Right Or Wrong?

Was Susan Wright Pushed To The Edge When She Killed Her Husband?

(CBS)  This broadcast originally aired on July 23, 2005. It was updated on Dec. 26, 2007.

It’s hard to say what’s most horrifying: how Jeff Wright was killed, who killed him, or why she says she did it.

The woman accused of committing murder is Jeff’s wife, Susan, 27, a stay-at-home mother of two. “I did not want to die,” says Susan, who now faces life in prison.

”This was a brutal, terrifying, sadistic relationship that spanned years,” says Susan’s attorney, Neil Davis.

Susan Wright stabbed her husband 193 times. And Davis says he believes that Susan’s husband, Jeff Wright, triggered the attack that ended his life: “I hate to say it, but some people just deserve killing.”

That’s how a lot of Texas lawyers interpret self defense. But what makes this case different is that Susan and her lawyers are saying it on the record. “She had to kill or be killed,” says Davis.

Correspondent Richard Schlesinger reports.

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It wasn’t that long ago that Jeff, a successful carpet salesman, was smothering Susan with kindness. Susan was a waitress when they first met in 1997 on the beach in Galveston, Texas.

“He would call two or three times a day,” recalls Susan. “When he was around me, he would bring flowers and little gifts and stuff. He was very sweet.”

A year later, they married, and Susan was already eight months pregnant with their son, Bradley. “He wanted a house. He wanted a family and a dog, and it just seemed great,” says Susan, who says things were good until Bradley was born.

“Then, everything changed,” says Susan, who claims that Jeff became controlling and demanding. “Everything inside the house was my job, including Bradley, everything I needed to make everything perfect … Bradley needed to be clean and quiet all the time. The house had to be spotless, all the laundry done, all the cooking. It got to be pretty hard.”

Susan says Jeff would yell at her the few times she complained and says this was a side that he never showed her while they were dating. It wasn’t long, she says, before Jeff started beating her. It happened, she says, after Jeff had smoked pot.

“He threw me back against the wall and he grabbed me by my arms and shook me up against the wall and then punched me in the chest,” says Susan. “He made me feel like it was my fault, because I didn’t have a right to tell him not to touch his son.”

Susan’s sister, Cindy, a psychologist with a Ph.D., tried to intervene once, and moved her and the children to her parent’s house. But they only stayed there overnight. According to Susan, “a moving van showed up the next morning and took me back home.”

Why did she go back just a day after she was beaten? “I didn’t have a choice,” says Susan. “I was afraid of him, but as much as I was afraid of him, I loved him, and I wanted to be good enough to where things work.”

But things got worse, and there were more drugs and more abuse.

Jeff’s father, Ron Wright, says he knew his son had a drug problem, but that it was under control. He also says that the claims of physical abuse were all lies.

“She didn’t have any symptoms of being an abused woman,” says Ron Wright. “We don’t abuse women. We love our women.”

[tooocexe]

She is guilty and crazy.

[bamamomsings]

My opinion is that this woman murdered her husband. She took the law into her own hands. I do not believe she was "insane" when she did it, but I do believe she is now. This was a murder that was planned. There are too many coincidences for it to all have happened all of a sudden. 200 stabs???? The facts are there. She is guilty. Plain and simple.

[sobmofo]

omg! this lady is a nut, shes so guilty its disgusting

[GISELLEAKAJESSIE]

she is guilty. she tried to hide the evidence, and she buried his body. Due to the fact that she is stating she was a battered women, she should of stabbed him twice at least and be in major shock. she deserves life

[enggreg]

Guilty as sin.

[gringa338]

This is not only about Susan but also her child. These guys usually start once a child is born. She was trying to save her child as much as what was left of her life. When I was going through this myself, I felt like I was already dead. Nothing much mattered. They take your soul away. You can only understand this if you''ve been through it.

[rawuensche]

ditto-guilty and crazy.
I knew Jeff in Austin in the early 90''s. Good guy from a good family. There is absolutely NO way he was the person she depicts.

[disweet03]

Right Or Wrong-Was Susan Wright Pushed
What a liar, and they say she is a good actress, I disagree. Why in the world would you need to stab someone that many times. She is a gulity liar, and she needs to be found quility.

