Susan Polk

Summary

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Snapped: Women Who Murder

Episode: Susan Polk (December 7, 2025)

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Episode Overview

This episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder delves into the complex and tragic case of Susan Polk, a Northern California woman convicted of murdering her psychologist husband, Dr. Felix Polk. The episode explores their darkly intertwined history, the violent circumstances of Felix's death, conflicting allegations of abuse and manipulation, a sensational courtroom drama, and the aftermath for the Polk family. The episode immerses listeners in the emotional, psychological, and legal fallout of this notorious crime.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime Scene and Immediate Aftermath

• Orinda, California Setting
  • The Polk family resided in an upscale area, known for its safety and affluence (02:25).
• Gabriel’s 911 Call
  • On October 14, 2002, the youngest son, Gabriel, calls 911, stating:
    • “My mom shot my dad.” (02:51)
  • First responders find Felix Polk dead in the pool house with extensive blood loss and injuries (05:01).
• Susan’s Reaction and Police Response
  • Officers described Susan as emotionless and detached when informed about Felix's death (11:09, 19:14).
  • “There's not crying or screaming or questions.” — Prosecutor (11:09)

2. Background: Felix and Susan’s Relationship

• Felix Polk’s Background
  • Born in Vienna, survived Nazi occupation, emigrated to the US, became a respected psychologist (06:09–07:04).
• Susan Polk’s Background
  • Noted for her high intellect; tested in the 99th percentile on an IQ test (01:50, 08:08).
  • Raised primarily by her mother after her parents' divorce, struggled with fitting in, began therapy in adolescence (08:00).
• Origins of the Relationship
  • Susan was Felix’s patient from age 15; allegations of inappropriate sexual relationship while she was underage (32:13–33:47).
  • “According to her mother, she was groomed and abused by Felix Polk when she was his patient when she was a teenager…” — Expert/Commentator (32:42)
• Marriage and Family Life
  • Married despite a 25-year age gap; had three sons (09:09, 09:19).
  • Susan managed household and business affairs (09:27).

3. Motive, Marital Breakdown, and Escalating Tensions

• Contentious Divorce
  • By 2002, the marriage was failing amidst mutual accusations, threats, and mounting legal disputes (09:50–10:14).
  • Felix secured a restraining order, sole possession of their home, and drastically reduced Susan’s financial support (29:49).
• Documented Threats and Hostilities
  • Both parties had accused each other of threats; Susan allegedly threatened Felix with a shotgun, though she denied owning any firearms (16:29, 19:22).
  • Felix called police after Susan changed the locks and moved his possessions while he was away (30:10–30:41).

4. The Investigation: Forensic Evidence and Suspicions

• Crime Scene Analysis
  • No forced entry or signs of struggle; blood evidence suggested Felix died hours before his body was found (14:21, 14:27).
  • Autopsy found Felix was killed by multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma (24:17, 24:41).
  • “He had something in the back of his head that looked like he had been hit with some blunt object.” — Detective (24:41)
• Crucial DNA Evidence
  • “The clump of hair that was found in Felix’s hand...came back to Susan Polk.” — Prosecutor (25:45, 25:48)

5. Susan’s Defense: Self Defense Claims and Abuse Allegations

• Initial Denial, Later Confession
  • Susan originally denied involvement, later claimed self-defense, alleging Felix attacked her first (26:11–26:27).
  • “He grabbed a knife, he attacked her...she kicked him in the groin, got the knife away...and stabbed him in self defense.” — Prosecutor (26:27)
• No Physical Evidence of Self Defense
  • Susan had no injuries; Felix had defensive wounds (28:03–28:09).
  • Investigators doubted self-defense, noting the severity and number of wounds (28:23–28:34).
• Duration Before Reporting
  • Felix’s body remained undiscovered nearly 22 hours after death; Susan never called 911 (28:45–29:12).
  • “If an ambulance had gotten there in time, he may have been saved.” — Family Member (29:12)

6. The Polks’ Troubled History

• Allegations of Grooming and Abuse
  • Susan’s mother claims Felix began sexually abusing her daughter at 15 (32:13–33:47).
  • Susan later publicized these claims during the investigation and trial (35:17–36:10).
• Impact on Family
  • Susan alleged Felix manipulated and gaslit the children, turning them against her and minimizing his own wrongdoing (36:22–36:29).
  • Family members described a house divided, with children struggling to stay neutral (18:18).

7. The Trial: Media Circus and Self-Representation

• Susan Represents Herself
  • Susan fired her attorneys, refused psychological evaluation, and acted as her own counsel (38:33–39:39).
  • “Am I going to just go down without a fight?” — Susan Polk (38:50)
• Courtroom Drama
  • The trial received maximum media attention for Susan’s self-representation and sensational accusations (39:39, 42:02).
  • “There were periods in the trial where some of her questioning was as good as I've ever heard from any lawyer.” — Prosecutor (41:37)
  • However, her questioning lapsed into bizarre territory; accusations of Felix as a Mossad agent and participation in 9/11 (42:02, 42:11).
• Children Testify
  • Gabriel and Adam testify against their mother; middle son Eli defends her, leading to heated, emotional exchanges (42:36–43:16).

