Wellington College, he spent a decade or so working in various British A defining characteristic of inheritance litigation is that thesingle most important witness the testator is dead. Little did they know that about four blocks away, there was a man who had driven up with one intention - to kill them both. . The point of entry appeared to be a sliding glass door. "We were told that there was oppositional defiant disorder or conduct defiant disorder. "I said, 'Christopher can I speak to you for a moment.' John Sutton (22 October 1908 10 July 1963) was a British actor with a prolific career in Hollywood of more than 30 years. He insisted that was the only thing he was lying about. I'm not going to sit here and deny that I had problems with my parents, that's why I wanted to get up there and explain. In closing his letter, Sutton made a plea for help and a request that information be sent to him immediately. Roberts asked. "You know, they force someone to lie - it's hard to swallow," he said. Investigators questioned why he was on the phone with her. It was over a bill not being paid," Juliette told Roberts. "I was the one who told him that Susan had died and he was very emotional about it," Cordero recalled. Why are US News law school rankings delayed? The defense in the conspiracy-to-murder case argues that Kopp concocted the story about being let in to avoid the death penalty and says he broke in on his own seeking money and drugs. "I lost Susan. 18, 2010. How Did the Killer Get Away in the Susan Sutton Case? "And [John] was very angry with me about that.". The son who once seemed so devoted was now their prime suspect. The officer did and it was a match. He said that he had been on the phone with Susan and heard gunshots. Investigators asked why he was talking to her on the phone. I can't connect the dots between what he was doing at age 5 and what happened after age 13.". "The whole trial opened the wound back up, you know? He kept his ass out of the electric chair.". Christopher claims Garrett broke into his parent's home in a desperate bid to steal marijuana. Christopher paints Garrett Kopp as an insatiable drug fiend. They apparently opted for the latter course of action;William, Lucy, her children and grandchildren were all long gone by the time the will contest was tried. Aug 1993 - Present29 years 9 months. The answer is no," Bruce Fleisher said in his closing. John Sutton was found guilty by the jury after the murder. Christopher's friend, Eric Polk says the Suttons tended to overreact. Who is John Sutton? Article Fourth [of the will] said that I will and bequeath unto my trusty friend and relation, William R. Adams, formerly of Ware County, Georgia and now of Duval County, Florida, all of the above-named property, the said slaves, the future increase of the slaves, all the cattle, all the hogs, et cetera, on the following conditions. And the complaints continued after the shooting, too. When is a homestead waiver not a homestead waiver? "I definitely thought I was going to be acquitted," he told Roberts. Show. An avid wanderlust adventurer in the same vein as, (5/22/59) Radio: Appeared in NBC University Theater's adaptation of. Ive been practicing law for over 25 years. Featured in the two-hour 'Blind Justice', Melissa Sutton shares . He also has a new love interest. John Suttons younger brother, a man named Shadrack, challenged the will on grounds that would be familiar to any of us today: Shadrack alleged that he was informed and believed that Sutton was at the time of the creation of the document very aged, infirm, bodily and mentally, and that he was then and had been for years wandering in his intellect and subject to the most childish and extravagant superstitions, that he was under the influence of ardent spirits, (he had been plied with alcohol) that his credulity and imbecility made him an easy dupe to the artifices of designing persons who represented to him that the families of children heretofore mentioned were not his offspringwere his offspring and when in fact, they were not his offspring. . ", "It would be completely understandable if you felt sorry for yourself sometimes," Roberts remarks. "We identified that number as belonging to an individual by the name of Garrett Kopp," said Det. This person has been thoroughly investigated and removed. But Christopher says he had no reason to want his parents dead. A lawyer who was blinded after being shot along with his wife at their South Florida home in 2004 in an alleged contract hit testified today against his 31-year-old son at a conspiracy trial over his wifes murder and his own attempted murder. Not surprisingly, the will was contested. Asked if he still loves Christopher, John tells Roberts, "I would have to say that I do not. He finally owned up to the fact that he and Susan were having an affair. (Today) from 7 to 9 pm with funeral services Friday 10:00 AM in . Its the perfect storm for a will contest. "It was a plan to kill his parents for the inheritance," said Marier. [7] He married dancer Anita Rodney-Eden in 1957, but he received an annulment in 1960, when it was shown that she was still legally the ninth wife of oft-married (13 marriages to 11 women) Tommy Manville. An avid wanderlust adventurer in the same vein as Errol Flynn . 