When the tragedy happened on August 22, 2004, the family should have been celebrating joyfully because John’s legal firm had recently won three big cases on that day.
Just recently, Susan turned 57. Juliette Driscoll, Christopher’s fiancée, and I had come to celebrate, but the evening became tragic.
While John was sleeping at home, he was shot in the head, and Susan was also attacked. When John was being taken to the hospital, Susan was discovered shot six times in the head in her bedroom.
All of the bullet shells were 9 mm when the police arrived on the scene. Due to the fact that jewellery and other valuables were still in plain sight, investigators ruled out a break-in.
Teddy Montoto, a lawyer at John’s company, claimed he heard gunshots while talking to Susan on the phone during the investigation.
Montoto agreed to provide a statement at the station and admitted to having a.9mm handgun on him. Working closely together at the company, Montoto and Susan aroused questions about his possible involvement in the crime.
Christopher Sutton presented movie tickets to the police as proof of seeing a movie with his girlfriend the night before the incident.
Their whereabouts were verified by theatre security cameras. But when the evidence against Christopher grew, he was eventually found guilty of trying to kill his family.
After the incident, John lost his sight and spent the middle of September in the hospital. Until he was completely recovered, he was kept in the dark about his wife’s murder.
The tragedy devastated the Sutton family because of Christopher’s conduct, which resulted in the death of his mother and serious injuries to his father.
Police reinterviewed Teddy Montoto about his relationship with Susan after he gave his assent to a polygraph test.
It was discovered that Montoto had been lying when he made his earlier claims because he had been seeing Susan.
This admission provided fresh insight into the situation and prompted the police to reevaluate their probe.
When the case against Chris Sutton grew stronger, the attention of the inquiry shifted to him. Chris had a troubled past, according to the authorities, which included legal troubles and vandalism of a teacher’s house when he was a youngster.
In a desperate attempt to help Chris, John and Susan sent him to Paradise Cove, a strict boarding school in Samoa, against the wishes of their son. Chris came home for his 19th birthday, and his parents saw improvement.
Investigators then discovered that Chris was bitter about being relocated to Paradise Cove and was still financially reliant on his parents.
A breakthrough came in March 2005 when a lady admitted to authorities that Garrett Kopp, her ex-boyfriend, might be to blame for Susan’s demise.
Detectives learned that Kopp was facing a firearm charge in connection with a Glock.9mm pistol that had been confiscated from Chris, who had Kopp’s phone number.
Investigators determined Susan had been slain with that gun and that John had also been shot with it after examining the weapon.
Kopp admitted to authorities that Chris had convinced him to kill his parents and had promised to give him a share of the insurance settlement when they were interrogated.
According to “Murdered by Morning,” Juliette Driscoll supported Chris’ grudge towards Paradise Cove.
The investigation into John and Susan Sutton’s attempted murder was a difficult and drawn-out process.
Teddy Montoto’s involvement, the exposure of Chris Sutton’s troubled past and animosity towards his parents, and the link to Garrett Kopp’s gun were all factors in the conviction of Chris Sutton.
The incident serves as a reminder of the value of in-depth police investigations as well as the potential repercussions of financial reliance and family conflicts.
On March 26, 2005, a warrant for Chris Sutton’s arrest was issued. Christopher Sutton was on trial for murder in July 2010. The prosecution’s main witness was Kopp, who consented to testify in exchange for a 30-year plea agreement. John Sutton also gave testimony against his son.
Christopher Sutton was found guilty of attempted murder and first-degree murder on July 21. He received three life sentences without the possibility of parole.