8. Verdict and Aftermath

• Jury Deliberation and Verdict
  • After four days, Susan Polk was found guilty of second-degree murder (43:53–44:03).
  • “The jury by finding her guilty of second degree murder...gave her a gift. Sixteen years to life.” — Family Member (44:03)
• Impact Statements
  • Adam Polk and family express devastation at the loss and its violent nature (44:19–44:43).
  • “He was an imperfect person as we all are. But Susan had no right to take him from us.” — Prosecutor (44:43)
• Current Status
  • Susan serves her sentence at the California Institution for Women; parole denied in 2019 (44:52).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

The Crime and Its Aftermath

• “He's lying in a pretty big pool of blood. There's blood everywhere.” — Prosecutor (01:22, 05:01)
• "She didn't display any great emotions when I arrived. Seemed fairly calm." — First Responder/Officer (03:49)
• “He believed that his mom was responsible and she was inside the house.” — First Responder/Officer (03:25)

The Investigation

• “You have to really wait for the autopsy to be conducted to really know what killed him.” — Detective (13:46)
• “The clump of hair that was found in Felix's hand...came back to Susan Polk.” — Prosecutor (25:45, 25:48)
• “I did not kill my husband. I'm not that kind of person.” — Susan Polk (19:34)
• “That's your job. It's not my job.” — Susan Polk to Detective (23:00)
  • Detective's reaction: “You're the detective. You figure it out. And that just kind of blew my mind.” (23:04)

The Relationship and Trial

• “According to her mother, she was groomed...abused by Felix Polk when she was his patient.” — Expert/Commentator (32:42)
• “Am I going to just go down without a fight?” — Susan Polk (38:50)
• “There were periods...her cross examination was really, really good.” — Prosecutor (41:37)
• “She accused him of everything from being a Mossad agent to being involved in 9/11.” — Prosecutor (42:02)
• On Susan acting as her own attorney:
  • “Smarter than even most attorneys are.” — Narrator (40:01)

Aftermath and Reflections

• “He was not the controlling and manipulative individual that he was portrayed to be. He was an imperfect person as we all are. But Susan had no right to take him from us.” — Prosecutor (44:40–44:43)
• “Abuse is never okay. If you or someone you love isn’t in an abusive relationship, there is help available.” — Investigator/Narrator (44:52)

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Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• Crime and 911 Call: 02:38–04:13
• Discovery of Body: 05:01–05:25
• Felix & Susan’s Background: 06:09–09:09
• Marriage and Early Family Years: 09:09–09:39
• Divorce and Escalation: 09:50–10:58, 29:49–31:02
• Susan’s Interrogation: 18:51–19:34, 23:00
• Forensic Evidence Revealed: 24:07–25:55
• Self-Defense Claim: 26:02–26:49
• Allegations of abuse/grooming: 32:03–33:47
• Trial Preparation and Susan Representing Herself: 38:33–41:37
• Trial Testimony of Children: 42:36–43:16
• Verdict and Sentencing: 43:39–44:52

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Tone & Language

The episode adopts an investigative and suspenseful tone, shifting between factual, analytical discussion from law enforcement and legal experts, emotional testimonies from family, and matter-of-fact, sometimes aloof, declarations from Susan Polk herself. The tragic elements are always present, and the storytelling balances skepticism with empathy for all involved.

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For Listeners

This episode provides a deep, nuanced look into one of the most infamous domestic homicide cases in Northern California. It unpacks the personal histories, mental health factors, legal strategies, and the tragic consequences for the entire Polk family. The story serves as a chilling cautionary tale about the long-term impacts of abuse, grooming, and unresolved marital animosity.

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Transcript

[Narrator]

On the night before Halloween in 1975, 15 year old Martha Moxley was murdered. But police failed to make an arrest until in 2000, her one time neighbor Michael Skakel was arrested. He was also a cousin of the Kennedys. The Kennedy connection is the reason that most people know about this case. But the deeper I dug, the more I came to question everything I thought I knew. Search Dead Certain the Martha Moxley Murder to listen now wherever you get your podcasts and follow to get new episodes every week.

[Prosecutor]

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[Susan Polk]

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[Prosecutor]

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[Narrator]

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[Investigator/Narrator]

They were living a dream in Northern California.

[Narrator]

She was very much in love. They had three young sons.

[Prosecutor]

They lived in this beautiful home with a pool house in a high rent zip code.

[Investigator/Narrator]

One evening, stunning violence shatters the facade.

[Prosecutor]

He's lying in a pretty big pool of blood. There's blood everywhere.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Amid rumors and speculation and investigators uncover a simmering rage.

[Prosecutor]

The last four years are nearly just out.

[Expert/Commentator]

She was trying to keep her family intact and that's why she stayed.

[Susan Polk]

He's had his life threatened before.