[sobmofo]

we know he was tied up at the time he was stabbed, shes saying he was tied up after, shes lying because shes a sick mofo! she should be executed!

[air360]

I will first say that all I know about this case is from what I have seen on this show and what I have read tonight on the internet. I think her initial reactions are typical of abusive relationships...where she may stabbed him at first out of emotion and being scared...but to then go put a child to bed and come back and continue...and then change names and bank accounts....thats intentional

[air360]

I will first say that all I know about this case is from what I have seen on this show and what I have read tonight on the internet. I think her initial reactions are typical of abusive relationships...where she may stabbed him at first out of emotion and being scared...but to then go put a child to bed and come back and continue...and then change names and bank accounts....thats intentional

[inthewind57]

guilty...they bring up the husbands drug use, but what about hers???..did she go off on a drug induced rage while seducing her husband...this is what it looks like....she is a very good actress...but she waited too long after the fact to reveal the death ...which indicates that she was coming up with a defense to her crime

[sobmofo]

she covered it up from the minute she was killing him. this is one sick ****

[cml_5150]

she is guilty - no doubt in my mind.would it have not just been easier to shoot him in the head?less mess for her to clean up.

[octoberleaf]

Okay people, ever watched "The Burning Bed?" We want to know who helped her -- there is no way, however enraged she was, that she stabbed him for over 3 minutes AND then moved his body to a hole outside her house w/o disturbing her children, tied or untied. I think someone helped her. I think the Kelly person is a witch who has never been in a relationship; abuse is a deadly thing. Notice his sisters/mothers aren''t saying a thing about the relationship; just his dad and brother. Did she do it? Maybe. Did she need to do it? Maybe -- but what about her children? THey deserve a loving mother. Only in Texas could the DA bring in a bed and enact a drama to convince a jury of something like this ... the woman may need a mental institution, but she does not need to be in jail. Sorry folks.

[apakrat2]

did it ever occur to anyone that she tied him to the bed with the ties thinking he was still alive and could get up and hurt her at anytime before she put his body in the ground ?

[stopabuse]

THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY IS A WOMAN IN A MANS WORLD TRYING TO IMPRESS WITH HER TOUGHNESS. SHE DIGUSTS ME. I AM APPALLED THAT ANYONE COULD QUESTION SUSANS STORY. ANYONE CAN SEE THAT SHE IS TELLING THE TRUTH. SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE TRIED TO PROTECT HER BEFORE SHE HAD TO DO IT HERSELF.

[jgleason12]

SHE IS NOT!!! SHE WAS BEATEN AND RAPED AND AFTER YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT TRAMA YOU CANNOT THINK AND O ARE JUST SCARED FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN. WHAT ARE YOU SUPOSE TO DO?!!! YES SHE KILLED HIM BUT FOR AN JUSTIFIED REASON AND THAT LAWER THAT IS MAKING HER CRY IS THE CRAZY ONE NOT SUSAN. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THAT HAPPEND TO YOU WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND OR HUSBAND??

[enggreg]

Octoberleaf, you''re an idiot.

[raindance999]

Susan wright will be the wife of my father in law. she will be my step-mother in law. I hate the situation. she should never be let out of prison, simply because she''s taking advantage of my dying father-in-law, fragile in health and mental state. She should NOT get the appeal. She wants my father-in-law''s VA benefits. he is 30 years her senior, she seems to be playing him for all he''s worth. please do not share this with Susan. He is in the room with me now.

[raindance999]

Susan wright will be the wife of my father in law. she will be my step-mother in law. I hate the situation. she should never be let out of prison, simply because she''s taking advantage of my dying father-in-law, fragile in health and mental state. She should NOT get the appeal. She wants my father-in-law''s VA benefits. he is 30 years her senior, she seems to be playing him for all he''s worth. please do not share this with Susan. He is in the room with me now.

[jan310]

Being a psychologist and a past abused wife, it is easy to see the degree of diassociation with reality that Susan is living. Who would spend the time to stab someone 193 times if they were not psychologically unstable? I admit she is not making many valid choices for herself or her children. Nevertheless, it is easily evident the amount of
brain washing she has been subjected to and her
state of mine is far from what a typical adult''s would be. Unfortunately, the general public has no idea of how domestic violence works,
nor the way it torments the abused and impacts their thinking. Please acquire such knowledge before making these kind of life threatening statements or decisions.

