fatally stabbing her husband Court TV. Retrieved 31-01-08.
- ^ Tatko-Peterson, Ann. (March 9 2007) New Crier book dissects Polk murder case. Oakland Tribune. Hosted at bnet.com. Retrieved 31-01-08.
- ^ Sweetingham, Lisa. (June 16 2006) Polk guilty of killing therapist husband. CNN. Retrieved 31-01-08.
- ^ Morrison, Keith. (May 19 2007) A murder trial that grew more bizarre with every turn Dateline NBC transcript. Hosted by msnbc.com. Retrieved 30-01-08.
- Associated Press. (June 16 2006). Jury finds Polk guilty of 2nd-degree murder. MSNBC. Retrieved 31-01-08.