[First Responder/Officer]

At that point, it became a media.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Circus and prosecutors face off against a determined foe.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

She actually tested in the 99 percentile of an IQ test. She was a genius.

[Prosecutor]

I've tried a lot of cases. This is obviously the most bizarre.

[Susan Polk]

Am I going to just go down without a fight?

[Investigator/Narrator]

No.

20 minutes from downtown San Francisco lies the bedroom community of Orinda, California.

[First Responder/Officer]

Wealthy, luxurious and rich are probably perfect descriptions. They're the black tie, formal people. It's probably one of the most wealthiest communities in Contra Costa County.

[Investigator/Narrator]

A little after 9pm On October 14, 2002, Contra Costa dispatch gets an unusual call.

[Susan Polk]

911 police are fired.

[First Responder/Officer]

My mom shot my dad.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

You think your mom shot your dad?

[Prosecutor]

Yeah.

[Investigator/Narrator]

The caller identifies himself as Gabe Polk and his father as 70 year old Felix Polk.

[First Responder/Officer]

Dispatch called me. They told me that they were dealing with a possible homicide. The person reporting the incident was the son. Said his dad appeared to be dead in the pool house.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

He said to the 911 operator that he went outside and hid behind some garbage cans and called 911.

[First Responder/Officer]

He believed that his mom was responsible and she was inside the house.

[Investigator/Narrator]

First responders arrive at the sprawling home and find Gabe lurking outside.

[Prosecutor]

Gabe kind of Stumbled out from the garbage can. The first responders didn't really know what they were coming into. They were alarmed at first when he jumped out.

[First Responder/Officer]

He didn't display any great emotions when I arrived. Seemed fairly calm. He said he saw his dad in the pool house. There was a lot of blood. Thinks his mom shot him.

[Investigator/Narrator]

An officer remains with Gabe in the driveway.

[First Responder/Officer]

As you step off the stairway, the house is to the left, the pool house is to the right.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Deputy Hansen spots someone inside the main residence.

[First Responder/Officer]

I could look to my left and see a woman through the glass windows. And so I made the assumption that that must be the mom, the wife. I motioned for her to come, and I go, I'm with the sheriff's office. We're here to do a welfare check on your husband. I had her step out. I did have my sidearm out when she came to the door. And I realized she didn't pose an immediate threat. I immediately holstered my weapon. So Now I've given Ms. Polk to Deputy Kelly and told him to watch her.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Deputy Hansen cautiously enters the pool house.

[Prosecutor]

Felix is lying in the main living area of the pool house. He's flat on his back. He's got his underwear on, but no shirt on. He's lying in a pretty big pool of blood. There's blood everywhere.

[First Responder/Officer]

He was very pale because the blood had drained from his facial area. He was dead.

It looked like he had multiple injuries on his body from the way the blood was on him. It was a very violent situation that occurred, and they have very few violent crimes that occur for a town of that size.

[Narrator]

This area was very, very safe. And so this news was. It hit me off guard. My wife called me and she said Felix Polk was just found dead in Orinda. I was shocked, but I'm just trying to process the news I just heard.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Born to a prominent Jewish family In Austria on June 30, 1932, Felix Polk and his family survived one of the most dangerous eras in European history.

[Prosecutor]

Felix was born in Vienna, escaped Vienna, went to France upon the Nazi occupation, and then they ultimately, his family immigrated to New York, where he began his education.

[Investigator/Narrator]

After college, Felix enlisted in the Navy, but his service was interrupted when Felix.

[Prosecutor]

Was in the military. He was having depression issues, so he actually went to a psychotherapist.

[Investigator/Narrator]

The treatment helped Felix and inspired a career path.

[Prosecutor]

He came out to Berkeley and got his PhD in the early 70s and started a practice in psychology.

[First Responder/Officer]

Everybody apparently looked up to him in his field. Dr. Polk was an attractive young man at the time.

[Prosecutor]

He was Married and he had two children, a boy and a girl. They had some issues, and that marriage ended in divorce.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Following the divorce, Felix reconnected with an old friend, Susan Bolling.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Susan was a woman who had once been his patient, and Felix Polk often befriended his patients. Susan kind of reenters his life. Their romance really burgeons, even though the 25 year age difference.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Born in 1957, Susan was a native of Northern California.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Susan grew up with an older brother, and her parents divorced when she was about five or six years old.

[Investigator/Narrator]

The divorce left Susan feeling lost. As she grew into a teenager, she took refuge in her schoolwork.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Around 14 years old, she actually tested in the 99 percentile of an IQ test, basically rendering her a genius.

[Expert/Commentator]

Susan was really smart, but that also meant that she didn't necessarily fit in with other people. And so that's when her mother sought therapy for her.

[Investigator/Narrator]

After several years in therapy as a young adult, Susan seemed to be back on track.

[Narrator]

Susan Polk graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in English and creative writing.

[Investigator/Narrator]

When she started a relationship with Felix Polk, Susan not only found a lover, but an intellectual equal.

[Narrator]

She was very much in love with Felix, and Felix was in love with her. They seemed to genuinely care about one another.

