In short
The 2004 murders of John and Susan Sutton in their Miami home, the attempted killing of John, and the investigation and trial that led to Christopher Sutton’s first-degree murder conviction.
Guests and backgrounds
Karen Kagan, homicide-duty prosecutor who examined the crime scene and later helped prosecute; Rosanna Cordero, Miami-Dade detective; Larry Belyue, lead detective; John Sutton, the surviving husband/father; Melissa Sutton, their daughter; Mary Mariet, Susan’s sister; Teddy Montoto, John’s law partner (affair revealed); Juliette Driscoll, Christopher’s girlfriend/fiancée; Garrett Kopp, the shooter (confessed); Randy Rogers, former Paradise Cove parent/participant; Bruce Fleischer, Christopher’s attorney; Mitchell Kopp, Garrett’s father.
Key claims
The attack was premeditated; Teddy’s affair with Susan created motive but his gun didn’t match; Christopher was framed as the mastermind via threats, prior behavioral-school abuse, and inheritance resentment; Garrett Kopp’s gun matched and he said Christopher hired him.
Notable examples
Bullet holes without burglary; John’s near-death blindness; Christopher’s Samoa “Paradise Cove” history and alleged revenge plan; Christopher’s movie alibi and phone calls to Garrett; Jose Peon testimony about an earlier hitman request; verdict: Christopher sentenced to life without parole; appeal denied.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOFamily Gathering Before the Tragedy
0:09 to 1:24
A family celebration serves as the backdrop to an impending tragedy.
“On Sunday, August 22, 2004, two days after my wife Susan Sutton's birthday, we were having a family get-together.”
The Attack Unfolds
1:24 to 2:42
A gunman enters and attacks John and Susan Sutton in their home.
“unaware that at that time, about four blocks away, there was a man who had driven up Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol in his waistband with one intention.”
Aftermath and Survival
2:42 to 4:03
John Sutton survives the attack while grappling with severe injuries.
“And John Sutton should have died for all intents and purposes, but did not.”
Family and Community Response
4:03 to 6:27
The impact on the Sutton family and their loved ones after the incident.
“Melissa Sutton was 18, a freshman in college.”
Suspicion Falls on Teddy Montoto
6:27 to 7:42
Detectives consider John's law partner as a suspect following the shooting.
“Now, those children were planning their mother's funeral while police scoured the crime scene, seeing Susan Sutton's jewelry and John Sutton's wallet untouched on a dresser.”
Turning Attention to Christopher Sutton
7:42 to 9:14
Police begin investigating John and Susan's son, Christopher, as a potential suspect.
“and she pushed him for more information about his late night phone call with Susan.”
Christopher's Troubled Past
9:14 to 11:55
Exploring Christopher's history and behavioral issues leading up to the tragedy.
“It was that point that I started interviewing some of John's closest friends.”
The Behavioral Modification Program
11:55 to 14:00
Details of the harsh treatment Christopher faced at a behavioral school.
“I was definitely into body piercings and tattoos, things my parents absolutely hated.”
The Isolation Box and Early Days of Paradise Cove
14:00 to 14:16
Learn about the initial experiences of children at Paradise Cove and the isolation box used during the program.
“You would go to, like, the box for a day.”
Christopher's Struggles and Court Order
14:16 to 15:38
Discover Christopher's desire to leave the program and the legal battles surrounding his stay.
“But Randy says even worse things went on at Paradise Cove in the early days of the program, when Christopher first got there.”
Show all 23 chapters
The Shooting Incident and Initial Reactions
15:38 to 16:48
Explore the reactions and suspicions following the shooting at the Sutton home.
“Randy says he could only imagine how angry that would have made Christopher.”
Christopher's Alibi and Police Interrogation
16:48 to 19:48
Investigate Christopher's alibi and the peculiar details he provided to police officers.
“The night before the funeral is when I was convinced that Christopher had something to do with it.”
Uncovering Gun Evidence and Suspects
19:48 to 21:04
Learn about the evidence found linking a suspect to the murder and how it was obtained.
“Teddy Montoto, the man who was secretly having an affair with Susan, had already told Christopher about his police interrogation.”
Garrett Cobb's Confession and Implications
21:04 to 23:04
Delve into Garrett’s confession and the implications it carried for Christopher.
