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{{Short description|American woman convicted of second degree murder}}
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'''Susan Polk''' (born '''Susan Mae Bolling''' in 1957) is an American woman convicted in June 2006 of ] for the 2002 death of her husband Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk.<ref name="Conviction">McKinley, Jesse. (June 17, 2006) . '']''. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref><ref name="CBS5">CBS 5, San Francisco. (June 16, 2006) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208062547/http://cbs5.com/local/susan.polk.2.443987.html |date=2007-12-08 }} cbs5.com. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref> Polk's trial, described by one correspondent as "circus-like", drew extensive media attention with its sensationalist elements.<ref name="Circus">AP. (June 16, 2006) CBS News. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref><ref name="Lee">Lee, Henry K. (February 23, 2007). . '']''. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref>
'''Susan Polk''' (born '''Susan Mae Bolling''' in ]) was a housewife and mother of three who was convicted of murdering her husband, Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk. Dr. Polk was a prominent ] psychologist. He was found with numerous stab wounds in the pool house at the couple's upscale ] home on Oct. 13, 2002. The murder trial of Susan Polk drew wide-spread media attention because the testimony in the case pitted brother against brother and sons against mother. The media interest also centered around the 26-year age difference between the couple and the fact that Dr.Polk had been Susan's therapist during her adolescence, before becoming her lover and later husband. Susan's claims that she was a psychic, who was being used by her husband (who she alleged was a ] agent) to elicit predictions of world events, including the attacks on the ], added to the sensationalism surrounding the case.


Her case is featured on the show '']'', and the episode is titled "Deadly Desire".


==Background== ==Background==
Susan Polk met Dr. Polk, a psychotherapist, in 1972 when administrators at her high school recommended she see him to treat her panic attacks.<ref name="Circus"/><ref name="Pogash">Pogash, Carol. (September 18, 2 ''The New York Times''. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref> Susan Polk later made the "undisputed" claim that Dr. Polk first had sex with her when she was 16 and still under his treatment, a violation of professional ethics in the relationship between therapist and patient, which is now illegal in California.<ref name="Pogash"/><ref name="Pogash2">Pogash, Carol. (June 15, 2003) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060811194637/http://www.pogash.com/magazine.html |date=2006-08-11 }}. Originally published in ''Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine''. Hosted at pogash.com. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> At the time, Dr. Polk had a wife and two children,<ref name="Pogash"/> but the couple divorced in 1982.<ref name="Pogash2"/>


After graduating from high school, Polk attended Mills College and San Francisco State University, graduating magna cum laude. In 1982, she married Dr. Polk, who was then an instructor at the California Graduate School of Family Psychology and an occasional consultant as well as a private practitioner.<ref name="Pogash2"/> At the time of their wedding, Polk was age 24 and her husband age 50.<ref name="court">Sweetingham, Lisa. (February 23, 2007) {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125112144/http://www.courttv.com/trials/polk/022307_sentencing_ctv.html |date=2008-01-25 }} Court TV. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> During their marriage, the couple had three sons.<ref name="Crier">Tatko-Peterson, Ann. (March 9, 2007) . ''Oakland Tribune''. Hosted at bnet.com. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> In 2001, Susan Polk filed for divorce, a complicated and contentious proceeding during which each contacted police with allegations of domestic violence. When asked by police whether Ms. Polk had made threats or been violent, Mr. Polk said she hadn't.<ref name="Conviction"/><ref name="Pogash2"/><ref name="Sweet">Sweetingham, Lisa. (June 16, 2006) . CNN. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> In 2002, while Susan was living in Montana, Dr. Polk was able to petition the courts, ex parte, without providing Ms. Polk any form of official notice in advance. The courts then granted Dr. Polk sole custody of the couple's minor son Gabriel Polk and sharply reduced Susan's alimony. Dr. Polk also received sole possession of their house.<ref name="Dateline">Morrison, Keith. (May 19, 2007) ''Dateline NBC'' transcript. Hosted by msnbc.com. Retrieved 30-01-08.</ref>
In 1972, Susan Bolling was a troubled student growing up in suburbs of ]. Her parents were divorcing and her mother wondered if Susan was trying to shut out the emotional turmoil of the divorce. Later, a school counselor at ] in ], recommended therapy for Susan after she refused to attend classes, and began making preposterous claims regarding her parents. He suggested an expert in adolescent behavior, Felix Polk.


