252. The Hitman Survivor - Susan Kuhnhausen

Summary

Podcast Summary: Murder With My Husband - Episode 252: The Hitman Survivor - Susan Kuhnhausen

Podcast Information:

• Title: Murder With My Husband
• Host/Author: OH NO MEDIA
• Description: A true crime podcast that ventures into the darkest crimes with a wife who loves it and a husband who hates it.
• Episode: 252. The Hitman Survivor - Susan Kuhnhausen
• Release Date: January 20, 2025

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1. Introduction

In Episode 252 of "Murder With My Husband," hosts Peyton and Garrett Moreland delve into the harrowing true story of Susan Kuhnhausen, a resilient woman who survived an attempted murder orchestrated by her own husband, Mike Kunhausen. This episode intricately explores the complexities of their troubled marriage, Mike's descent into desperation, and Susan's courageous fight for survival.

2. The Marriage of Susan and Mike

Susan Collins, a dedicated ER nurse at Providence Portland Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, sought companionship and love outside her demanding career. At age 33, she placed a personal ad in the newspaper—akin to the 1988 version of Tinder—seeking a meaningful relationship. Her efforts led her to Mike Kunhausen, a stocky, bearded man with sandy hair and oversized glasses. Despite Mike's bitterness over his previous divorce and his resentment towards his ex-wife, Susan was initially enamored by their shared interests in nature and adventure.

Peyton Moreland [06:39]: "If you are going to kill someone, that's crazy. Well, I'm just saying when we're thinking about this question after doing so many episodes, do not hire a hitman. It just don't do it."

The couple married on December 11, 1988, and for the initial years, their marriage seemed harmonious. They enjoyed activities like bird watching and trips along the Oregon coast. However, underlying issues began to surface as Mike's obsession with money and his burgeoning collection of sports memorabilia strained their relationship.

3. Mike's Descent into Bitterness

Mike's fixation on his sports memorabilia, which he viewed as lucrative investments worth tens of thousands, clashed with Susan's indifferent attitude towards material possessions. This divergence in values led to increasing tensions. Mike's frequent mood swings, characterized by extreme negativity and bitterness, became more pronounced, especially when things didn't go his way.

Garrett Moreland [12:20]: "Sounds like a good guy."

Peyton Moreland [12:21]: "This was another concerning trait of Mike's, maybe even another red flag. He had a tendency to blame other people for his own problems..."

Despite Susan's attempts to communicate and seek therapy for Mike, his refusal to acknowledge any issues only deepened the rift between them. Over the course of 17 years, Susan nurtured hope that Mike would overcome his internal struggles, but his behavior continued to deteriorate, manifesting in increasingly aggressive and threatening outbursts.

4. The Plot to Kill Susan

By 2005, Susan had reached the end of her tether. Fearing that Mike's suspicions and paranoia over a potential divorce were escalating towards domestic violence, she asked him to move out. Although Susan aimed for an amicable separation, Mike's desperation to prevent a divorce—coupled with his inability to manage his mounting resentment—led him to contemplate drastic measures.

Peyton Moreland [20:31]: "You're walking a slippery slope of, in your mind, starting to justify murder."

In September 2006, Mike, now isolated and convinced that Susan intended to ruin him financially and emotionally, decided to hire a hitman to murder her before the divorce could proceed. His search for an accomplice led him to Ed Haffey, a recently released felon with a history of violent crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder. Through manipulative persuasion, Mike convinced Ed to undertake the sinister task for a substantial sum.

5. The Night of September 6, 2006

On September 6, 2006, Mike executed his plan. He drove Ed to Susan's now solitary home in Southeast Portland, granting him access by using their anniversary date as the security system code. Mike’s attempt to frame the murder as a burglary involved staging his sports memorabilia collection to appear looted.

As Susan returned from her demanding shift at the hospital, she entered her home and was immediately confronted by a man wielding a hammer—unbeknownst to her, Ed the hitman. What ensued was a life-or-death struggle showcasing Susan's unyielding will to survive.

Peyton Moreland [28:56]: "Looks her in the eyes and says, you're strong."

In the ensuing fight, Susan utilized her training and innate resilience to fend off the attacker. Despite severe injuries and exhaustion, she managed to overpower Ed, ultimately leading to his incapacitation. However, the ordeal left Susan not just physically scarred but emotionally traumatized by the reality of betrayal from someone she deeply trusted.

6. The Aftermath: Arrest and Trial

Following the attack, Ed's mishandling of evidence provided a crucial lead for investigators. A backpack left behind contained a day planner dated two days before the murder attempt, with notes linking back to Mike. This evidence was instrumental in unveiling the conspiracy.

Mike, realizing his plan had unraveled and fearing retribution, attempted to evade capture but was apprehended nine days later on September 15, 2006. His daughter’s intervention, claiming his plausibly staged suicide note, further complicated his defense.

Garrett Moreland [42:49]: "That's so ironic."

During the sentencing in September 2007, Susan addressed Mike directly, expressing that while she could never find peace while he lived, she would not allow his actions to destroy her.

Peyton Moreland [43:15]: "She expressed this to Mike during his September 2007 sentencing hearing... 'As long as you live, I will never have a measure of peace, but I will not be destroyed.'"

Mike was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit aggravated murder. Susan, however, would carry the emotional and psychological burdens of the incident long after Mike's incarceration.

7. Susan's Life After the Attempted Murder

The aftermath of the attack forced Susan to reevaluate her life entirely. She faced the painful decision to change her identity to ensure her safety, alongside implementing stringent security measures to protect herself from any potential future threats.

Susan channeled her trauma into advocacy, dedicating her post-incident life to assisting victims of violent crimes. She founded organizations aimed at supporting survivors and established a website to provide resources and information on ongoing cases and offender tracking.

Peyton Moreland [43:59]: "She created this website because it's also going to help her. Mike was behind bars, but years could still get out."