“He said, look, you're going to have to protect me.”
Juliette Driscoll's Testimony and Christopher's Resentment
23:04 to 24:36
Examine Juliette's testimony regarding Christopher's feelings towards his parents.
“But Juliet says she felt pressured and told them what she did know, that Christopher had a deep seat of resentment towards his parents for sending him to Samoa.”
Building the Case Against Christopher
24:36 to 26:30
Understand how detectives built their case against Christopher based on evidence and testimonies.
“The only times he would really like get like really angry would be when they wouldn't give him what he wanted.”
Trial Begins: Prosecution and Defense Strategies
26:30 to 28:00
Explore the strategies employed by both the prosecution and defense during the trial.
“Garrett would get a deal, just 30 years, for shooting John and Susan.”
Unraveling the Plot to Kill
28:00 to 28:44
Learn about Christopher's alleged plan to kill his parents, including testimonies and interrogations.
“Who was the person with whom you were in a plan to shoot John and Susan Sutton?”
Witness Testimonies and Doubts
28:44 to 30:59
Explore the conflicting testimonies from witnesses that raise questions about Christopher's intentions.
“But incredibly, it wasn't the first time, prosecutors say, Christopher had tried to execute such a plan.”
John Sutton's Painful Testimony
30:59 to 33:10
Discover John Sutton's emotional testimony against his son and the complexities of their relationship.
“But Juliet says everything she told the police was, in the end, true.”
Christopher's Defense and Emotional Breakdown
33:10 to 35:51
Examine Christopher's defense strategy and the unexpected emotional moment he has on the stand.
“Do you swear for a minute the evidence you're about to give would be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
Verdict and Aftermath
35:51 to 37:24
Learn about the jury's verdict, the consequences for Christopher, and the impact on his family.
“Is there enough evidence in this case to convict my client of this crime?”
John Sutton's Journey After Loss
37:24 to 40:05
Follow John Sutton's life after the trial, his focus on recovery, and his new outlook on life.
“His sister Melissa says she'll never speak to him again.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Music
0:09On Sunday, August 22, 2004, two days after my wife Susan Sutton's birthday, we were having a family get-together. Our son, Christopher, and his girlfriend, Juliet, my law partner, Teddy Montotto. We had a birthday cake. John and Susan lived in a very fancy neighborhood, Carl Gables. John was a local attorney. The firm had had a very successful week. The firm got a settlement over a million dollars. After dinner was over, we were watching the Olympics and swimming and diving. Everything was fine that evening. Everybody was relaxed. John and Susan's son, Christopher, and his girlfriend, Juliet Driscoll, had plans to go to the movies, so they left.
1:02Shortly thereafter, my law partner, Teddy Montotto, left. Approximately 10 o 'clock, I decided to go in to bed. Susan retired to one bedroom, John to the other. Susan oftentimes slept in the second room because her husband, John, snored. settling into the evening,
1:28unaware that at that time, about four blocks away, there was a man who had driven up Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol in his waistband with one intention. He was there on a mission, a mission to murder John and Susan.
1:50Next thing you know, I saw someone come in. He took out his Glock. I heard a bang, a big bang. I was being shot. And the bullets even broke the headboard, shattered the glass, the mirror. John Sutton flipped out of the bed, landed on the floor, and then the gunman turned towards Susan and shot her six times. Gunman then turned back to the master bedroom, fired more times at John, emptying the gun. I knew that I had been shot in the head. I needed assistance, and I went for a telephone. Cargill is 911. Somebody came in and shot me. I need police and I need an ambulance. KSR 2340. 6186. Susan Sutton was assassinated in her bed.
2:42Didn't have a chance. And John Sutton should have died for all intents and purposes, but did not. My name is Karen Kagan. I was a prosecutor on homicide duty, and I went into that house. I was able to see the bullet holes and the blood on the floor and the blood in the bathroom. Most remarkable, nothing else in that house was disturbed. There was beautiful jewelry on the vanity. Undisturbed. It was clear this was no burglary. It was a premeditated effort to make sure that they were dead. I could not imagine that anyone would want to kill us. The question was, whodunit?
3:34Everybody says it was somewhat of a miracle that I survived. I lost a tremendous amount of blood.