'Absolutely,'" he recalled. When questioned by police Kopp confessed that Chris had recruited him to kill his parents. Moreover, he was on the phone with Susan at the time of the shooting. Police say what happened in Samoa more than 15 years ago, may hold the clue to solving the case. And for the most part, John and Susan financially supported her and Christopher. Your alibi has been checked. "Not about his parents and what happened to them. Today's Announcements Lakeway Area Births. "I didn't suspect him, and of course, I wouldn't have wanted it to be Christopher. Florida v Sutton Watch on The judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As a teenager, he was into drugs which is the reason he was sent to a boarding school. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Here's a Tracker to Find Fuel Near You, Your $2 Bill Could Actually Be Worth a Whole Lot More. Christopher Sutton's former pal, Garrett Kopp, testified last week that. "Every one of those bullets was Christopher saying to his parents, 'I hate you. The interrogation continued until Montoto finally revealed his secret. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2012 . "The only times he would get like really angry would be when they wouldn't give him what he wanted.". Mr. Sutton is among the fewer than 7% of Florida attorneys who are Board Certified. "The fact that I knew his hands, and I knew his ears and his skin tone, I could tell that this kind of disfigured person was my dad," she said quietly. Investigators observed jewelry and other valuables in plain sight, which ruled out a burglary. "Susan called me and said, 'We've got a problem,'" John told Roberts. He was now 25 and as far as John was concerned, a loving son who wanted to take care of him after the shooting. We had a psychiatric report that recommended behavioral modification.. "Not a tear for his mother. Hopefully that made an impact on the jury.". I think this is a case of an individuals greed, getting the better of them, said Cordero-Stutz. As police worked the scene, Teddy Montoto, Johns law firm partner who attended the gathering, was back at the house. 4/20/1674 Piscataway, NJ d. 12/19/1750 Piscataway, NJ and buried in Stelton, NJ; in 1695 he married Elizabeth Conger (b. The government contends Christopher Sutton let Kopp into the home and contends that he hoped to inherit from his wealthy parents as a result of their deaths, according to the NBC blog and the Miami Herald. If Christopher didn't shoot his parents, who did? He knew his father had just received a $1 million-plus legal settlement. As their night finally winds down however, an armed intruder . But the Suttons were frightened and they wanted Christopher out of the house. But Christopher says he only cried because he believed police were setting him up. Detective Belyeu thought it odd that fingers were being pointed at John and Susan's son, Christopher, then 25 years old. Then, three weeks later, two men came to get Christopher. This person had a mission," said Miami-Dade Detective Rosanna Cordero. Teddy Montoto, the man who was secretly having an affair with Susan, had already told Christopher about his police interrogation. I listened to it for six years. Randy Rogers says he can only imagine how angry that would have made Christopher. "You know, my parents were the best parents and the fact that one child did something awful does not mean that they didn't like love him unconditionally they gave him every opportunity that he deserved he didn't take advantage of it," she said. Chris told Kopp hed get a cut of the insurance payout. As new appellate decisions are published I'll add them to the list. But ended up shooting them at the night after discovering they were in the house. I remember all the bad times, too. Montoto told the detective he was on the phone with John's wife, Susan, and heard gunfire. She suspected Montoto was hiding something. It was a last-ditch effort to help him. He died suddenly of a heart attack on 10 July 1963. Wasn't it random? She had been told by the police not to tell me about Susan," he said. Juliette said in tears. When he was just 16, John and Susan Sutton sent their son away to a behavioral school in Samoa; Christopher, they say, had been getting into lots of trouble. I never threatened her with that," said Belyeu. "Did he talk to you about what your lives would be like after his parents were gone, when he would inherit the estate? This is the second part of the story that should be of particular interest to practicing probate attorneys. Her mother was dead and her father had been shot multiple times; twice in the head. And I think the challenge for us, the question for us, is what are we each individually doing to bend that arc of history towards justice. After arresting Christopher, he showed him Juliette's statement incriminating him. And at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Dr. Joseph Rizzo is ready to start discussing electronic technology - implanting a device around the back of eye. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Mr. Sutton is among the fewer than 7% of Florida attorneys who are Board Certified. "Garrett Kopp is a drug addict, a little thug," Christopher's attorney, Bruce Fleisher, said. "I said, 'Don't live with Christopher. It's a blue sky for John and Susan Sutton living in Coral Gables, Florida, an upscale neighborhood near Miami. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. We can talk about the facts. John Sutton placed a huge amount of trust in his friend and relation William Adams. "I don't know if you could actually prove this case to a jury without having Garrett Kopp," said Prosecutor Kathleen Hoague. Concept Sales & Marketing. That everyday we are taking actions and steps that are part of history. They have two adopted children. Montotos gun was found not to be a match for casings found at the crime scene. It was one big mess.". "He said to me, 'We had dinner here at the house, but we left around 9 and we went to the movies. They took us on vacations," Juliette said. He says he got over his anger about being sent to Samoa long ago. And it turned out to be the same gun used in the Sutton shooting. "In fact, John had had death threats against him.". Kopp, who agreed to testify in return for a 30-year plea deal, was the prosecutions key witness. And because the testators not around anymore to prove to us that he really was acting of his own free will when he disinherited a child, or favored a late-in-life lover, or bequeathed his estate in any other waythats contrary to generally accepted norms, the second-hand hearsay testimony these cases turn on acts as a sort ofRorschach test. "You know, John was really supportive of me.". On Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004, after a family birthday celebration that included their son, Christopher, his girlfriend, Juliette, and family friend Teddy Montoto, Susan and John Sutton retired to separate bedrooms in their Coral Gables, Fla. home. "I was shocked," he told Dateline of the verdict, "to know. Susan had just turned 57, and John's firm had won three lucrative cases. On Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004, after a family birthday celebration that included their son, Christopher, his girlfriend, Juliette, and family friend Teddy Montoto, Susan and John Sutton retired to. She was never under arrest. They have two adopted children. Up until that point, John and Montoto had a strong working relationship. ", Asked if he thinks about his family, Christopher told Roberts, "All the time, absolutely. When help arrived John managed to tell police he couldnt identify the shooter before being rushed to the hospital. In the hospital, John woke from a drug-induced coma, but he was blind. He finally owned up to the fact that he and Susan were having an affair. Now it's up to Christopher to convince the jury of that love and his innocence. He said he was on the phone with Susan and heard gunshots. ", Marier says Christopher talked about what happened. Add a photo or a video And then Montoto said something surprising. ", Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. There was no doubt that this was a premeditated effort to make sure that they were dead. Here's How Flooding Caused Fuel Disruptions in South Florida. Investigators learned that Kopp had a gun charge for a Glock .9mm pistol that had been impounded. To the detective, Christopher's reaction appeared to be an admission of guilt. Roberts asked. A father helping prosecutors convict his own son -- the boy he had raised for 25 years. On August 22, 2004, they had plenty to celebrate. His final trial happened on July 21, 2010, and was taken to prison on the same day. Against this backdrop, if you were advising William and Lucy would you tell them to role the dice on a trial in Florida or get out of town and take their chances in a free state like Illinois? [4] In the 1940 federal census, the household included his wife Charlotte and her daughter from a previous marriage. "He wanted his parents dead," said Cordero. Chris Sutton came back on his 19th birthday, after 30 months at the school. Defense attorneys allege Kopp was a drug addict who wanted. Theater security cameras confirmed their whereabouts. The night before the funeral is when I was convinced that Christopher had something to do with it. Nothing was taken from the house - not money, nor jewelry. John Sutton celebrates the birthday of his wife Susan with an intimate party held at their exclusive Coral Gables home in Florida. That our descendants will be looking back to us to explain. In March 2005 police caught a break when a woman reported that she suspected her ex-boyfriend, Garrett Kopp, could be involved in Susans murder. "How did [Christopher] react when this happened?" Garrett Kopp was arrested, but Belyeu didn't have enough for a warrant for Christopher Sutton. His father John Sutton was shot twice in his head. "They said, 'You need to look at Christopher Sutton.' "It was at that point that I started interviewing some of John's closest friends," said Lead Detective Larry Belyeu. I looked at Christopher and I thought, 'You killed her. When Chris Sutton arrived at his parents house, he told police he and his girlfriend had been to the cinema the night before and showed tickets as evidence. soon after the shooting detectives had a potential suspect. He finally admitted that he had an affair with Susan. In 2004, Kopp shot Susan Sutton six times and John in the face. "Garrett would say Mother Teresa did it to get himself a deal, to get himself out of the death penalty, to get himself out of the situation," Christopher tells Roberts. "It's my word against Garrett's word that's what it all boils down to.". >> reporter: susan