On Wednesday, October 9, Polk went to the home to retrieve her belongings and complete her dental procedure by having a permanent crown put on her tooth. On October 11, the eldest son Adam came home from UCLA to pick up his dog. On Sunday, October 13, Dr. Polk, Adam, and the youngest son Gabriel drove Adam and the dog back to UCLA. Dr. Polk and Gabriel returned home at around 9:30 pm. Dr. Polk, then 70, was found dead the next day, Monday, October 14, 2002.<ref name="Dateline"/>
==Life with Felix Polk==
Felix Polk began treating Susan in 1972, when she was 15 years old. Within a year, however, the doctor-patient relationship changed. After murdering Felix (by then her husband) some 30 years later, Susan would claim that Felix had drugged and raped her, a part of her campaign to denigrate Felix to bolster her bizarre defense. Felix was, at that time he was her therapist, a married father of two.


==The trial==
Susan went to ], an all-women's school nestled in the Oakland hills, before moving to ], from which she graduated. She stopped seeing Felix as a therapist, but the personal relationship continued. Unfortunately, however, Susan's mental problems had not resolved.
At trial, prosecutors sought a conviction of murder in the first degree, contending that Susan Polk planned the murder of her multimillionaire husband for money.<ref name="Circus"/> Susan Polk claimed self-defense, asserting that, after years of abuse, beginning with his therapy sessions, in which Dr. Polk performed "guided visualizations" (i.e., hypnosis), he brandished a kitchen knife against her.<ref name="Circus"/><ref name="Pogash2"/> She stated that she took control of the weapon and stabbed him instead.<ref name="Pogash"/> As an expert witness for the defense, ] Dr. John Cooper testified that Felix Polk's death was caused by heart disease and that his stab wounds were not life-threatening and were evidence that Susan Polk delivered them in self-defense.<ref>Dearen, Jason. (May 5, 2006) "Oakland Tribune". Retrieved 18/03/08.</ref><ref name="cooper">Court TV News. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712234703/http://www.courttv.com/trials/polk/docs/cooper.html?page=1 |date=2006-07-12 }} courttv.com. Retrieved 18/03/08.</ref> Dr. Cooper failed to appear in court the following day to continue being cross-examined and to present documents he claimed to have received from Susan Polk, sending a written explanation to the judge.<ref name="cooper"/> He returned with the letters a week later to resume testimony.<ref>Dearen, Jeff. (May 16, 2006) ''Oakland Tribune''. Retrieved 17/05/08.</ref> Prosecuting attorneys dismissed Susan Polk's claim, arguing that she had no defensive wounds from her husband's alleged attack, which was disputed by expert testimony for the defense from Dr. Cooper.<ref name="Circus"/>


The court was forced to declare a mistrial when ] of Susan Polk's then-counsel ] was murdered in an unrelated incident. Susan fired her attorneys to represent herself.<ref name="Sweet"/><ref name="Dateline"/> She supported her defense with allegations of a history of marital and professional misconduct, including claims that Dr. Felix 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 him.<ref name="Sweet"/> Susan Polk repeatedly requested a second mistrial, lodging accusations of conspiracy against the prosecutor and the judge.<ref name="Dateline"/>
In 1982, Polk divorced his wife, prominent concert pianist Sharon Mann, and married Susan. They have 3 sons: Adam, Eli(1985), and Gabriel(1987).


Each of Susan and Felix's children testified at the trial. The youngest son, Gabriel, who had found the body, testified that his mother had speculated about means of killing her husband in the weeks before his father's death.<ref name="Pogash"/> The oldest son, Adam, also testified against his mother, receiving widespread media coverage when he referred to her on the stand as "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs".<ref name="MSNBCAP">Associated Press. (June 16, 2006). . NBC News. Retrieved 31-01-08.</ref> The middle son, Eli, testified on Susan's behalf, that Felix was the aggressor, controller, manipulator and that he was responsible overall.<ref name="Sweet"/>
After murdering her husband, Susan would claim that he was a domineering and manipulative husband, obsessed with controlling her life. During her trial, however, no evidence nor eyewitness accounts supported Susan's allegations. However, 2 of Susan's children (Adam and Gabriel) and police reports filed during the marriage showed that Susan was an abusive spouse and batterer. Adam and Gabriel testified that Susan was mentally unstable and habitually spoke of murdering their father.