3:43Troy Roberts:Just hours after someone broke into John Sutton's home, murdered his wife, and tried to kill him, doctors weren't sure he would live. They apparently gave me last rites. They thought that I was gone. When you got to the hospital to see your father, tell me what you saw.
4:05Almost unrecognizable person.
4:08Troy Roberts:Melissa Sutton was 18, a freshman in college. her mother was dead. Her father had been shot multiple times, twice in the head. 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 knew him, but he had a harder time recognizing her. You cannot see me now. You don't even see a shadow. No. John Sutton woke up in intensive care, Blind. The magnitude of my injury, the facial pain and the loss of the eyesight was just so huge.
4:56Troy Roberts:You must have been wracking your brain thinking, who could have possibly have done this? I certainly was. And I thought people were trying to kill me when I was in the hospital. I felt that I wasn't safe. I wanted to get out of there. It was just one big mess. And John still hadn't heard what happened to his wife. I remember asking Melissa, how's mom doing? She had been told by the police not to tell me about Susan. Later on, I was told that she passed away.
5:38Troy Roberts:What kind of woman is your mom? Intelligent, confident.
5:47It's the kind of person who's in their 40s but wants to take violin classes and calculus classes because she just wants to be better.
5:56Troy Roberts:And more than anything, she wanted to be a great mother. Once the head nurse of a surgical intensive care unit, she gave her career up in the late 70s when she and John adopted their first child, Christopher. That was the happiest day of her life. It was absolutely the happiest day of her life. Susan's sister, Mary Mariet. I heard her on the telephone. I could hear her screaming from Florida, how happy she was and how thrilled she was. Almost seven years later, they adopted Melissa. She loved those children. Hi, Christopher. And she loved them unconditionally. Now, those children were planning their mother's funeral while police scoured the crime scene, seeing Susan Sutton's jewelry and John Sutton's wallet untouched on a dresser.
6:41Take the wallet. Easy cash, at least. But nothing was taken. This person had a mission.
6:48Troy Roberts:Miami-Dade detective Rosanna Cordero hoped John, even with a serious head injury, could help her. He remembered bits and pieces. He thought he remembered a figure at the door. He might be a black man or wearing all black clothing. He was not sure. So with that kind of spotty memory, the information he provided wasn't very helpful. No, it wasn't. She thought she'd have more luck with Teddy Montoto, John's law partner. Teddy told her he was on the phone with John's wife, Susan, and heard gunfire. So he raced to the scene, arriving just after police. I was the one who told him that Susan had died, and he was very emotional about it.
7:28Troy Roberts:And then Teddy said something surprising. He was a marksman. And he'd been shooting a gun earlier that day. He's a competitive shooter. That's something that he did as a hobby. That raised our eyebrows. Detective Cordero immediately sent Teddy's gun in for testing and she pushed him for more information about his late night phone call with Susan. He was not forthcoming with me. She suspected Teddy was hiding something. He's asked to submit to a polygraph, which he does. And he fails. Especially in regards to his relationship with Susan. The interrogation continued until Teddy finally revealed his secret.
8:11He did in fact confess to having a sexual relationship with Susan.
8:16Troy Roberts:Did that make him a suspect in your mind? It did. Obviously he has a motive. A motive at least to kill John. Maybe not necessarily Susan, but love triangles can drive people to do very extreme behavior. But Teddy's gun didn't match the murder weapon, and police were able to confirm he wasn't in the Sutton home during the shooting. As for the polygraph, police say he failed because he was covering up the affair, hoping to keep it from John. That was a pretty big surprise. How did you deal with that betrayal? I wasn't very happy with it. Very, very upset. Up until that point, John and Teddy had a strong working relationship.
8:58Troy Roberts:And their law firm had just gotten one of their biggest settlements ever, more than a million dollars. They had been very successful in their civil litigation, and along the way had made some enemies. In fact, John had had death threats against him. Police investigated every one of them, but they all had alibis. It was that point that I started interviewing some of John's closest friends. Lead detective Larry Belyue says there was one name that kept coming up. And they said, you need to look at Christopher Sutton. I said, Christopher Sutton, the son? Absolutely. Belyue thought it odd that fingers were being pointed at John and Susan's son Christopher, then 25 years old.
