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Susan Polk

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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.


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

References

  1. McKinley, Jesse. (June 17 2006) Conviction concludes bizarre trial for murder. The New York Times. Retrieved 30-01-08.
  2. CBS 5, San Francisco. (June 16 2006) Jurors find Susan Polk guilty Of 2nd Degree Murder cbs5.com. Retrieved 30-01-08.
  3. ^ AP. (June 16 2006) Woman guilty of slaying husband-shrink CBS News. Retrieved 30-01-08.
  4. Lee, Henry K. (February 23 2007). Murderer Susan Polk loses bid for new trial. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 31-01-08.
  5. Cite error: The named reference Pogash2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pogash was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sweet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Crier was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. Associated Press. (June 16 2006). Jury finds Polk guilty of 2nd-degree murder. MSNBC. Retrieved 31-01-08.
  11. Cite error: The named reference court was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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