In 2015, Mike's unexpected death from prostate cancer before his early release brought a complex mix of emotions for Susan. While she did not mourn his passing, reflecting on the life he might have led had circumstances been different, she continued to strive for personal peace and continued her mission to aid others.

Peyton Moreland [47:12]: "Susan's case just goes to show, like, fighter, man. She is a fighter."

8. Conclusion

Episode 252 of "Murder With My Husband" masterfully narrates the tragic yet inspiring story of Susan Kuhnhausen. It highlights the devastating impact of marital betrayal and the extraordinary resilience of a woman determined to reclaim her life against all odds. Susan's journey from a victim to a survivor and advocate underscores the enduring human spirit's capacity to overcome profound adversity.

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Notable Quotes:

• Peyton Moreland [06:39]: "If you are going to kill someone, that's crazy... do not hire a hitman."

• Peyton Moreland [20:31]: "You're walking a slippery slope of, in your mind, starting to justify murder."

• Peyton Moreland [28:56]: "Looks her in the eyes and says, you're strong."

• Peyton Moreland [43:15]: "'As long as you live, I will never have a measure of peace, but I will not be destroyed.'"

• Peyton Moreland [47:12]: "Susan's case just goes to show, like, fighter, man. She is a fighter."

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This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities within personal relationships and the profound strength individuals can summon in the face of unimaginable challenges.

Transcript

[Peyton Moreland]

Okay, as you guys know, I have been raving about my skims bras and underwear since I started wearing them. And my entire underwear drawer is filled with these soft, stretchy and supportive fabrics from skims. It's honestly kind of become a personality trait for me. I just recently traveled in one of my skim sets and then something that I recently got is the Skims Fits Everybody boy shorts. Okay? I love a little boy short. And these are so soft, they don't move. Honestly, they are the perfect bedtime underwear. You have to go give them a try. Honestly. Run, don't walk. Okay. Shop Skims Best intimates, including the Fits Everybody collection and [e-mail] and Skims stores. And after you've placed your order, you guys be sure to let them know that we sent you select podcast in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. Please, please, please make sure to select our show. It's a great support the podcast. All right, let's get back to the episode we were streaming the other day, you guys, and we were talking about Shopify to the viewers. And it was hilarious because Garrett was genuinely telling them how long we have used Shopify and how we love it.

[Garrett Moreland]

It was funny because they were talking about how, you know, the little cha ching sound comes on when you listen to the Shopify ad. And somehow we got in a conversation about Shopify and I was like, look, they might make us do the cha ching sound, but I've been using Shopify for almost like seven, eight years now. And I love it. I use it. I've vouch for them. You should use Shopify. Shopify is how you're going to make it happen. And let me tell you, Shopify makes it simple to create your brand, open for business and get your first sell. Shopify makes it easy to manage your growing business. They help with details like shipping taxes and payments from one single dashboard, allowing you to focus on the important stuff like growing your business with Shopify. Your first sales, closer than you think, established in 2025.

[Peyton Moreland]

Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? So sign up for your one per month trial [e-mail] husband that's all lowercase. Go to shopify.com husband to start selling with Shopify today. Shopify.com husband. You're listening to an Ono Media podcast. Hey, everyone, welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with my husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm Garrett Moreland.

[Peyton Moreland]

And he's the husband.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm the husband. If you're watching on YouTube, I do look like I just got out of bed. I didn't just get out of bed. I just have been in sweats all day.

[Peyton Moreland]

I did.

[Garrett Moreland]

And we're recording because we love you guys. And I have some good news. I got an MRI because we were pretty sure that something was wrong with me, and I'm okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

Okay. What a way to just minimize that entire situation.

[Garrett Moreland]

It was a bigger deal than that.

[Peyton Moreland]

Garrett was showing signs of neurological symptoms in his head, so we went and got an MRI emergency. Good news. No tumor. Just a cyst.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah. Non cancerous cyst. That's okay. See what my next steps are. But good news is not a tumor, because, not gonna lie, thought it was a tumor. I was having all the signs kind.

[Peyton Moreland]

Of crazy, but your doctor was like, immediately, go get your head scanned.

[Garrett Moreland]

So it's kind of scary, but voided. And we're here, and I am healthy as can be. And that's been going on with us. That's about all I got. I also just ate a burrito that I made in the microwave real quick. Microwave the. Whatever it's called. What's it called?

[Peyton Moreland]

Convection oven.

[Garrett Moreland]

Toaster oven.

[Peyton Moreland]

Toaster oven. Yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

I just made a burrito on the toaster oven and I burnt my mouth. That kind of sucks. But you know what?

[Peyton Moreland]

You can't talk the whole episode.

[Garrett Moreland]

I want to be quiet the whole episode. How are you doing, babe?

[Peyton Moreland]

Oh, you know, this weekend is college dance team nationals, so I'll be watching that all weekend. That's basically like my Super Bowl.

[Garrett Moreland]

Paint will be glued to the screen watching that.

[Peyton Moreland]

Super excited. Go, uvu. That's my dance team I danced with.

[Garrett Moreland]

Let's go get pump, babe. Come on.

[Peyton Moreland]

I'm gonna do a hot take for anyone who watches and say Ohio's taking it this year. That's a different division than me. I'm gonna. I'm gonna bank on Ohio, but I don't know. Could be Minnesota. Those are normally the top two. You know what? If you're like, I don't even know what she's talking, go Google it and watch. Okay. So good. So good.

[Garrett Moreland]

We have a big announcement. Huge announcement. Ginormous announcement. We have new merch, and it is unlike anything we've ever launched before. What?

[Peyton Moreland]

You say that every time, but it is. But it's like. It is.

[Garrett Moreland]

It is.

[Peyton Moreland]

It's because we have to keep changing it.

[Garrett Moreland]

Is this not unlike anything we've ever launched?