9:42Troy Roberts:For months since the shooting, Christopher had been right by his father's side. and when John finally left the hospital, he moved in with his son. But police were hearing alarming stories about Christopher. That he would like to have his parents dead. He actually choked his mother one time, saying that he could kill her. The son, who once seemed so devoted, was now their prime suspect. I didn't do it. I never had anything to do with it.
10:31Troy Roberts:The Polynesian Islands of Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean, nearly 7 ,000 miles from the Miami home where Susan and John Sutton were viciously attacked.
10:47Troy Roberts:What happened here more than 15 years ago, police say, may hold the clue to solving the case. We learned that Christopher Sutton had been sent away to a behavioral school by his parents. When he was just 16, John and Susan sent their son here. Christopher, they say, had been getting into lots of trouble. We were told that there was oppositional defiant disorder or conduct defiant disorder, those sort of things. He was in and out of more than half a dozen schools. I was routinely driving him to school, dropping him off at the front door, and he was routinely going out the back door and doing other things.
11:28Troy Roberts:Skipping school, though, was the least of their problems. Susan's sister, Mary. He and some other kids broke into a teacher's house and trashed the inside of the house and spray painted the inside of the house. He was arrested. We were sued. $50 ,000 in damage? Perhaps more. Were you an out-of-control teenager? Out of control? I mean, like, I definitely wanted to do my own thing. I was definitely into body piercings and tattoos, things my parents absolutely hated. I really wasn't doing anything that was horribly wrong. But Mary says if Christopher didn't get his way, he could get extremely angry.
12:09Christopher had a rifle. It was not loaded. He pointed it at Susan and Melissa. He told them that it was loaded and he was going to shoot them.
12:18Troy Roberts:You threatened your mother at gunpoint. You threatened to kill her. No. No? No. His parents, to me, always seemed a little bit harsh on him. Christopher's friend Eric Polk says the Suttons tended to overreact. And it was rough on him. Perhaps, but when Christopher was 16, things really escalated. Susan called me and said, we've got a problem. In Christopher's room, Susan found a note. It was a plan to kill his parents for the inheritance. I saw it. I read it. It was there. How did he react when this happened? It wasn't his fault. He was just kidding. He wasn't serious. But the Suttons were. They were frightened, and they wanted Christopher out of the house.
13:09Troy Roberts:You got a restraining order against your 16-year-old son. Correct. He was a valued member of our household. Eric invited Christopher to live with his family. The judge agreed. He went to school when he was supposed to go to school, and he didn't cause any problems living with us. And then, three weeks later... It was a Friday night, I believe. Two men came to get him. They were trying to wrestle him across my lawn.
13:40Troy Roberts:Christopher was shipped off to Samoa, a place called Paradise Cove. But this was no vacation. It was a hardcore behavior modification program for troubled boys. Randy Rogers' parents sent him here when he was 17. If he didn't follow every rule, he says, punishments were severe. You would go to, like, the box for a day. The box? Yeah, like the isolation box. In 1998, 48 Hours, investigating a story of abuse here, filmed the isolation box. But Randy says even worse things went on at Paradise Cove in the early days of the program, when Christopher first got there. They would tie them with duct tape.
14:26They took them to some compound that was in the mountains, left them hogtied there.
14:34Troy Roberts:A year into Paradise Cove, Christopher sent a video message home to his parents.
15:05Troy Roberts:John, Susan, and Melissa traveled to Samoa to see for themselves what it was like. Was he happy to see you? Absolutely. Christopher said he tried telling them about abuse. Did I believe it? No. You didn't believe it? I didn't believe it. Can't imagine that that's what was happening.
15:28Troy Roberts:Christopher was hoping to leave Paradise Cove forever on his 18th birthday, but his father got a court order to keep him there for another year. He was, shall we say, fighting the program. Randy says he could only imagine how angry that would have made Christopher. When you learned about the shooting at the Sutton home, what were you thinking? I was thinking that Chris might have been behind it. You can understand how he may have wanted to exact revenge against his parents for his time at Paradise Cove. Uh-huh. To the point of murder.
16:07Troy Roberts:In 2000, Paradise Cove, with a dwindling enrollment and accusations of abuse, shut down. But whatever happened to Christopher there was a long time ago. So Christopher was now 25, and as far as John was concerned, a loving son who, after the shooting, wanted to take care of him. I said, don't live with Christopher. I think Christopher had something to do with this. He was very angry with me about that. I didn't suspect him. And of course, I wouldn't have wanted it to be Christopher. I mean, that's the worst thing. But Mary is sure Christopher was behind the shooting of his father and the murder of his mother.