Jurors, obeying the judge's jury instruction order, disagreed that the crime was premeditated, finding her guilty of second degree murder.<ref name="Circus"/> Susan Polk was sentenced to prison for a term of 16 years to life. Her appeal was denied.<ref name="Dateline"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Susan-Polk-loses-appeal-in-husband-s-slaying-2376948.php|title=Susan Polk loses appeal in husband's slaying|date=2011-03-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data2/californiastatecases/A117633.PDF|title=FindLaw's California Court of Appeal case and opinions.|website=Findlaw}}</ref> Susan Polk was transferred to the California Institution for Women (CIW), a dorm-like prison, in Corona, California in December 2012, and she was eligible for parole in 2018. On May 29, 2019, Polk was removed from her parole hearing for being uncooperative, and she was denied parole. Polk will be eligible again in May 2029.
In 2001, Susan Polk filed for divorce. Susan had abandoned her children, her husband, and her home, and she was looking for a place to live in ]. Felix Polk went to court and was awarded custody of their youngest son and retained exclusive control of the house. Upon hearing of the court judgment, Susan Polk returned, illegally broke into Felix Polk's Orinda home, and threatened Felix and her son. Incredibly, Susan moved Felix's possessions to the cottage and took up residence in the home. Felix would tell police and friends that he was afraid of his wife and that she had threatened to kill him. A few weeks later, Felix was murdered by his wife, who left the body for her youngest son to find.


== Conviction == ==Further reading==
*{{cite book | last = Crier | first = Catherine | title = Final Analysis: The Untold Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case | publisher = William Morrow | date = February 20, 2007 | url = https://archive.org/details/finalanalysisunt00cath | isbn = 978-0-06-113452-4 }}
*{{cite book | last = Pogash | first = Carol | title = Seduced by Madness: The True Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case | publisher = William Morrow | date = May 29, 2007 | url = https://archive.org/details/seducedbymadness00poga | isbn = 978-0-06-114770-8 | access-date = 2007-05-21 }}
*{{cite book | last = Smith | first = Carlton | title = Mind Games: The True Story of a Psychologist, His Wife, and a Brutal Murder | publisher = St. Martin's True Crime | date = July 31, 2007 | url = https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Games-Psychologist-Brutal-Murder-ebook/dp/B003L1ZZS2/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=Mind+Games%3A+The+True+Story+of+a+Psychologist%2C+His+Wife%2C+and+a+Brutal+Murder&qid=1553463811&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-fkmrnull | isbn = 978-0-312-93906-9}}


==References==
Susan Polk has been convicted of second-degree murder for the ], ], death of her husband in a cottage on the couple's $2 million estate in ]. She faces 16 years to life in prison.
{{Reflist}}


{{Authority control}}
Prosecutors argued that the killing of Felix Polk was a cold, calculated attempt by his wife to gain control of his multimillion dollar estate. When Susan Polk permitted others to represent her, the defense attorneys argued that Susan Polk had long been controlled, abused and battered by her husband (although these claims have never been substantiated, and were contradicted by the couple's children and acquaintances), and she acted in self-defense when he flew into a rage and attacked her. While representing herself, Susan Polk made outrageous unsubstantiated claims, endless recriminations, tales of conspiracy, psychics, fairy tales and secret government agents.


{{DEFAULTSORT:Polk, Susan}}
Susan's former defense attorney, ], claimed that she had long been a battered wife under the physical and emotional control of her husband.
⚫ ]

⚫ ]
==Trial==
⚫ ]

]
Susan Polk was originally released on bail, however it was subsequently revoked when she violated the terms of her bail by contacting and threatening one of her sons. Polk has remained in custody since that time.
]

]
The trial began on ], ], but was declared a mistrial, because of the slaying of ], the wife of her lead attorney, ].
]

]
On ], ], a judge removed her lawyer Daniel Horowitz after he said he had a conflict of interest. On ], ], after a two-hour hearing, Judge Laurel Brady set Polk's trial date for ], ]. Polk began to demonstrate her instability when she fired a succession of attorneys, and demanded that she be permitted to represent herself. Polk was later allowed to serve as her own attorney.
]

]
On ], ], jury selection began in a jury assembly room where 300 prospective jurors arrived. Judge Laurel Brady has said the trial may last as long as 2 1/2 months.
]