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah. Different type of sweaters. We've got some crewneck sweaters going on. Embroidered ghost embroidered mwmh. Definitely a kind of look for our merch. Again, just another merch drop. Something fun, something different. If you want to check it out, go ahead. Links everywhere.

[Garrett Moreland]

It's also one of the merch drops where you can wear anywhere. Doesn't have like murder all over it.

[Peyton Moreland]

Nope.

[Garrett Moreland]

Like you'll have no idea. Super cute. Go check it out. Links everywhere. Only a certain amount. Like we're only doing a certain amount because we it's not drop shipping. Like we ordered a certain amount of blanks and we're embroidering a certain amount of sweatshirts and we're really excited.

[Peyton Moreland]

Was that your 10 seconds talking about?

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, I kind of did my 10 seconds early. I hope all you guys are doing amazing that I don't know. I feel like I'm, I'm not on it today. So hopefully I get on it when the episode starts. How about you?

[Peyton Moreland]

Dang burrito.

[Garrett Moreland]

Dang burrito just messed me up. Let's get into today's case.

[Peyton Moreland]

Our sources for today's episode include adult FYI.com blurredbylines.com K A T U A B C nbcnews.com the Associated Press, the Organian True Crime Magazine, the Seattle Times. I survived episode 502. Nothing personal. Murder for Hire episode 201. Okay, so I think a common question with people who watch or listen to true crime that can definitely come off weird to the non true crime people out there is how do you get away with murder? Like what is the perfect murder? How would you do it? How do you make sure you have an alibi? Ask OJ he did not commit the perfect murder. If there is, in theoretical speaking, there is no perfect murder but a way to get away with murder.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yep.

[Peyton Moreland]

And after doing so many episodes, I do have a little piece of advice for you. If you are going to kill someone, that's crazy. Well, I'm just saying when we're thinking about this question after doing so many episodes, do not hire a hitman. It just don't do it. It never works out well. It creates an evidence trail. It leaves witnesses, at least one beside you. It makes you a witness or more accurately a co conspirator. It is a bad plan. So many things go wrong and usually they do. However, they rarely go as badly as they did for the hitmen in today's case who conspired to take a life but actually ended up losing their own. That is the story we are talking about today and it actually begins in an emergency Room at Providence Portland Medical center in Portland, Oregon. The year was 1988. An ER nurse named Susan Collins was going through her day. She was assessing patients conditions, administering meds, communicating with doctors. She was basically saving lives in this Portland, Oregon Hospital in 1988. Okay, and she loved her job. She liked the fast paced thinking on her feet. She liked helping people. But at age 33, Susan was beginning to want a little bit more out of life. She wanted to go out more. She wanted to fall in love. So one day, after getting off from her shift, Susan went home and she decided to place a personal ad in the newspaper. This is basically like the 1988 version of Tinder. Okay? So she wrote a little profile on herself. Single white female, 33, overweight, but not over life. If you're interested in a bright, funny woman who wants to explore the Northwest, give me a call. Then she sent it off and waited for the results. She was a little anxious. Susan had nerves of steel in the emergency room, but she never put herself out like this in the dating world. She wasn't sure what to expect. So she was very pleasantly surprised when she got a response from a kind, soft spoken man named Mike Kunhausen. Now, Mike didn't exactly look like Prince Charming Mike Wazowski. He was stocky, bearded, with long, sandy hair, oversized glasses. But he shared a lot of Susan's interests as well as her taste for adventure. He liked getting out in nature, spending time at the beach. Susan actually had a great time with him. So much so, in fact, that she overlooked his personal baggage. Okay. Mike Kunhausen was divorced with two kids from a previous marriage. And that wasn't a problem for Susan. But the sticky part was, he was kind of bitter about it. Okay, Mike equated divorce with failure. He resented his ex for making him fail. He also felt that she had taken advantage of him financially. These were maybe not red flags, but warning signs, things that you want to keep an eye on. Susan saw them, but she remained undeterred. Throughout her career in the er, Susan had seen people make incredible recoveries. And she believed Mike was capable of anything he put his mind to. So on December 11, 1988, they actually made it official. She gave Mike her hand in marriage, becoming Mrs. Susan Kunhausen. So for the first few years of matrimony, Susan and Mike got along great. Okay? They continued their adventures, going bird watching and butterfly spotting. They took a nice trip up the Oregon coast. But every now and then, those warning signs that she saw about Mike in the beginning would pop up. Mike could become extremely negative. And bitter. Especially when things were not going his way. I mean, Mike often felt like the world was against him, and he was obsessed with money. And this might have been the real first red flag. To Susan, money in itself had little value. She didn't really care about possessions. She cared about people and experiences. That was how she preferred to spend her money, which was indeed hers, given that she worked long hours at a strenuous job to earn it. Mike, on the other hand, cared a lot about money and about things. So get this. This is how their marriage was. Okay. At the same time as he was getting on Susan for spending money to go see a movie, Mike had spent huge sums of money on a collection of sports memorabilia. Old baseball cards, jerseys, autographed gloves. He considered it an investment, believing his collection was worth tens of thousands of dollars. Now, Susan wasn't so sure. But it wasn't his delusion that bothered her, nor the expense. Susan eventually began to worry that Mike was spending way too much time in the basement, pouring over his collection. To Susan, it seemed like he was becoming obsessed. He was withdrawing from the world. And this was the man that she'd fallen in love with while exploring nature. It didn't seem good for him or their marriage to spend so much time locked in the basement. So Susan tried talking to Mike about her concerns. She said, hey. She noticed him pulling back. She asked what was wrong. She said if he didn't feel comfortable talking about it with her, maybe he could go see a therapist. Now, unfortunately, Mike refused to admit that there was anything wrong, at least with him. But he certainly found plenty of fault with others.

[Garrett Moreland]

Sounds like a good guy.