16:47Christopher isn't like you and me. Christopher's not like other people. There's something missing. The night before the funeral is when I was convinced that Christopher had something to do with it.
16:58Troy Roberts:She says Christopher talked about what happened. He sat there and he said, Susan was shot more than one time. He was describing how the person came in to the house and went down the hallway. So Christopher was familiar with details about this shooting that had not yet been released. Yes. The blood drained from my body. I looked at Christopher and I thought, you killed her. You did it. But Christopher was nowhere near his parents' house when they were attacked. He and his girlfriend were at the movies, seen here on the theater's security cameras. If Christopher didn't shoot his parents, who did?
17:57It's a good kid. I cried. I couldn't believe it.
18:04Troy Roberts:You know, I was in shock. It doesn't even seem real, and it couldn't even happen. Christopher Sutton says he was horrified when he found out about his mother and father. He started bawling his eyes out. He seemed like he was devastated. Christopher's then-fiancée, Juliette Driscoll, says she was reeling herself. I was in shock at that point. Your entire world just blew up. Juliette met Christopher when she was just 17. He was 19 and just back from Samoa. The Sutton, she says, treated her like a daughter. Susan kind of taught me about makeup and clothes and all that sort of stuff.
18:46You know, John was always just like really supportive of me.
18:49Troy Roberts:John even gave Juliet a job in his law office. And for the most part, John and Susan financially supported her and Christopher. They only wanted what was best for us. Who could have done this? Was it random? Wasn't it random? Who did you think had done it? I had no idea. I said, Christopher, can I speak to you for a moment? He said, absolutely. Detective Rosanna Cordero met Christopher at the crime scene shortly after he'd been told about the shooting. I remember he had a couple of tears come down his face. But before she could even offer condolences, he said something to her that just didn't seem right.
19:29He said to me, we had dinner here at the house, but we left around nine and we went to the movies. Do you want my ticket stubs?
Read the full transcript
19:37Troy Roberts:So he was offering you an alibi? Yes. That's really weird. It's unusual. You offered up an alibi before she even asked for one. Absolutely. Why? Because of Teddy's interrogation. Teddy Montoto, the man who was secretly having an affair with Susan, had already told Christopher about his police interrogation. Christopher says he assumed he was next. So he told Cordero where he was during the shooting. And I recovered the surveillance tape. of Christopher walking out of the movie theater. Here he is with Juliet leaving the theater a little before midnight, but something caught Cordero's eye. The first thing he does as he's walking out, he's not even out of the theater, is he gets on his cell phone.
20:19Troy Roberts:Lead detective Larry Bellew ordered Christopher's phone records. We saw a particular number that came up several times. Three hundred and thirty-one times to be exact, in the weeks leading up to and right after the murder. We identified that number as belonging to an individual by the name of Garrett Kopp. A man named Garrett Kopp had been arrested less than 24 hours after the shooting for assaulting someone with a gun in another part of Miami. He was now out on bail. Detective Bellew immediately called the arresting officer. Now please tell me you still have that gun. He did. It turned out to be a match.
20:58Troy Roberts:It was the same gun used in the Sutton shooting. 21-year-old Garrett Cobb was brought in for questioning. I had to get something out of him. Denial, denial, denial. It was a tense interrogation. He continued to deny, deny. After six hours of questioning... He finally broke. Garrett Cobb confessed. What was the plan? Go in there soon. He said, look, you're going to have to protect me. I did it, but I did it because Christopher threatened to kill me and my son. Who did he want you to shoot? Garrett. Garrett told police the plan to kill the Suttons was all Christopher's idea. Who got you the gun to use?
21:46Chris. He actually drew a sketch as to how he got in the house. Spine glass door on the back patio. Was that door unlocked when you got there? Yep. Did Chris tell you he left it unlocked? You.
21:58Troy Roberts:Garrett went straight to the bedrooms where he said Christopher told him he'd find the Sutton's. Shot John Sutton. Shot Susan Sutton. Do you recall how many times you shot her? No, sir. Garrett says Susan was under the covers when he fired. There was actually bullet holes through the comforter. So what he told me matched. I knew he had done this. Garrett Cobb was arrested. I did not have enough for a warrant for Christopher. Police needed more than Garrett's word that Christopher put him up to it. The next person I knew that probably had direct knowledge of all this was his fiance. Juliette Driscoll was brought in for questioning.