On March 7, 2006, prosecutor Paul Sequeira gave his opening statement in what would prove to be a high-profile trial, with spectators, TV legal analysts and reporters showing up at a Martinez, Calif. courtroom to watch the spectacle of Polk representing herself and repeatedly bickering with the judge and prosecutor. Polk's delusional and confrontational behavior was on full display with daily recriminations leveled at the judge, the prosecutor, and anyone else who would contradict her. Polk maintained her contention that there was a vast web of conspiracy seeking her conviction, that the crime scene had been tampered with, and that her husband was a vile man and she was justified in murdering him. Susan Polk also claimed that she was a psychic who predicted the September 11, 2001 attacks; that her husband was a secret Israeli spy; that fairy tales are true; and other equally sensational claims. Those who couldn't attend the trial in person would follow the case daily on various Internet Web sites and legal talk shows on TV. Adding to the drama was testimony against Polk by two of her sons, Adam and Gabriel, and testimony on her behalf by her second son, Eli. Adam and Gabriel (the son whom Susan let find his father's mutilated body) described Susan as an angry, delusional and violent person.

On May 17, 2006, Polk began testifying in a narrative format.

On May 24, 2006, Eli Polk was convicted by a jury of misdemeanor battery against an ex-girlfriend, violating a restraining order and violating probation in connection with two arrests in March at the home where his father died.

On May 25, 2006, the prosecutor began cross-examining Polk.

On June 12, 2006, both sides gave their closing arguments to the jury.

On June 16, 2006, Susan Polk was found guilty of second-degree murder. The jury would later comment that neither Susan Polk nor her son Eli were credible witnesses and they completely dismissed her unsubstantiated attacks on her husband's character.

Following her conviction, numerous attorneys declined to represent Polk before her sentencing, citing their unavailability. Point Richmond attorney Linda Fullerton has tentatively agreed to represent her pre-sentencing.

On January 30, 2007, a MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL; MOTION TO MODIFY VERDICT was filed in the Contra Costa Superior Court. The motion claims that Judge Laurel Brady allowed prosecutor Paul Sequeira to illegally dismiss prospective jurors because they were women; that members of the jury were prejudiced against Polk because of the extensive media coverage of the case, much of it critical of Polk; that there is evidence that the jurors were exposed to media coverage of the trial, and in fact, one juror told reporters immediately after the verdict was read, "Sometimes the media was making stuff up;" that Brady improperly reprimanded Polk in front of jurors and appeared to favor the prosecution; that Judge Brady failed to instruct the jury on heat-of-passion voluntary manslaughter; and that Polk's right to represent herself was hampered by her treatment at the jail and by the claim that on several occasions she was prevented from consulting with an attorney and her legal assistant.

On February 23, 2007, the MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL; MOTION TO MODIFY VERDICT was argued by both the defense and prosecution. The motion was denied, and Mrs. Polk was immediately sentenced to 16 years to life.

==External links==
*
*
*
*
*http://www.pogash.com/magazine.html
*
*
*
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
⚫ ]

'''Catherine Crier's book on the Polk case: "Final Analysis: The Untold Story of the Susan Polk Murder Case'''

Latest revision as of 20:19, 29 August 2024

American woman convicted of second degree murder

Susan Polk (born Susan Mae Bolling in 1957) is an American woman convicted in June 2006 of second degree (unpremeditated) murder for the 2002 death of her husband Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk. Polk's trial, described by one correspondent as "circus-like", drew extensive media attention with its sensationalist elements.

Her case is featured on the show Deadly Sins, and the episode is titled "Deadly Desire".

Background

Susan Polk met Dr. Polk, a psychotherapist, in 1972 when administrators at her high school recommended she see him to treat her panic attacks. Susan Polk later made the "undisputed" claim that Dr. Polk first had sex with her when she was 16 and still under his treatment, a violation of professional ethics in the relationship between therapist and patient, which is now illegal in California. At the time, Dr. Polk had a wife and two children, but the couple divorced in 1982.

After graduating from high school, Polk attended Mills College and San Francisco State University, graduating magna cum laude. In 1982, she married Dr. Polk, who was then an instructor at the California Graduate School of Family Psychology and an occasional consultant as well as a private practitioner. At the time of their wedding, Polk was age 24 and her husband age 50. During their marriage, the couple had three sons. In 2001, Susan Polk filed for divorce, a complicated and contentious proceeding during which each contacted police with allegations of domestic violence. When asked by police whether Ms. Polk had made threats or been violent, Mr. Polk said she hadn't. In 2002, while Susan was living in Montana, Dr. Polk was able to petition the courts, ex parte, without providing Ms. Polk any form of official notice in advance. The courts then granted Dr. Polk sole custody of the couple's minor son Gabriel Polk and sharply reduced Susan's alimony. Dr. Polk also received sole possession of their house.