[Peyton Moreland]

This was another concerning trait of Mike's, maybe even another red flag. He had a tendency to blame other people for his own problems, which, yeah, not fun to be around. If Mike was angry, somebody made him angry. If Susan was unhappy, well, she was just a nag. Not wanting to fight with her husband, Susan decided to just let the matter drop. And she focused instead on what she could control. So she accepted Mike's new interests. She tried to show that she loved and supported him. She kept encouraging him to get out in the world to spend time with her and her friends. Susan believed that with proper care, Mike would eventually heal whatever was ailing him and go back to being the man that she'd originally fallen in love with. She spent 17 years nurturing that hope.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, my gosh.

[Peyton Moreland]

And although Mike did change during that time.

[Garrett Moreland]

Nope.

[Peyton Moreland]

Sadly, it was for the worse.

[Garrett Moreland]

Time to, we gotta move on. We gotta cut cords, and we Gotta move on.

[Peyton Moreland]

Well, she just believes in him. She loves him.

[Garrett Moreland]

17 years.

[Peyton Moreland]

So, yeah. As time goes on in their marriage, Mike starts becoming suspicious of Susan. He developed this belief that, like his ex, Susan was going to leave him and take all of their money. Well, never mind that most of that money was Susan's from her job as a doctor. Mike had various odd jobs over the course of their marriage, but he rarely brought in as much as she did. That may have contributed to his insecurity. It might also have increased his bitterness about the world. Mike came to feel that he'd been cheated out of a fair chance at life. And in a way, he might have had a point. He and Susan rarely talked about this, but Mike had served in Vietnam. He opened up about his experience only one time in their entire marriage. And on that occasion, Mike told Susan that he was on long range patrols. There came a day when his team was ordered to attack a village. He was told that the town was occupied by enemies. But upon executing his orders, Mike discovered this town was full of children. He didn't go into what happened next, but Susan could see it still affected him. Thinking he might have ptsd, she suggested he talk to someone at the Vet center or Veteran Affairs. Once again, Mike refused. He told Susan he didn't need therapy because he had devised his own way of dealing with these harmful memories. As he put it, he would simply put them all in a room and lock the door.

[Garrett Moreland]

I've tried that. It doesn't work.

[Peyton Moreland]

Once again, Susan backed down in the face of resistance. But she couldn't forget her concern. Mike could very well think he could manage his pain by just shoving it away. But as someone who'd spent her whole life saving victims of trauma, Susan knew those doors rarely stayed locked forever. So by 2005, Susan was reaching the end of her rope in her marriage. She had spent 16 years trying to make this marriage work. She felt like Mike was not doing the same. He continued to withdraw and reject her efforts to help him. What was more concerning was he was also just getting angrier and becoming threatening. Mike had always had a tendency to lash out when he was angry. But now his outbursts were coming from out of nowhere, and they often targeted Susan. As much as she didn't want to give up on the marriage, Susan feared they were veering toward domestic violence. Okay, so sometime around the holiday, she said, hey, you need to move out. And he did. And Susan was relieved. For the first time in years, she felt like she could finally relax. And I do want to say, although she has to move out. She still hadn't given up on Mike. Susan didn't necessarily want to get back together, but she didn't want this to be some ugly divorce. She was like, maybe we can remain friends. And she showed that in a variety of ways by continuing to communicate, Inviting Mike to friendly get togethers and trusting him with the code of her home security system. Now, it used to be theirs, but now she's living there alone. The alarm code had always been their anniversary. 1211 88. And when she asked Mike to leave, Susan didn't change this. She believed that once they were apart, Mike would take the opportunity to heal. Sadly, he did not. He apparently put on enough of a front to convince Susan he was fine and worthy of being trusted.

[Garrett Moreland]

Gosh, dude.

[Peyton Moreland]

But when he was alone, Mike just sat and simmered in his rage. He felt that he was failing at marriage a second time. And he blamed Susan just like he had blamed his first wife. He was also more convinced than ever that she had kicked him out and she was planning to screw him over in the divorce. He was determined to stop her from doing so. He wasn't going to let this happen again. How? How do you prevent someone from doing something that's only happening in your head? You guys, I am so excited about this sponsor. We all know how important it is to filter the water that we drink, but why don't we think the same way about the water that we shower in? So jolie is a beautiful wellness company that purifies the water we shower in for better skin, hair, and overall well being. You guys, we have installed Jolie shower heads in our home as well as in our family's homes, and you really can tell the difference in your skin and hair. You gotta get rid of all that nasty stuff with the water you are putting onto your body.

[Garrett Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

This is another company that we used before they even decided to sponsor the show. It's a great way to see all of your subscriptions in one place, and you can easily go through. Rocket Money will cancel it for you. It also just can help you monitor your spending and help lower your bills. And if you're like, wait, what? How. What does that even mean? Rocket Money will try to negotiate lower bills for you, so they automatically scan your bills to find opportunities to save. Then you can ask them to negotiate for you, and they'll deal with customer service so you don't have to. Honestly, it is an amazing personal finance app. I think everyone needs to use Rocket Money. Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has saved a total of $500 million in canceled subscriptions, saving members up to $740 a year when using all of the app's premium features. So cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to Rocket Money.com husband today. That's RocketMoney.com husband RocketMoney.com husband Sadly, Mike made up his mind that the only way to avoid losing face and money and the house and his sports memorabilia collection, despite the fact that Susan had been completely civil this entire time, was to murder Susan before she could divorce him.

[Garrett Moreland]

It's crazy. What? It's just crazy what money can do.

[Peyton Moreland]

To people because this is just a bad attitude.

[Garrett Moreland]

This is more caused. Like, what he's about ready to do is more caused by him by a financial issue in his sports collection, which is a financial issue than anything else. Not really so much. Like, it sounds like he doesn't really care if she goes and sleeps with someone. If she goes and does other stuff, it's, wait, money, finances, what am I gonna do?