22:39I knew nothing. I knew absolutely nothing. She denied knowledge of anything. The fact that people could even think that I would know something like that.
22:48Troy Roberts:And she continued to deny for hours. 13 hours, none of which was taped by police. I think that I would let something like that happen to John and Susan. She says police yelled and threatened her with arrest. No. She was never under arrest. I never threatened her with that. But Juliet says she felt pressured and told them what she did know, that Christopher had a deep seat of resentment towards his parents for sending him to Samoa. He believed that he was entitled to have whatever he wanted. If he wanted this car, he should be able to have this car. If he wanted the condo, he should be able to have the condo because I deserve this.
23:29They sent me to Samoa. They deserve to pay for what they did. And for the most part, the Suttons did pay. They paid rent. They paid car payments. They paid bills. They took us on vacations.
23:42Troy Roberts:But he wanted more. But he wanted more. He said he could find somebody to kill his parents. But he could find a hitman to take out his parents. And it would be easy. I listened to it for six years. He said it for years and years and years. Did he talk to you about what your lives would be like after his parents were gone, when he would inherit the estate? Mm-hmm. What did he say? Things would be good, because we wouldn't have to worry about money. Juliet says she never told anyone, because she didn't believe Christopher was serious. It was like the boy who cried wolf. You know, you hear something so many times and you just, you don't think about it.
24:27Troy Roberts:And then shortly before the murder. There was a fight. Over what? It was over a bill not being paid. Susan Sutton refused to pay Christopher's car insurance bill. The only times he would really like get like really angry would be when they wouldn't give him what he wanted. Julia told police Christopher was furious. He knew his father had just received a million-dollar-plus legal settlement. And with that information, I had enough at that point to get a warrant for Christopher Sutton. But Christopher was nowhere to be found. I got a call from one of the detectives. I'd like to come by and talk to you.
25:04She said, don't let anybody in the house. Don't answer the door till I get there. Don't pick up the phone. He must have been like, what the heck? I'm coming over to see you. Stay where you are. Did I think Christopher would come back to try to finish it off? Yeah.
25:32Troy Roberts:Detective Cordero was dreading what she was about to do. Tell John Sutton his son was behind the shooting. I know I told him that what I'm about to say is going to be hard for you to accept. But trust me, every road leads back to Christopher. I was just at that point so shell-shocked. For almost two weeks, Christopher was on the run before police found him. Cops arrested 25-year-old Christopher Sutton. John Sutton didn't want to believe it. But what he was hearing was starting to make sense. When I was told that Garrett was the shooter and, of course, I put that together. Garrett and Christopher were like twins.
26:19But I don't know if you could actually prove this case to a jury without having Garrett Kopp.
26:23Troy Roberts:But if prosecutors Kathleen Hogue and Karen Kagan wanted Garrett to testify, it was going to cost them. The death penalty was taken off the table. Garrett would get a deal, just 30 years, for shooting John and Susan. Garrett Kopp is a drug addict, a little thug. Christopher's attorney, Bruce Fleischer. He needed a way out to help himself, and he told the detectives about Chris Sutton. He basically kept his ass out of the electric chair. Garrett is now saying that Christopher promised him$100 ,000 to kill the Suttons. Did you ask Garrett Cobb to kill your parents? Absolutely not. So Garrett Cobb is a liar?
27:07Troy Roberts:Absolutely. I believe we can win this case. He's about to get his opportunity. All right. As the trial begins, John Sutton sits far from his son. Ms. Kagan, opening statement, you may proceed. Prosecutors immediately tell the jury how close Christopher was to admitted hitman Garrett Cobb. They were friends for years. Over the years, they were dope smoking buddies. Christopher did nothing but sell drugs the whole time he got back from Samoa, all the time taking money from his father. The plan was for Garrett Kopp to go in the Sutton's home and do the shooting. And then he would get paid when the defendant got his money.