[Investigator/Narrator]

After several years of dating, in December 1981, they settled down and tied the knot.

[Prosecutor]

Susan and Felix lived in this beautiful home with a pool house in a high rent zip code. He had a good business and made good money.

[Narrator]

They had three young sons. Adam was the oldest, then it was Eli and then Gabriel.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

She was raising her children, taking care of the books for Felix's practice, managing their financial accounts, their real estate, their rental properties.

[Investigator/Narrator]

But by 2002, after almost 20 years together, their two oldest sons had moved away from home and the couple began to question their future.

[Prosecutor]

The marriage had deteriorated. There were arguments and fights.

[Expert/Commentator]

She was going to file for divorce. Just been building up.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

In early October 2002, she had gone on a trip to Montana to find a new place to live, which Felix knew about. He claimed that she had abandoned him and Gabe. The sons would try very hard to maintain their neutrality, but there was obviously.

[Investigator/Narrator]

A lot of tension as they hammered out the details of the divorce. Susan and Felix settled on a temporary living arrangement. She would take the main house with Gabe and Felix would take the pool house.

[Narrator]

They seemed to have mutual respect for one another and make sure that, you know, they were getting everything they needed.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Sadly, their agreement does not last long as the Polk marriage ends in October 2002, when their young, youngest son. Gabe calls 911 and tells police his mother shot his father.

[First Responder/Officer]

I went up to Ms. Pope and I says it's my responsibility to tell you that Mr. Pope, your husband is dead and not by natural means.

[Prosecutor]

When she gets notified that her husband's dead, there's not crying or screaming or questions.

[Expert/Commentator]

Being detached, uncaring, that's not unusual. Sort of goes kind of to one extreme or the other. The people who are extremely emotional and then the people who are shut down.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Deputies transport mother and son separately for questioning.

When detectives take a look at Felix's body, Gabe's claim about his mother comes into question.

[Prosecutor]

Gabe's initial call, he thought his father had been shot, but the investigators weren't sure. The detectives didn't think it was a gunshot wound. They did a cursory search and there was no obvious murder weapon.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Investigators have to consider whether Gabe is intentionally throwing the investigation off track.

[Prosecutor]

The first responders didn't really know what they were coming into. They didn't know if he was part of it, if he had done something to his father.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Coming up, a family's secrets are exposed.

[Prosecutor]

They didn't argue, just had each other's throats.

[Investigator/Narrator]

And investigators examine a slew of strange accusations.

[Detective]

She said he was a Mossad agent, that he had prior knowledge of the 911 attack.

[Prosecutor]

She is totally out of her mind.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Around 9:00pm on Oct 14, 2002, 15 year old Gabe Polk discovered the body of his father Felix in the pool house of their lavish home Contra Costa. Investigators begin to question the young man's story.

[Prosecutor]

Gabe found Felix lying in the middle of the living area of the pool house. Gabe's first impression to 911 that his father had been shot. Gabe thought his mother was the killer. But at the scene the detectives discerned that right away that it wasn't a gunshot.

[First Responder/Officer]

I've seen gunshot once and you can tell it's usually an entry wound, but it looked like there was multiple injuries.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Investigators question if other aspects of Gabe's initial story could also be false.

[Detective]

You have to really wait for the autopsy to be conducted to really know what killed him.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Gabe and his mother Susan are taken to the station while investigators continue to survey the crime scene.

[Prosecutor]

There was no forced entry and so whoever got in there was allowed to come in to the pool house. There wasn't a lot of furniture knocked over or things broken. What it did look like was he was in bed and had gotten out of bed.

[Investigator/Narrator]

When investigators examine the blood evidence, they gain new insight.

[First Responder/Officer]

The blood, it wasn't Pooling. It was flat and dried. So my assumption is, is that he'd been dead for a while.

[Detective]

That's when we notified coroner's office the body's ready to be moved. I responded back to my office. And then that's when I started interviewing.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Considering all scenarios. Investigators begin with Gabe.

[Prosecutor]

He's saying my mom killed my dad. They at least have in their mind, well, he's here. He discovered the body. We at least have to look into him and make sure he's not a suspect.

[Investigator/Narrator]

They asked Gabe to walk them through the events that led up to his 911 call that evening.

[Prosecutor]

Gabe and his father were supposed to go to a baseball game in the afternoon. It was something that was planned ahead of time and his dad didn't show up. He's waiting for dad to come home from work because the car's not there. Dad's pretty reliable guy, so he thought it was strange.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Gabe tells the detectives that he asked his mother where was his father. And she said, I have no idea.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Gabe's father still hadn't returned home. So around 9pm Gabe decided to check the pool house.

[Prosecutor]

It was dark at this point and he, you know, obviously been stood up for the game. So he was finally got curious and he went down to the pool house to look for him.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

When he entered, his father lay on the ground so covered in his blood that Gabriel was convinced that his mother had shot him with a shotgun. So Gabriel went outside and he called 911.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Investigators ask Gabe why he believes his mother would hurt his father.