[Peyton Moreland]

And I think that, you know, when you're always the victim, you're never responsible for your feelings or your emotions or your life.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

You're walking a slippery slope of, in your mind, starting to justify murder. Like, and I know that that was a huge leap, but I just mean when you're always the victim and everyone's always picking on you and da, da, da, da, da. And you live that for 17, 20, 30 years. At what point is. Is your. Are you so bitter that you start to do things that are outlandish? You know what I mean?

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

So in the months that followed their separation, Mike started mulling over how he was gonna kill Susan before she could divorce him.

[Garrett Moreland]

So wild.

[Peyton Moreland]

Having most likely killed people in combat before, Mike may not have balked at committing an act of violence. But he knew that if Susan turned up dead, police are obviously going to look at him first. They're in the middle of a divorce. She made more money than him, so he had to be smart about this in his head. Okay. For a while, he seemed to have considered making it look like an accident. He invited Susan repeatedly to the beach, where she could easily fall off a cliff. But Susan always declined his invitations. So Mike needed a different plan. And here's where the story takes an absolutely crazy turn. Okay, for the past few years, Mike had been working for a chain of adult novelty stores called Fantasy Adult Video. He was the maintenance supervisor, and part of his job was to hire and fire custodial staff. Now, how insane is it that at this particular moment, when Mike is looking for a way to murder his wife, a man who was recently released from prison comes into Mike's job to apply for a job as a cleaning guy and tells Mike, oh, I was incarcerated for conspiracy to commit murder, Mom. So Mike's like, oh, my gosh, I've been trying to figure out how to kill my wife, and then this just falls in my lap. He must have been blown away. It probably seemed like divine intervention. Even more so after he hired the guy and found out more details. Okay, so the man who applied for this custodial job, his name was Ed Haffey. He had done 10 years for hiring a hitman to torture and murder rapid his ex girlfriend. He also had previous convictions for robbery and assault, and he was addicted to crack cocaine. Clearly not the kind of guy you'd want working for your business, but exactly the type of person you would hire to do a dirty job. Mike promptly struck up a friendship with Ed. Okay, he goes out of his way to try to get close with him. He found they had certain things in common. They had both served in the military. They both felt like the world was against them.

[Garrett Moreland]

Both narcissists.

[Peyton Moreland]

They both blamed other people for their problems. So with all of this common ground, it didn't take long for Mike to open up and share what was on his mind with Ed. Okay, these are two people whose negativity, bitterness, resentment, just fed off of each other to the point where they could openly discuss that they wanted to murder people. He told Ed his wife was planning to screw him over in a divorce, and he was going to be the victim, and he wasn't about to let that happen. So he said, hey, Ed, obviously I'm Going to be the first suspect. But I'll pay you $50,000 to murder.

[Garrett Moreland]

I just feel like that's a lot more than some of the other cases we do.

[Peyton Moreland]

He said 10,000.

[Garrett Moreland]

Five to 50 grand. I wouldn't do 50 grand, obviously, but, you know, that's a.

[Peyton Moreland]

What, there's not a price?

[Garrett Moreland]

No, there's not a price. I'm just saying, if I were John Wick, okay, I would potentially think about it.

[Peyton Moreland]

You'd kill someone's ex wife or.

[Garrett Moreland]

No, no, no, no. I'd kill like a bad guy. Yeah, a bad guy that's gonna kill a bunch of other people.

[Peyton Moreland]

Okay. Dexter.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yep.

[Peyton Moreland]

He said half up front, half upon completion.

[Garrett Moreland]

Ed.

[Peyton Moreland]

Of course, he'd been down this road before, and he might have wondered where Mike was gonna get the money. Well, as it turns out, the job of porn shop maintenance supervisor pays pretty well. In addition to salary and benefits, Mike got a bonus every year at the holidays. Four or five thousand dollars. And every year when he took it home, he told Susan he'd only gotten $1,000. So he contributed a grand to their joint account and basically hid away the rest. Okay. As a result, Mike now had a pretty big nut set aside. Okay, he had a little egg with lots of green in it. Enough to give Ed the upfront money. Okay, $25,000 and the back end. He said, I have another 25 if he completed the job. Ed agrees. Just like that, Mike's plan was finally in motion with the porn shop custodial worker and the porn shop maintenance man. So on September 6, 2006, Mike drove Ed to his former home. The home where Susan now lived alone in Southeast Portland. He let Ed into the house using the alarm code of his and Susan's anniversary.

[Garrett Moreland]

That sucks, man.

[Peyton Moreland]

Then he reset the alarm to bypass mode, allowing Ed to move around inside while the security system was still armed. Okay, so he placed a note for Susan in the mud room and he left. He went to the beach, got a nice little motel room by the water, obviously setting up an alibi. And there he waited for the hired hitman to call him and tell him it was done. Meanwhile, Susan was hard at work at Providence Medical Center. She had a busy day in the er. After a nine hour shift, she headed home.

[Garrett Moreland]

Dude, Susan is just the nicest person in the world.

[Peyton Moreland]

No idea.

[Garrett Moreland]

Trusted him so much. Kept the alarm the same. Was just giving him the benefit of the doubt the entire time. It just sucks.