On Wednesday, October 9, Polk went to the home to retrieve her belongings and complete her dental procedure by having a permanent crown put on her tooth. On October 11, the eldest son Adam came home from UCLA to pick up his dog. On Sunday, October 13, Dr. Polk, Adam, and the youngest son Gabriel drove Adam and the dog back to UCLA. Dr. Polk and Gabriel returned home at around 9:30 pm. Dr. Polk, then 70, was found dead the next day, Monday, October 14, 2002.

The trial

At trial, prosecutors sought a conviction of murder in the first degree, contending that Susan Polk planned the murder of her multimillionaire husband for money. Susan Polk claimed self-defense, asserting that, after years of abuse, beginning with his therapy sessions, in which Dr. Polk performed "guided visualizations" (i.e., hypnosis), he brandished a kitchen knife against her. She stated that she took control of the weapon and stabbed him instead. As an expert witness for the defense, forensic pathologist Dr. John Cooper testified that Felix Polk's death was caused by heart disease and that his stab wounds were not life-threatening and were evidence that Susan Polk delivered them in self-defense. Dr. Cooper failed to appear in court the following day to continue being cross-examined and to present documents he claimed to have received from Susan Polk, sending a written explanation to the judge. He returned with the letters a week later to resume testimony. Prosecuting attorneys dismissed Susan Polk's claim, arguing that she had no defensive wounds from her husband's alleged attack, which was disputed by expert testimony for the defense from Dr. Cooper.

The court was forced to declare a mistrial when the wife of Susan Polk's then-counsel Daniel Horowitz was murdered in an unrelated incident. Susan fired her attorneys to represent herself. She supported her defense with allegations of a history of marital and professional misconduct, including claims that Dr. Felix 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 him. Susan Polk repeatedly requested a second mistrial, lodging accusations of conspiracy against the prosecutor and the judge.

Each of Susan and Felix's children testified at the trial. The youngest son, Gabriel, who had found the body, testified that his mother had speculated about means of killing her husband in the weeks before his father's death. The oldest son, Adam, also testified against his mother, receiving widespread media coverage when he referred to her on the stand as "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs". The middle son, Eli, testified on Susan's behalf, that Felix was the aggressor, controller, manipulator and that he was responsible overall.

Jurors, obeying the judge's jury instruction order, disagreed that the crime was premeditated, finding her guilty of second degree murder. Susan Polk was sentenced to prison for a term of 16 years to life. Her appeal was denied. Susan Polk was transferred to the California Institution for Women (CIW), a dorm-like prison, in Corona, California in December 2012, and she was eligible for parole in 2018. On May 29, 2019, Polk was removed from her parole hearing for being uncooperative, and she was denied parole. Polk will be eligible again in May 2029.

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 Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine 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. ^ Pogash, Carol. (September 18, 2 A California murder case raises troubling issues The New York Times. Retrieved 30-01-08.
  6. ^ Pogash, Carol. (June 15, 2003) No ordinary murder Archived 2006-08-11 at the Wayback Machine. Originally published in Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine. Hosted at pogash.com. Retrieved 31-01-08.
  7. Sweetingham, Lisa. (February 23, 2007) Susan Polk, defiant at sentencing, gets maximum term for fatally stabbing her husband Archived 2008-01-25 at the Wayback Machine Court TV. Retrieved 31-01-08.
  8. Tatko-Peterson, Ann. (March 9, 2007) New Crier book dissects Polk murder case. Oakland Tribune. Hosted at bnet.com. Retrieved 31-01-08.
  9. ^ Sweetingham, Lisa. (June 16, 2006) Polk guilty of killing therapist husband. CNN. Retrieved 31-01-08.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. Dearen, Jason. (May 5, 2006) Expert witness: Polk not guilty "Oakland Tribune". Retrieved 18/03/08.
  12. ^ Court TV News. Dr. John Cooper's letter to the judge Archived 2006-07-12 at the Wayback Machine courttv.com. Retrieved 18/03/08.
  13. Dearen, Jeff. (May 16, 2006) Missing pathologist returns Oakland Tribune. Retrieved 17/05/08.
  14. Associated Press. (June 16, 2006). Jury finds Polk guilty of 2nd-degree murder. NBC News. Retrieved 31-01-08.
  15. "Susan Polk loses appeal in husband's slaying". 2011-03-30.
  16. "FindLaw's California Court of Appeal case and opinions" (PDF). Findlaw.
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