[Prosecutor]

In the last four years, I've been really just out. I didn't argue with him, just had each other's throats.

When she was coming back from Montana, she actually called my dad and told him what she planned to do. She threatened to shoot him with a shotgun. His father had told Gabe that she had threatened to kill him with a shotgun. Because of their contentious relationship, Gabe was not equivocating or ambiguous. He was very direct about what he saw, what the background was, and his opinion of who the killer was. Gabe talked about how the marriage had deteriorated. His mother was saying increasingly delusional things about his father.

[Detective]

Susan Polk was making comments that her husband was a Mossad agent, which is the Israeli secret police, that he had prior knowledge of the 911 attack. He had tried to poison her dogs at one point.

[Prosecutor]

She is totally out of her mind. She called a bunch of embassies and stuff and told them all that. And she thinks people follow her. She thinks my dad pays people to follow Her Gabe kept coming to the conclusion that his mother must have done it because she had threatened him before. And there was this contentious divorce, but the investigators weren't sure.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Authorities step out of the room, but the camera is still recording. They watch as Gabe calls his older brother Adam, who is away at school at ucla.

Investigators step back in and join Gabe's call with his brother. Gabe's claims about his mother gained credibility when Adam tells them similar stories.

[Prosecutor]

They didn't trust her mental state in layman's terms. They kind of thought she was being crazy all the time.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

The dysfunction was so deep with people being pulled from one side to the other, trying to be allied. The children not wanting to lose either parent.

[Prosecutor]

Gabe and Adam told a credible story to lead investigators. Gabe was very direct about the backgrounds and what his opinion was of who the killer was.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Investigators end the interview and release Gabe. Next, they take the boy's accusations to Susan.

[Detective]

What's this about? You believed your husband was with the Mossad. Why would your son think that?

[Susan Polk]

That was more like a insult that would get him really upset because he was a high level government employee. I just sort of speculated that he had a lot of influence.

[Detective]

She seemed very aloof. Didn't seem too shook up that her husband was dead.

[Susan Polk]

What did happen?

[Detective]

Well, that's what I'm hoping you can tell me. What happened. I heard about that. You supposedly said you were gonna get a shotgun.

[Susan Polk]

No.

[Detective]

You've never had a shotgun?

[Susan Polk]

I don't own a firearm.

[Detective]

She claimed she didn't know anything about. About him being dead out there or why or how.

[Susan Polk]

I did not kill my husband. I'm not that kind of person.

[Detective]

Her husband's dead at the house. And here she is just sitting there, kind of calm and kind of not caring. It got my attention.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Coming up, a threat from the past could lead investigators to a killer.

[Susan Polk]

He had a patient threatened to kill.

[Expert/Commentator]

Kill him.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

She actually brought a knife to one of the therapy sessions.

[Narrator]

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[Prosecutor]

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[Narrator]

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[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

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[Prosecutor]

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[Detective]

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[Prosecutor]

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[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

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[Narrator]

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[Detective]

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[Susan Polk]

These boys are about to go off to college.

[Narrator]

Taking the biggest swing of my life here.

[First Responder/Officer]

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[Prosecutor]

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[Narrator]

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[First Responder/Officer]

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[Prosecutor]

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[Investigator/Narrator]

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[Prosecutor]

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[Investigator/Narrator]

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[Narrator]

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[Investigator/Narrator]

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[Prosecutor]

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[Investigator/Narrator]

After Felix Polk is found dead in his lavish California estate, Susan Polk, his wife of nearly 20 years, is quick to deny any in involvement.

[Detective]

You don't know what happened to your husband?

[Susan Polk]

No.

[Detective]

Okay. Something happened. Obviously, that's why we're all here. You've had ongoing miracle problems for some time now. Living in different places doesn't mean that I killed him.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Investigators ask who else could be responsible.

[Detective]

Was Felix seeing any other ladies that you know of?

[Susan Polk]

I don't know now. I don't know.

[Detective]

Was he into gambling? Did he have any gambling debts?

[Susan Polk]

I don't. I don't believe that.

[Investigator/Narrator]

They leave no stone unturned.

[Prosecutor]

Did Gabriel kill him?

[Susan Polk]

Gabriel wouldn't kill his father.

[Detective]

Don't think so.

[Susan Polk]

No. That's his father.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Susan suggests investigators look to her husband's professional life for answers.

[Susan Polk]

My husband did not lead an impeccable life. He's had his life threatened before.

[Detective]

By who?

[Susan Polk]

Well, you know, I wish I could give you the name, but it was in his patient file that he had a patient threatened to kill him.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Susan told him Felix had been threatened by his patients in the past. In fact, she said he had some female patient who actually brought a knife to one of the therapy sessions.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Investigators make note of Susan's claims. And as they continue to press her, Susan grows visibly impatient.

[Detective]

Well, I'm trying to think of everything.

[Prosecutor]

What could have happened here?

[Susan Polk]

Well, that's your job. It's not my job.