[Peyton Moreland]

I just don't understand, like, how. I know, how confusing and just betraying it must feel oh, when you learn that someone you loved betrays trying to kill you.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

So she walks into the house and heard the telltale beep, letting her know the security system was armed. Okay. So she turns off the alarm, and then she finds Mike's note. This wasn't the first time they had communicated that day. Mike had also called her earlier to say he was going to go to the beach. So she was a little puzzled, but not surprised when she read this note he had left in the house saying, sue, haven't been sleeping. Had to get away. Went to the beach. Just losing it. Don't know what to do. Love me now. With a pang of sympathy for her ex, Susan set the note aside and went to the bedroom to change. On her way down the hallway, she notices something odd. Okay. She's walking to her bedroom and she notices the bedroom was dark. This is weird, because Susan always opened the curtains in the morning to let in the light. She's like, did I just forget this morning? So, shrugging off the air, she continued down the hallway and into the bedroom. As soon as she walks in, a man steps out from behind the door. It's Ed, of course. But Susan doesn't know that. All she knew was that a strange, scraggly looking man wearing yellow rubber gloves and holding a claw hammer was standing in her bedroom. She reacted on impulse, blurting out, who are you? What are you doing here? What do you want? The man doesn't respond. Instead, he swung the hammer at her, at her head, hitting her on the side of the head in the temple. Susan, who was now age 51, fought back. She started wrestling with the man who she assumed was a burglar. She shoved him against the wall, trying to get the hammer away from him. All the while, Susan kept expecting this man to be like, where's the jewelry? Give me the code to your safe. But he doesn't say anything at all. In fact, he doesn't speak. So as they struggled, Susan began to feel, is this man a burglar? Like, I'm fighting with this man and she's having this out of body thought loop of like, what does he want? Who was he?

[Garrett Moreland]

Did she wrestle in high school?

[Peyton Moreland]

What was he here for? No, she's fighting for her life.

[Garrett Moreland]

No, but she's. She's putting up a good fight.

[Peyton Moreland]

Eventually, she managed to use her weight to pin him against the wall. Okay. And at that point, the man said the only woman words he uttered during this entire attempt to kill Susan.

[Garrett Moreland]

What? What words?

[Peyton Moreland]

Looks her in the eyes and says, you're strong.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, that's so cool.

[Peyton Moreland]

No. What, the guy says that to Susan?

[Garrett Moreland]

Yes. As in, like, she's strong, like she's fighting back.

[Peyton Moreland]

I think that's creepy. You're trying to kill me, and you're just surprised about my creepy?

[Garrett Moreland]

But it's in Susan's. It's good for Susan. So he's gonna win this.

[Peyton Moreland]

She could tell he was surprised by her resistance, but he was also excited. Again, that's creepy. So Susan's stomach turned as she realized the man was probably there to kill her. And the thought came to her mind, you are not going to kill me in my own home. So suddenly, all of this anger that she had been tamping down throughout her marriage, all this patience and waiting for her husband to change, came roaring up to serve her in this moment when she needed it the most. Susan wraps her hands around the hitman's throat, who's still holding a hammer, and squeezes. So Ed begins to struggle in her grasp, but she holds strong, using her weight to pin him against the wall. And his face starts to turn blue. He can't breathe.

[Garrett Moreland]

No. What? She kills him?

[Peyton Moreland]

Well, finally, he releases his grip on the hammer. Susan lets go of his neck and grabs the hammer. And she remembered something her father used to say. Susan's dad was a carpenter in the days before home alarm systems. He told her that if anyone broke into their home, she could defend herself with a hammer. And in the event that she was, unfortunately a force to do so, she should use the claw end of a hammer, because that would work the best to defend yourself.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh.

[Peyton Moreland]

So Susan flips the hammer and starts hitting Ed with it with the claw end. And her dad was right. It was a highly effective weapon. Unfortunately, however, after a few strikes, I mean, she's nervous. This is scary. The hammer slips from Susan's hand, and instead of, like, picking it up and continuing, she decides, I'm going to escape. She turns and runs screaming for her neighbors, hoping to get their house to call 91 1. Now, Ed, who has been hit with the hammer, is right behind her, obviously, like, he's gonna go to prison for attempted murder if she gets away.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

So he chased her into the hall and grabbed her from behind. He spun her around, starts punching her in the face. Now, by this time, there is no hammer involved, and this struggle, like this fight, has lasted longer than a UFC match. Okay? Susan is tired. She's dizzy. They're both exhausted. She falls to the floor. Okay. She has no strength left.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

She could see the phone in her Home only a few feet away from her. She said, there's no way I can reach it. Hearing footsteps behind her on the hardwood floor, Susan looked back and saw her attacker standing over her. He still had those rubber gloves on. And he had retrieved the hammer.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, no.

[Peyton Moreland]

And was holding it in his hand. And as he raised the hammer to deliver the final blow, Susan feels a surge of rage and adrenaline again. She's like, he's not gonna kill me, dude. You're.

[Garrett Moreland]

You're throw. You're throwing me for so many loops right now.

[Peyton Moreland]

She lunged for his legs that's standing over her. Okay. And grabs his calves and yanks his feet out from underneath him. Okay. He falls down to the floor. They wrestle, both trying to get the hammer. Susan screamed until she was hoarse, but no one came.

[Garrett Moreland]

Where are the neighbors?

[Peyton Moreland]

So in the middle of the struggle, she decides to start fighting her attacker. Okay. Thinking that if he killed her, at least her teeth marks and saliva would identify him. So she bit Ed several times as hard as she could in the arm, the thighs, even. Like that area that's really gonna hurt a guy to bite. She starts biting everywhere she can.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

He still won't let go of this hammer. They're fighting her. Okay. At last, when Susan was coming to terms with the thought that she would probably never get this hammer back, she had another idea. She's like, maybe I can just become this weapon. Okay. So with one last surge of strength, Susan manages to get Ed onto his stomach. She climbs onto him, wraps her arms around his neck again in a chokehold. This worked for her last time, so Ed began thrashing for his life. Susan managed to hold on. And as she's choking him from behind, she says, tell me who you are, and I will call you an ambulance. But her attacker never responded. After a few minutes, he slumped down motionless. Susan staggers to her feet. She grabs the hammer. Ran with all her remaining strength to her neighbor's house. All right, you guys. This time each year, many of us start thinking about our health goals. Losing weight, exercising more, eating better. But a goal without a plan is a plan to fail. Prolon's five day program gives you tools to put your resolutions into action with a science backed plan that makes it easy to stay focused and achieve real results. Prolon's Fasting Mimicking diet is a revolutionary plant based nutrition program that nourishes the body while making cells believe that they're fasting.

