This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Beltz (talk | contribs) at 07:03, 28 July 2006 (→External links: fixed page breaking link). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 07:03, 28 July 2006 by Beltz (talk | contribs) (→External links: fixed page breaking link)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. Feel free to improve this article or discuss changes on the talk page, but please note that updates without valid and reliable references will be removed. (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Susan Mae Polk (born Susan Bolling in 1958) is a mother of three who was convicted of murdering her husband, Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk. Dr. Polk was a prominent Berkeley psychologist, who was found with numerous stab wounds in the pool house at the couple's upscale Orinda, California home in 2002. She is being held without bail at West County Detention Facility in Richmond.
Background
In 1972, Susan Bolling was a gifted student growing up in suburbs of Oakland, California. Her parents were divorcing and her mother wondered if Susan was trying to shut out the emotional turmoil of the divorce. Later, a school counselor at Clayton Valley High School in Concord, California, recommended therapy for Susan after she refused to attend classes. He suggested an expert in adolescent behavior, Felix Polk.
Life with Felix Polk
Felix Polk began treating Susan in 1972 when she was 15 years old. Within a year, however, the doctor-patient relationship changed. Susan claimed that Felix drugged and raped her. Felix was, at that time, a married father of two.
Susan went to Mills College, an all-women's school nestled in the Oakland hills, before moving to San Francisco State University, 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, a woman literally half his age. According to Susan, he was a domineering and manipulative husband, obsessed with controlling her life. Susan and Felix eventually had three sons: Gabriel, Eli and Adam.
In 2001, Susan Polk filed for divorce. She was looking for a place to live in Montana when her husband went to court and received control of the house and custody of their three sons.
Conviction
Susan Polk has been convicted of murder for the October 13, 2002, death of her husband in a cottage on the couple's $2 million estate in Orinda, California. She faces 25 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors argued that the murder of Polk was a cold, calculated attempt by his wife to gain control of his multimillion dollar estate. 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, Daniel Horowitz, claimed that she had long been a battered wife under the physical and emotional control of her husband.
Trial
The trial began on October 17, 2005, but was declared a mistrial, because of the slaying of Pamela Vitale, the wife of her lead attorney, Daniel Horowitz.
On January 20, 2006, a judge removed her lawyer Daniel Horowitz after he said he had a conflict of interest. Polk, who has fired three other attorneys who have represented her, said recently that she wanted Horowitz off her case. . On January 31, 2006, after a two-hour hearing, Judge Laurel Brady set Polk's trial date for February 27, 2006.Polk was later allowed to serve as her own attorney.
On February 27, 2006, 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.
On March 7, 2006, prosecutor Paul Sequeira gave his opening statement in what would prove to be a high-profile trial, with spectators, TV legal analysts and reporters showing up at a Martinez, Calif. courtroom to watch the spectacle of Polk representing herself and repeatedly bickering with the judge and prosecutor. Those who couldn't attend the trial in person would follow the case daily on various Internet Web sites and legal talk shows on TV. Adding to the drama was testimony against Polk by two of her sons, Adam and Gabriel, and testimony on her behalf by her third son, Eli.
On May 17, 2006, Polk began testifying in a narrative format.
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.
On May 25, 2006, the prosecutor began cross-examining Polk.
On June 12, 2006, both sides gave their closing arguments to the jury.
On June 16, 2006, Susan Polk was found guilty of second-degree murder.
External links
- Susan Polk Murder Trial
- http://www.pogash.com/magazine.html
- Articles on Susan Polk
- http://www.courttv.com/trials/polk/juryblog.html