[Detective]

I'll never forget this one. You're the detective. You figure it out. And that just kind of blew me, blew my mind. And I said, I'm thinking, whoa. Okay.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Detectives believe that Susan is holding back. They quickly call her bluff.

[Detective]

I would ask her things like, well, if this is a self defense issue, we need to know it's a technique that you can get the person to at least admit to being there, and then from there, you take it on to their involvement. Maybe there's some self defense issues here.

[Susan Polk]

I didn't kill him.

[Detective]

She kept denying based on the coldness and aloofness of her during the interview. And all this information was coming out I think through Gabriel, I was very convinced that she was involved in this. And I said, well, I think I have figured it out. And I said, I'm gonna have to place you under arrest for the homicide of your husband. She was then transported to the jail for booking.

[Investigator/Narrator]

The next day, the autopsy report comes in verifying Felix died nearly 22 hours before his body was found.

[Detective]

Far as the autopsy report, a lot of stab wounds. That's what's cause of death. Multiple stab wounds.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Felix had five more mortal wounds to his torso and more than 20 wounds and small nicks over his body.

[Investigator/Narrator]

The stab wounds weren't the only injuries inflicted upon Felix.

[Detective]

He had something in the back of his head that looked like he had been hit with some blunt object.

[Prosecutor]

Felix most likely was hit on the back of the head and the blunt force trauma rendered him semi unconscious. Then all the salvos were inflicted when he went to the floor.

[Investigator/Narrator]

The autopsy yields another surprise and potentially explosive piece of evidence.

[Prosecutor]

When they're processing the body, they found some hair in his hands. The clump of hair that was found in Felix's hand is significant because that was one of the probably the few things he could do before he was killed was last ditch effort, grabbed the hair of his assailant to try to defend himself. We can do a DNA analysis and find out whose hair it was. They ran it through pretty quick. Hair is great DNA because of the roots, because if roots are still on it, they can do a lot with that. So we got to it pretty quickly.

[Investigator/Narrator]

The results are clear.

[Prosecutor]

We find out that the hair in his hand came back to Susan Pole.

Now we've got hard evidence, so we bring her back in for an interview.

[Investigator/Narrator]

This time, Susan is willing to talk and admits there is more to the story, but it's not what investigators think.

[Prosecutor]

She admits killing him, but she says that she did it in self defense.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Susan said she lied earlier because she feared her sons would lose their father and their mother.

[Prosecutor]

She describes going down the pool house to talk to him. They got in an argument, he grabbed a knife, he attacked her with the knife. She was in fear for her life. She kicked him in the groin, got the knife away from him and stabbed him in self defense.

[Investigator/Narrator]

According to Susan, this wasn't the first attack.

[Prosecutor]

She said he'd been abusive before he'd threatened her. He's been abusive all along.

[Expert/Commentator]

The reason why she stayed with Felix is because she really didn't have a comprehensive understanding of what else to do. She loved her boys. She was trying to keep her family intact. She was Trying to keep her relationship with her boys solid, and that's why she stayed.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Susan says that two months earlier, she finally built up the courage to file for divorce.

But while she was in Montana looking for a place to live on her own, Felix bombarded her with threats.

[Expert/Commentator]

When you come home, I'm going to do away with you. And she believed that he was threatening her.

[Investigator/Narrator]

With Susan's story contradicting Gabe's by painting Felix as the villain, investigators ask her to submit to a physical exam, hoping this will shed light on the truth.

[Prosecutor]

There was no scratches or cuts or anything on her.

He had defensive wounds on his hands. No victim who's conscious doesn't have defensive wounds when they're being stabbed because that's. That's almost an instinct to throw your arms and hands up to keep the knife from being plunged into you.

[Investigator/Narrator]

With an initial blow meant to immobilize and 27 stab wounds in all, investigators believe the attack on Felix was intended to kill.

[Prosecutor]

If you're trying to defend yourself, you don't inflict a number of wounds over and over. You inflict wounds until they're disabled.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Investigators discern if it truly was self defense. Susan would have called 911 immediately rather than leaving Felix's body in the pool house for nearly 22 hours.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

If an ambulance had gotten there in time, he may have been saved. But she didn't call 911.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Investigators take a closer look at the divorce proceedings and learn Felix had recently taken some bold moves.

[Narrator]

In late September, early October, Susan went away to Montana. While Susan was gone, Felix was able to obtain a restraining order to keep Susan out of the house and give him sole custody and also sole possession.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Of their shared house while she was gone. Weeks prior to his murder, Felix also tightened the purse strings on their temporary spousal support agreement.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Felix managed to have her monthly payments reduced from $6,000 a month down to $1,700 a month.

When she discovered what Felix had done, she immediately co opted her son Gabriel to help move all of her husband's belongings into the guest house behind their home.

[Narrator]

Three days before the murder, Felix Polk had called the police.

[Susan Polk]

911.

[Detective]

Yeah, can I talk to somebody please.

[Prosecutor]

About a domestic dispute, please?

[Susan Polk]

Hey, what's going on?

