Jurors find California housewife Susan Polk guilty of murdering her husband

 

MARTINEZ, Calif. — After nearly four months of often bizarre testimony and vociferous courtroom altercations, a jury found housewife Susan Polk guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of her psychologist husband.

Polk, 48, was arrested in October 2002 after her 70-year-old husband Felix was found stabbed to death with a paring knife on the floor of a poolside cottage on the couple's $1.85 million Orinda, Calif., property.

Polk, whose courtroom demeanor was often characterized by angry outbursts against the prosecutor and judge, showed no emotion when the court clerk read the verdict. She asked that the jury be polled and calmly listened as each panelist affirmed the guilty verdict.

Her sons Gabriel, 19, and Adam, 23, who testified against her, sat in the front row, and did not look at their mother or express any emotion when the verdict was announced.

Polk's son Eli, 21, testified in her defense, but was not present Friday because he is currently serving a nine-month prison sentence for misdemeanor battery.

 

"We all lose here. Felix is no longer in our lives and we miss him terribly," Adam Polk read from a prepared statement from the family and Felix's two children from a previous marriage.

Polk, who represented herself at trial, requested the appointment of a state public defender to help her prepare motions for an appeal.

"There has been evidence throughout this trial of suppression of evidence by the county," Polk said.

Polk was also found guilty of the special enhancement of using a knife in the act of murder. She faces 16 years to life in prison for the two convictions when she is sentenced as early as July 14.

Prosecutors argued that Polk killed her husband at the end of a contentious divorce when she realized she was losing Gabriel, the house and a significant portion of her spousal support.

Polk initially denied knowledge of Felix's death, but later claimed she stabbed him in self-defense after he attacked her first with the blade. Her medical expert testified that Felix died from a heart attack during the altercation, and not his multiple stab wounds.

"We didn't think Susan was credible," jury foreperson Lisa Cristwell told reporters afterward. "We didn't believe it was self-defense in any way."

Jurors said that Polk's erratic and confrontational demeanor in court did not affect their opinion.

"Although it was painful at times to go through that," said Juror No. 1, Pat Roland.

Jurors called Polk "extremely smart," and noted that, because she acted as her own attorney, they were able to get to know her. They agreed she would have benefited from having counsel, but said it would not have affected their decision.

Felix Polk was stabbed to death in October 2002.

Polk's unreasonable account of the events that transpired on the night of the attack, the fact that she destroyed evidence and denied involvement in his death, and her lack of injuries when compared to her husband's multiple stab wounds and blunt force head trauma, greatly weighed on their decision, jurors said.

They also relied on Gabriel's testimony.

"We found him very credible, and he was the first one on the scene," said juror Bob Borkenhagen.

Before his father's death, Gabriel testified, his mother talked about drugging Felix and throwing him in the pool, hitting him with her car, or shooting him.

Gabriel found his father's lifeless body on Oct. 14, 2002, called 911, and turned his mother in to police.

Adam testified that his mother was "the embodiment of evil."

Eli testified that his father was unstable and violent. But the jurors said they felt Eli's testimony was "coached" by his mother.

Adam and Gabriel both testified that Polk is delusional.

"That's a tough one," Juror Cristwell said when asked if the panel thought Polk suffered delusions. "I think she spent a lot of time telling us she's not delusional."

MORE AT

http://www.courttv.com/trials/polk/061606_verdict_ctv.html

This women had so many problems to start with- she was seeing this man as a teen and he married her. She had a very abusinve realtionship, and that trailed over to hr three sons that  , as two turned on her the one staying on her side is in jail for DV.

it is truly a no wi situation. this is family dysfunction at its peak.