27:52Troy Roberts:Yeah, you can bring Mr. Kopp back out. In shackles, Garrett Kopp takes the stand. Where was Mr. Sutton when you shot at him initially? On the bin. Who was the person with whom you were in a plan to shoot John and Susan Sutton? Chris. Chris Sutton.
28:12Troy Roberts:Christopher's defense needs to prove Garrett is lying. They zero in on the tough interrogation by police. They got aggressive with you, didn't they? Somewhat. Got pushy a little bit. Leaning up against me. Yeah, like this? Yeah. That's what they're saying. Garrett. Garrett. Something like that. You need to tell us something, Garrett, because they're going to fry your ass in the electric chair. Garrett would have said Mother Teresa did it to get himself a deal, to get himself out of the death penalty, to get himself out of that situation. Sir, you can come forward, please. But incredibly, it wasn't the first time, prosecutors say, Christopher had tried to execute such a plan.
28:52Would you tell the members of the jury your first and last name?
28:55Troy Roberts:Jose Peon, P-E-O-N. Jose Pion is an ex-con with a murder conviction on his juvenile rap sheet. Pion met Christopher in 1999, about a year after he returned from Samoa. He asked me if I knew of any hitman that would kill his parents. Was he joking or did he seem serious? He seemed serious. He said that his parents were worth about$500 ,000 to$1 million, and they had some property and life insurance. I mean, I don't know where he came up with that stuff. He's a liar, too. About that? Absolutely. Then Detective Bellew tells the jury about what he believes is a defining moment in the case. After arresting Christopher, he showed him Juliet's statement incriminating him.
29:45Well, I showed him the comments about, we're going to be better off after they're gone. At that point, he almost immediately dropped his head to the table, started crying and said, I'm ****. To the detective, Christopher's reaction
29:59Troy Roberts:appeared to be an admission of guilt. But Christopher says he only cried because he believed police were setting him up. You know they forced somebody to lie. It's hard to swallow. Mr. Iskell, if you'll come forward, stand in front of our... But would the woman who once planned to marry Christopher now offer testimony that could put him away for life? And what did he express to you was his opinion about his mother? She was a **** bitch. because he felt that she wouldn't give him what he wanted and what he deserved. And that being money? Yes. And she tells the jury how angry he was about Samoa.
30:36He would say they deserved to die.
30:40Troy Roberts:Good afternoon, Ms. Driscoll. But on cross-examination, Juliet says she only told the police incriminating information about Christopher after they threatened her with arrest. She was threatened with a death penalty. She was threatened with going down. but she's a liar too. In part, yeah. But Juliet says everything she told the police was, in the end, true. She insists, though, that she never knew Christopher would actually try and kill his parents. I did not know at all that he was behind this. No. You didn't believe he was going to do it, did you? And then, in a moment, the defense team was hoping for.
31:19Troy Roberts:Juliet, a prosecution witness raised doubt about Christopher's guilt before the jury. I'm still confused about the whole matter. I don't know if he did it or not. Nobody knows what really happened except for him and Garrett. But by now, John Sutton has a pretty good idea. After hearing the evidence, he's convinced his son is responsible, and he takes the stand. That I had two bullets go in here, and two, which went out over here. Prosecutors asked John about his troubled relationship with his son after Samoa. Did your son ever complain to you about money? Yeah. And the complaints continued after the shooting, too.
32:04Coming home from the hospital, John says, Christopher wanted control over the finances.
32:08Troy Roberts:I didn't want him on the bank account. A father helping prosecutors convict his own son, the boy he had raised for 25 years.
32:20Troy Roberts:Do you still love Christopher? I would have to say that I do not. And it's hard. I can't connect the dots between what he was doing at age 5 and what happened after age 13. Your father told me that he no longer loves you. I can't control how he feels. How does it make you feel? It hurts. I mean, it definitely hurts that he no longer loves me. I've always considered him my father, and I always will. Now, it's up to Christopher to convince the jury of that love and his innocence.
33:11Do you swear for a minute the evidence you're about to give would be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do.
33:16Troy Roberts:It's the moment Christopher Sutton has been waiting for. I think anyone who is innocent or wrongfully accused would want to get up there and speak their mind. It's my word against Garrett's word. It's what it all boils down to. He paints Garrett Kopp as an insatiable drug fiend. Constant. Constant drug habit. I mean, I did drugs all day.