[Prosecutor]

I've been residing with my son and.

[Detective]

My wife came in and kicked me.

[Prosecutor]

Out of the house. And I'm not interested in being kicked.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Out of the house.

[Susan Polk]

Was there a reason that she gave you one?

[Prosecutor]

She was living away.

[Narrator]

She moved to Montana and she came back.

[Prosecutor]

And while I was at Work. She moved me out of the house.

[Narrator]

When police showed up, he presented the court order showing that a judge had given him sole possession of the house. They found a note from Susan saying that she did not feel it was a valid court order. She'd gone to the movies. And at that time, Felix also realized that Susan had changed the locks on the house.

Three days later, Gabriel found his father dead.

[Investigator/Narrator]

The direction of the case seems clear. But as investigators continue to dig, a decades old secret will throw the case into a tailspin.

Coming up, Susan's mother drops a bombshell.

[Expert/Commentator]

According to her mother, she was groomed when she was his patient.

[Investigator/Narrator]

And Susan. Susan launches a media campaign.

[Susan Polk]

It was horrible, but I did what I had to do to survive.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Following Susan Polk's arrest, Susan's mother approaches detectives with new information. What they learn changes everything.

Although Susan and Felix had been married Since Susan was 24 years old, their relationship began almost a decade earlier.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Susan at a very vulnerable time in her life. Age 15, she was very damaged by her parents divorce.

[Detective]

Susan was having behavioral problems in school and the school wanted her to get some help. So that's when she became a patient of Felix Polk's.

[Investigator/Narrator]

But Susan's mother alleges that instead of helping his young patient, Felix took advantage of her.

[Expert/Commentator]

According to her mother, she was groomed and abused by Felix Polk when she was his patient when she was a teenager and he sexually abused her.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

She alleges that when she was 15, Felix Polk engaged in non consensual sex with her by hypnotizing her and drugging her.

According to her mother, she was only 15 and he was in his 40s. And it was not just rape, but clearly she says that Felix Polk started a terribly inappropriate, truly abusive and exploitative relationship with Susan. Susan seemed to be in love with Felix. She eventually told her mother, and then Susan's mother confronted him and told him, you will break off this relationship with my daughter. But she never reported it to the police.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Felix stayed away from Susan while she started college, but not for long.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Susan eventually, around the age of 18, went off to college. It was within a year or two back to the way it had been. And even though she was older, she had a compulsion to go back to him.

[Investigator/Narrator]

While Susan was in school nearby, she and Felix continued their relationship, which Susan eventually revealed to her new therapist.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

She went to a different female psychotherapist, telling that woman her previous doctor, Dr. Felix Polk, had initiated a sexual relationship with her while she was underage and was patient.

The new doctor, instead of turning in Felix Polk to the apa calls his wife wife and lets her know the wife wants to divorce Felix. He decides the best way to handle this scandal head on is to go ahead and divorce his wife and to marry Susan.

[Prosecutor]

They get married even though there's a 25 year difference. But then they go on to have three children and somewhat in a way look like okay, this all worked out.

[Investigator/Narrator]

The news is a shock to investigators, but they quickly realize they aren't the only ones getting the inside scoop.

At the encouragement of her attorneys, Susan is telling her story far and wide.

[Prosecutor]

She started giving interviews. They were feeding the media all these stories about the relationship. They were having an affair when she was underage and and his patient Susan.

[Expert/Commentator]

Explained that he had sex with her in his office when she was an adolescent.

[Narrator]

It's kind of, you know, front page news. The story is unfolding and finding out more and more.

[Investigator/Narrator]

According to Susan, the way their relationship began haunted the entirety of their marriage.

[Susan Polk]

As I grew older, I was ashamed.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Susan and her attorneys allege that over time the circumstances surrounding her relationship with Felix took a toll on her mental health.

[Susan Polk]

And he told me I could never leave him, that it would destroy his career.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Those last five years, Susan's mental capacity really began to decompensate.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Susan says instead of offering help, Felix once again took advantage of her.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

According to Susan, Felix was turning the children against her, constantly telling the children that she was very mentally ill, kind of gaslighting Susan, in case she tells you that I raped her when she was 15, know that that's all made up.

[Investigator/Narrator]

With no way to prove or disprove Susan's claims about her past, investigators found feel that her media campaign is an attempt to bolster her claims of self defense.

[Susan Polk]

My recollection is that I stabbed him five or six times. I was on my back the entire time. He was aggressing the entire time. It was horrible. But I did what I had to do to survive.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Whether or not the general public buys Susan's story, she garners plenty of attention.

[First Responder/Officer]

At that point it became a media circus with everybody wanting to know. Because Orinda is a quiet, upscaled suburbia. And so a crime of murder is forefront in the news.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Prosecutors know the trial will be unlike any they've done in the past.

[Prosecutor]

It's a once in a lifetime get some weird. I mean I've tried a lot of cases, but you know, this was obviously the most bizarre.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Prosecutors learn that Susan and her defense team are putting a worrisome strategy in place.