[Garrett Moreland]

It all starts with their five day program. Snacks, soups, and beverages designed to keep your body in a fasting state, no guesswork or planning required, which is a relief after a busy holiday. Three consecutive cycles of Prolon have been shown to reduce your biological age score by an average of 2.5 years and your waist circumference by 1.5 inches and.

[Peyton Moreland]

Honestly I am craving a reset after the holidays and Prolone is the only nutrition program that works for me. It's convenient, I don't really have to think that hard and it's backed by noble winning science and it works. So just in time for the New Year, Prolone is offering Murder with my husband listeners 15 off their 5 day nutrition program for your post holiday. Glow up when you go to prolonglife.com husband that's P R-O-L-O-N life.com husband for 15% off prolonlife.com husband this message is sponsored by Greenlight. You've probably been thinking about 2025 for quite a while now from things you want to do like deciding where to vacation to what you have to do like figuring out your yearly budget. Looking ahead is important for your family and also as your kids get older, it's important to teach them important life skills like financial literacy, which is easy to do with our sponsor Greenlight.

[Garrett Moreland]

Greenlight is a debit card and money app made for families that lets kids learn how to save, invest and spend wisely. Parents can send money to their kids and keep an eye on kids spending and saving. The Greenlight app also includes a chores feature where you can set up one time or recurring chores customized by your household and reward kids with allowance for a job well done. Green Light is awesome. My family's actually used it for my younger siblings, not me because unfortunately it wasn't out during then, but they've used it for my younger siblings. It's actually really cool just to be able to teach kids the importance of money, what money actually means and the intention behind it.

[Peyton Moreland]

It's also a great time to get started because you can start it as a New Year's resolution with your kids saying this year we're going to learn about money management. It's great. So start your risk free green light trial [e-mail] husband that's greenlight.com husband to started greenlight.com husband 14 minutes had passed since this attack had began. That is a very long struggle and somehow this 51 year old woman had survived. A man, a grown man with a hammer who was trying to kill her. She waited with her neighbor on his porch as police and paramedics arrived the adrenaline, which she calls a gift, was still obviously coursing through her veins. So she was highly alert despite her exhaustion. When a police officer came over from her house, she asked the officer if the man who had attacked her was dead, and the officer said yes. Susan took this in. Suddenly, she was flooded with emotion. Not relief like you. Like you might expect. Susan was struck with grief. Okay, she didn't wake up that day planning to kill someone. Even though she was fighting with her life, she has this immediate thought that this guy probably had a family. Throughout her life and work, Susan had come to believe that everyone has somebody in the world who loves them. She was sure this man was no different. Someone out there would be mourning for him soon. Still, she had no idea who he was, what he wanted, but she had a pretty good idea who'd sent him. Okay, so at this point, as she's away from the attack, she's like, this man was in my house, and my security system was armed.

[Garrett Moreland]

There's only one person who can.

[Peyton Moreland]

There's only one person who can unarm the system and then rearm it to get this man in her home. Someone she loved, by the way. So Mike had been on vacation.

[Garrett Moreland]

Whatever you want to call it.

[Peyton Moreland]

Well, basically edge for hours, waiting to hear from Ed how the kill had gone. So still. At the motel by the beach, he eventually turned on the TV and he saw something that must have probably come to his shock.

[Garrett Moreland]

That's so sick. Can you imagine? Like, I'm so glad he didn't get caught.

[Peyton Moreland]

His house was on the news. Okay. Mike still called it his house, even though he didn't live there anymore.

[Garrett Moreland]

What a loser.

[Peyton Moreland]

It was clear something had happened, but the reporters weren't giving out enough details. So he's like, is the house there? Because she was found dead. Like, what happened? Mike couldn't exactly tell if Ed had accomplished his mission or not, so he called Providence, the hospital where Susan worked, and asked the staff, hey, is my wife Susan? There's like, we don't know. The truth was, Susan was there as a patient in the same emergency room where she worked.

[Garrett Moreland]

Wow.

[Peyton Moreland]

But fearing that Mike might come for her again, she, as she, like, as she was taken to the hospital, had told everyone, do not tell anyone I'm here. Don't tell anyone I'm here. So Mike, of course, still has no idea that what is happening. So he tries calling Susan's friends, and eventually he gets a hold of a woman named Helen. Helen had known Susan for many years, and she harbored serious concerns about Mike. So much so that when Mike had tried to take Susan to the beach, Helen was actually the one who had warned her that she shouldn't be alone with him because they're separated and you don't know his intentions. Now, getting this call from Mike at almost 2 in the morning, Helen felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She listened warily as Mike babbled, sounding almost manic. He told her over and over, I was at the beach. I've been at the beach. I was in a motel at the beach, and I saw the house on the news. I can't reach Susan. Do you know what's going on? Helen told Mike she didn't know what was going on, and she hung up. But from that moment on, she was convinced Mike knew what was happening. Like, this is weird. If you're at the beach, why not just drive to your house and see what's going on? So the next day, Helen accompanied Susan back to her house. Okay, she's out of the hospital. It was still a crime scene, but police were letting her in to pick up a few things. And while they were there, the friends noticed something out of place. Okay. Something Susan hadn't noticed. When she'd come home from work that day, Mike's sports memorabilia collection was boxed up by the door.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, my gosh. Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

Apparently, the hitman was supposed to take it and then give it to Mike, thereby making it look like a burglary gone wrong. So he was just like, oh, I'll just find a way to steal my memorabilia and. And then also make this look like a burglary while he's killing my mic.

[Garrett Moreland]

All he could think about was his sports memorabilia.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yes. Yes.

[Garrett Moreland]

Dang sports memorabilia.