33:39Troy Roberts:Christopher claims Garrett broke into his parents' home in a desperate bid to steal marijuana. All day long, a hopped-up Garrett had been calling him for drugs. I kind of told him, no, no, no, no. Christopher says he kept drugs boxed up in the closet of his old bedroom, where his mother often slept. And Garrett knew it. How much marijuana did you store in these boxes? In the top box, about two pounds. And what was the value of that? 7 ,000 bucks. Once inside, Christopher claims, Garrett panicked when he saw John and Susan awake and shot them. Is it possible that this was a robbery gone bad? No, no.
34:22It was an assassination.
34:27Troy Roberts:But Christopher says he had no reason to want his parents dead. He got over his anger about being sent to Samoa long ago. When I more matured, I realized it wasn't something they did to me maliciously. They did what they thought was in my best interest. He even tells the jury Paradise Cove turned out to be good for him. You benefited from the program. Yes. But then, in an unexpected moment, he becomes highly emotional when discussing his alleged mistreatment there. How were you feeling physically during that time? I was what they called in denial. You need a break? Yeah. Christopher's surprising breakdown on the stand is evidence, prosecutors say, that he's still haunted by his experience.
35:20His only emotional reaction was about himself. It was not about what had happened to his parents. Hopefully that made an impact on the jury.
35:31Not a tear for his mother. Not a tear. Every one of those bullets was Christopher saying to his parents, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, you owe me. He's greedy and he's lazy and he believes that he's entitled. Is there enough evidence in this case to convict my client of this crime? And the answer's no. Because what is the evidence? Forced statements? Cop statement is a total lie. He's the killer.
36:11Troy Roberts:It's now up to the jury. All right, everyone, we understand the jury has reached a verdict. After a day and a half of deliberations. We, the jury, find the defendant, Christopher Patrick Sutton, guilty of first-degree murder as charged.
36:32Troy Roberts:You were stunned at the verdict. Absolutely. I definitely thought I was going to be acquitted. Before sentencing, an emotional John Sutton addresses the court. Regardless of the result, this is a bad case. I lost Susan. I lost Christopher long before that. I lost my eyesight. He doesn't ask for leniency. A few feet away, another father sat grieving his loss, Garrett's dad, Mitchell. You question yourself as to... You're a father of a murderer.
37:14I thought I taught him right from wrong. I'm just sorry it happened to answer my son.
37:23Troy Roberts:Christopher is sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. His sister Melissa says she'll never speak to him again. You know, my parents were the best parents. And the fact that one child did something awful does not mean that they didn't love him unconditionally. They did everything they could to give him every opportunity that he deserved. and he just didn't take advantage of it. But the whole trial kind of opened the wound back up, you know, the loss of my mom, the blindness of my dad, and the loss of my brother. Do you think about your family? All the time, absolutely. I remember all the good times.
38:10I remember all the bad times too. I mean, it hurts me to hear them, you know, think that I had anything to do with this. It's unfortunate.
38:18Troy Roberts:As for their father, John's focus right now is getting his eyesight back. At Scapin's Eye Research Institute in Massachusetts, work on optic nerve regeneration is promising. Put your chin down a little more. And at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Dr. Joseph Rizzo is ready to start discussing electronic technology, implanting a device around the back of the eye. Our job is to try to make you as functional as you can be. While he waits for a breakthrough, John Sutton remarkably continues to practice law. He memorizes his briefs. T-X-T-R-U. And with the help of an aide, he's winning cases much like he used to.
39:02Troy Roberts:And he has a new love interest. The world of darkness he now lives in is slowly brightening with each passing day. It's really almost like I'm another person. There's so many changes in my life. It would be completely understandable if you felt sorry for yourself sometimes. Do you? It doesn't do any good. I don't believe in feeling sorry for myself because then you're just wallowing in disaster. I just decided that I wasn't going to sit around for the rest of my life and get bored. So I have done everything that I can possibly do. without hesitation.
40:04Christopher Sutton's appeal was denied.
From the publisher
In 2004, successful Florida lawyer, John Sutton, and his wife, Susan, were gunned down in their home. Susan died and John sustained a serious head injury. Initially, suspects included John's law partner, who was having a secret affair with Susan, and other individuals who had issued death threats against John, but they all had alibis. “48 Hours" Correspondent Troy Roberts reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 7/20/2013. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.
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