[Prosecutor]

She had good lawyer, they got a Judge surrendered to, say, make an order that she's incompetent and meet with psychological experts to determine her competency.

[Investigator/Narrator]

But on January 13, 2006, attorneys on both sides get a surprise when Susan makes an announcement.

[Narrator]

She was never willing to submit to any sort of psychological assessment to determine what, if any, psychological issues she may have had.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Susan refused to let her attorneys put that defense on the table, firing them all.

[Prosecutor]

She refused to cooperate with the psychological examination, fired her lawyers, and then represented herself. So was she crazy, or did she know exactly what she was doing?

[Susan Polk]

Am I going to just go down without a fight?

[Expert/Commentator]

No.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Coming up, Will Susan's risky move pay off?

[Narrator]

She's smarter than even most attorneys are.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Or cost her freedom?

[Prosecutor]

The courtroom's packed every day. The press is there. It became the theater of the absurd.

[Investigator/Narrator]

By March 2006, prosecutors are eager to begin Susan Polk's trial for the murder of her husband, Dr. Felix Pol Polk.

Months before, Susan sent shockwaves through Contra Costa county when she announced she would act as her own counsel.

[Prosecutor]

That's what has captivated the public, was that she was representing herself. The courtroom's packed every day. The press is there. People are standing on the sides. It's become this theater, right? And everybody wants to know what's going to happen today.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Susan's opening statement gives prosecutors reason for concern.

[Narrator]

She's obviously a very smart person, smarter than even most attorneys are.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Prosecutors allege that during the contentious divorce, Susan hit a breaking point and snapped.

[Prosecutor]

The marriage was disintegrating. She'd become so bitter and angry. She was capable of killing her husband. She felt like she was entitled that after all he'd done to her and all he was going to do to her, and she just had it. I think she sat there and her mind was spinning and went, okay, it's time. I'm gonna go kill him.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Prosecutors assert that Susan roused her husband from sleep and met him at the door with a weapon in hand.

[Prosecutor]

Our theory was that she hit him, possibly with a flashlight to disable him. The blunt force trauma to the back of the head either rendered him unconscious or semi unconscious and then stabbed him. And he had no ability to defend himself.

We found Felix's car at the nearby bar station, and our theory was that Susan drove this car to make it look like there was something else involved with this killing.

[Investigator/Narrator]

When it comes to Susan's defense, she starts by making her way through the prosecution's witness list without missing a beat.

[Prosecutor]

There were periods in the trial where some of her questioning was as good as I've ever heard from any lawyer. I mean some of her cross examination was really, really good.

[Investigator/Narrator]

But as the trial goes on, cracks begin to form in Susan's strategy.

[Prosecutor]

It became kind of the theater of the absurd.

She accused him of everything from being a Mossad agent to being involved in 9 11. I mean there's a lot of crazy accusations.

[Detective]

Again, all unverifiable. Just her throwing out stuff in her mind, what she thinks in her mind.

[Expert/Commentator]

It does make it harder to believe that if the person's saying something that seems delusional here, they're telling the truth over here.

[Investigator/Narrator]

There are three witnesses set to take the stand. Who stands steal the spotlight from Susan.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

Gabriel, who at age 15 discovered his father's body, and Adam, who at 19 was away at college. These two young men went into the court ready to give the testimony of what they knew. It was almost like a train wreck. They are basically being badgered by their own mother. It became a three ring circus when she finally called her middle child Eli to the stand as her defense witness.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Eli backs up his mother's claims.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

He insisted that she was abused, that she was innocent, that everything had been Felix's fault.

[Detective]

That was never proven. There was never any evidence that he ever beat Susan Polk.

[Prosecutor]

I was able to punch a lot of holes and a lot of the things he said when I cross examined him, she objected 140 times. But by then I was getting, I was getting immune to all her yelling. So I just kept going.

[Investigator/Narrator]

After a grueling 22 week trial, the jury is left to decide.

[Prosecutor]

When the jury went out, I don't know, I mean it's like when any jury goes out, you, you're scared to death.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Four days later they return with a verdict. Susan Polk is found guilty of second degree murder.

[Family Member (Son or Close Relative)]

The jury by finding her guilty of second degree murder instead of first degree murder, basically gave her a gift. Sixteen years to life.

[Expert/Commentator]

I think with the information that the jury had, they couldn't have made any other decision.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Following the verdict, Adam Polk makes a statement.

[Detective]

Felix Polk was a beloved father, brother.

[Prosecutor]

Uncle, cousin and nephew to his family. We as his family are devastated not only by his loss, but the violent manner in which he was taken from us. He was not the controlling and manipulative.

[Detective]

Individual that he was portrayed to be.

[Prosecutor]

He was an imperfect person as we all are. But Susan had no right to take him from us.

[Investigator/Narrator]

Susan is serving her sentence at the California Institution for women. In 2019, Susan was denied parole and will not be eligible for parole again until 2020. 9. Abuse is never okay. If you or someone you love isn't in an abusive relationship, there is help available. Call the Domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.