[Peyton Moreland]

Helen then spotted a backpack that seemed out of place, and Susan confirms it's not hers. So police officers opened it up. Inside the backpack, they found a day planner that belonged to Ed. So this is how they figure out who the now dead hitman is. Okay, he had left his backpack. Obviously, he was supposed to take it when he left, but he never left. So they find his backpack, and on September 4th, two days before the attack, the hitman's day planner has written in it, call Mike. Okay? So they open this up, and they're like, so this hitman was supposed to call Mike two days before he happened to be in Mike's wife's house trying to kill her. They also found Mike's cell phone number scrawled inside one of the folders. So this must have been a punch in the gut for Susan. She had Already expected that Mike was involved. But when going back to get some things from her house, she basically found proof. Yeah, the man she had invested 17 years of her life in wanted her dead. Police were convinced, and they prepared to arrest Mike and charge him with conspiracy to murder. Promise. Nobody knew where he was at this point, But Susan had a pretty good idea. The beach had always been a refuge for Mike, A place where he could go to clear his head. But now, as the hours ticked past and the truth that his plan had failed became unavoidable, Mike, who's at the beach, realized, I probably can't go home. It's probably not safe for me anymore. I mean, if my plan failed and he's dead and she killed him, this isn't good. He'd made a mistake. Not him, of course. Ed the hitman had made a mistake and screwed things up. And as a result of Ed's failure, Mike was now exposed, Having left a note that told police exactly where to find him. So he went on the run for several days, trying to make a plan. Luckily for Susan, Mike was spotted before he made his next move. On September 15, 2006, nine days after the attempted murder, Mike was arrested. He insists he's innocent, tells the police he's suicidal. Mike's daughter from the first marriage Claims to police, no, he'd left a suicide note. Was it real? Was it just like the note he'd left at Susan's? Either way, the claim didn't help his case. Mike was charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, Just like his friend Ed had been more than 10 years before.

[Garrett Moreland]

That's so ironic.

[Peyton Moreland]

He was held on a $1 million bail in January of 2007. His daughter raised the money to get him released on house arrest. But the landlord of the place where Mike was supposed to be staying refused to let him lodge there. So back to jail Mike went. Much to Susan's relief, she was now living with what she called two life sentences. The pain of knowing that Mike had tried to kill her and might do so again if he gets the chance. And the pain of having taken someone's life.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

She expressed this to Mike during his September 2007 sentencing hearing, in which she was given permission to address him in the court. Her. Her husband. Her ex husband. Susan looked into his eyes, this man she had once loved, man she thought was kind. And she said, as long as you live, I will never have a measure of peace, but I will not be destroyed. Susan has remained true to her word. While Mike was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Susan dedicated herself to using that time to help people. She became an outspoken victims advocate. She started several organizations to assist victims of violent crime. She even helped create a website where people in her county can look up the status of their cases and the locations of their offenders.

[Garrett Moreland]

Only 10 years, which is so scary when someone hires someone to kill you, because how do you know they're not going to do it again? And a restraining order? I mean, come on, if someone wants to kill you, restraining order isn't going to stop.

[Peyton Moreland]

Right? And, I mean, this is especially given she still needed to watch her back. Right. She creates this website because it's also going to help her. Mike was behind bars, but years could still get out. He could hire someone else to hunt her again. So Susan combated that unnerving thought by suing him. She was awarded over $1 million in damages, an amount that Mike could never pay, which was exactly her intention. She didn't want the money. She just wanted to be sure that wherever he was, Mike would never be able to pay someone to kill her again. Like, she wanted to drain his savings so he couldn't do it again. But that wasn't enough. In 2015, Susan learned Mike was getting out on early release. She had moved. She had changed her name. So as a victim who almost died, she now also has to change her identity, which is devastating just to be safe. And now she took additional precautions. She put in gravel outside of her house so she could hear if someone pulled up or was approaching. She installed cameras and started taking lessons at a shooting range. All these years later, Susan was still devastated by the fact that she had been forced to take a life. But she wasn't ashamed. She knew that if time came again, she would be ready. Fortunately, the need never arose. Because Mike died of prostate cancer a few months prior to his early release. Susan expressed mixed feelings when she learned of her ex husband's death. She said, I don't mourn his passing. Instead, I mourn the life he could have had. If only he could have opened his heart for those of us who cared about him. So despite everything she'd been through, Susan still hadn't let it change her. She remained true to herself. She no longer loved her ex husband when he died, but she would always wish that she had been able to save him. And that is the story of Susan Coonhausen.

[Garrett Moreland]

It'd be crazy to have someone that you think you love and loves you try to kill you. I. I know it happens a lot with husbands and wives, but not many times does someone survive. So I think that's why it's I a little different.

[Peyton Moreland]

Just heard about a case where a man had hidden cameras in the bathroom at his house and had been basically collecting child pornography on his own children and oh my God, his wife's children because they were married and she had had children with another husband with another previous marriage. And he gets caught and really the nail in his coffin is going to be that his stepson who he had been molesting, but also horrible recording images of was going to testify against him. So he tried to hire someone to kill his son.

[Garrett Moreland]

Gosh. I mean, he always doesn't care about.

[Peyton Moreland]

Him, but that's like he's abusing, like that's actually insane.

[Garrett Moreland]

It's insane. It's horrible.

[Peyton Moreland]

And to find out, oh, my dad tried to kill me.

[Garrett Moreland]

It's so horrible.

[Peyton Moreland]

It makes me sad after ruining my life, basically.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

You know what, though? Susan's case just goes to show, like, fighter, man. She is a fighter. She wants to do good. She immediately felt bad about having to kill someone in self defense.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

You know what I mean? All right, you guys, that is our episode for today and we will see you next time with another one. I love it.

[Garrett Moreland]

I hate it.

[Peyton Moreland]

Goodbye.