sutton was dead, shot five times by a killer who invaded her birthday party. John Sutton described a troubled relationship with his sonwho prosecutors portray as being angry about being sent away to a boarding school in Samoa for children with behavioral problemsas well as awakening to find an intruder shooting at himself and his wife as they slept, NBC Miami reports. They paid bills. I knew absolutely nothing," she told Roberts. So the will established that William Adams was to carry out the responsibility of seeing to it that the family was to get there, but it was only on condition that he saw to it that that happened, and failing that, he was required to personally take the property because John trusted that William would see to it that the family made it to Illinois as required. John Sutton stood up in court but did not directly rip into his son. A man accused of hiring a drug addict to kill his parents was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder Wednesday by a Miami-Dade jury. Florida leaders give more love to family trusts of the super-rich. But Juliette says she felt pressured and told them what she did know - that Christopher had a deep seeded resentment towards his parents for sending him to Samoa. But celebration turned into horror hours later. he's the killer.". Belyeu. While he waits for a breakthrough, John Sutton remarkably continues to practice law. This means Mr. Sutton has taken and passed additional exams, submitted his cases for review and received positive references from both judges and other attorneys. "So what he told me matched. Here are the details we know about him. The couple believed that Chris was making progress. Police reinterviewed Montoto who agreed to a polygraph test. "He was not forthcoming with me," said Cordero. But something caught Cordero's eye. "That was the happiest day of her life, it was absolutely the happiest day of her life," said Susan's sister, Mary Marier. Instead, with the boom of a seasoned lawyer, he praised Fleisher's professionalism and hailed the prosecutors for putting. CFO of the world's 3rd largest wine producer by volume and with annual revenues of $1B. "I'm seeking change, a change for the people in the future who may be placed in such. I could hear her screaming from Florida how happy she was and how thrilled she was.". He was just kidding. , Now, bear in mind that the family packed up all their belongings and made it from Jacksonville, Florida, on to boats I think through Savannah, around the tip of Florida, through New Orleans, up the Mississippi to Illinois where they ended up by December of 1846. So they went to court for me, pro bono, and got me ownership of those original documents, those 46 pages of documents that connect us to our history. Especially in regards to his relationship with Susan," said Cordero. In shackles, Garrett Kopp takes the stand. They thought that I was gone. | Learn more about John Sutton II's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting . Read More, The Florida Probate & Trust Litigation Blog is authored by Juan Antnez of Stokes McMillan Antnez Martinez-Lejarza P.A. Belyeu: Did Christopher tell you he left it unlocked? . I think Christopher had something to do with this,' Mary Marier said. Bruce Fleisher: And what was the value of that? "Later on I was told that she passed away. Christopher Sutton, 31, allegedly plotted. "He was, shall we say, fighting the program," said John. Randy Rogers' parents sent him to Paradise Cove when he was 17. "Things would be good. "There's so many changes in my life. He pointed it at Susan and Melissa and he told them it was loaded and he was going to shoot them," she said. The reports also came out that Kopp was a drug addict who was planning to rob Suttons family. Police were back at square one. What Ive learned in this process as I began to dig in further and do my own research and fill out the contours of the novel that Im trying to write is a little bit aboutthe importance of history. [8][9] Roberts asked. Dec 2014 - Aug 20227 years 9 months. So I have done everything that I can possibly do without hesitation.". Those children were now planning their mother's funeral as police scoured the crime scene. And with my descendants who are yet to come. "Yeah," Cordero replied. Ive always thought of history as something that famous people did, or presidents or kings and Queens, or even individuals who did something unusual and extraordinary like Harriet Tubman who now have become part of our history. And by that time he was able to proclaim them to be free and able to live in perfect freedom. On August 22, 2004, there was a lot to celebrate. Posting id: 834958775. Miami-Dade County Coroner Emma Lou. The judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. What do you do? It was clear that that is a murder weapon that killed Susan and almost killed John, said Cordero-Stutz. "That's really weird. He says there was one name that kept coming up. Worked the scene, Teddy Montoto, Johns law firm partner who attended the gathering, back. 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Their mother 's funeral as police scoured the crime scene breaking news, sweepstakes, and much!! His wife Susan with an intimate party held at their exclusive Coral Gables home in Florida for...

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