[gringa338]

This is not only about Susan but also her child. These guys usually start once a child is born. She was trying to save her child as much as what was left of her life. When I was going through this myself, I felt like I was already dead. Nothing much mattered. They take your soul away. You can only understand this if you''ve been through it.

[jonmittens]

Have you ever been attacked by an insect that you were terrified of. This woman''s actions remind me of when I killed the bee. I was both terrified and hated it because of the terror. Talk about overkill. And then I stood and watched it thinking it was going to wake up and come and get me for attacking it. I can imagine the terror and the hate and the fear of retaliation as well. And if you haven''t experienced death very much, death is a concept that one has a hard time comprehending and believing. Young people have this problem. That''s why they think they''re invincible. If she wanted to just kill him, she could have stabbed him once or twice. 193 times is overkill... just as one might do to something or someone they bothe fear and hate and fear that the object of their fear will retaliate. 193 times is not a normal way to kill.

[krzlade-2009]

Guilty or not, he got what he deserved.

[njbr]

The unfortunate and horrifying circumstances of this woman''s marital relationship do not excuse her own actions, no matter how badly she feared for her own life. If he comes at her with the intent to injure or kill, then she certainly can defend herself in a reasonable fashion; stabbing someone 193 times is not reasonable, it''s insane and hate-driven. She let down her child, family and friends. She deserves the sentence which accompanies her chosen course of action.

[chargermom4]

Why would a reputable news organization like CBS refer to Kelly Siegler as "the best little prosecutor in Texas"? That is pretty offensive.

[air360]

I will say that prosecuting attorney is hardcore!

[funnow747]

She took care of business. The timeframe and how it was done was not good. The prosecutor is a troubled individual who takes their job too seriously. Everyone is just looking at one aspect of time and case. Look at the whole picture from when they met and over the years and than decide............not over a court trial with some crazy prosecutor.

[stopabuse]

Raindance...what in the hell are you talking about????

[chereal-2009]

having lived with a ''Control Freak" and being abused physically and mentally, only then can you fathom what she did to her husband.I recall looking at the gun on the end table in our bedroom as I was about to be beaten again..for now reason. When you are in that state of mind you can do unthinkable things. She lost it! Didn''t know the consequences was only in the moment.She is already dead. She doesn''t need to be punished anymore. She doesn''t deserve it. Having to live with her consequences is her punishment.All of you who say'' Guilty" you are probably the first to throw stones. You''re ignorant. I hope those of you who want to have her head on a platter, will one day experience and understand insanity. Then you will truly get it! Abusive relationships are poison to the soul.

[enggreg]

Jgleason and stopabuse, you too are very naive.

[raindance999]

Susan Lucille Wright will soon have a new last name---MINE

[queenie249]

Abused women hide the abuse, They do not tell that they are being abused. I had a friend who her husband abused her for years. He almost killed her more than once and no one would have believed he was capable of abuse. this woman covered up the bruises with long sleeve shirts. This woman had two children she probably feared for their lives. As far as his family, I doubt they really knew him. The father seems like someone who could lose his temper easily. Besides that when people use drugs they are not the person people know when they are not using. She was driven to do what she did.

[grinchgirl]

This is sad she intended to kill him or she would have never done the things she did after she killed him. I believe if u kill someone out of defence or accedent u go to the police u dont try and hide it. she is guilty and deserves to go to jail. what brought her to this point noone will ever know. But i also believe this proscuter is a little to eager to win this case to do the things she did in court they said she wins 95% of her cases i believe someone ought to be checking to make sure there isnt some innocent people she has put away.

[air360]

I have no doubt susan was abused...im sure she was...even the guy talking about his son "our family loves women" doesnt change my mind...so i do not hold her accountable for the very first attack on him...but for her to come back and continue and hide the body...thats a little to much....

[joemagic44]

Killer-----Fake-Actress--Cold Blooded Murder--
They Should Kill The Tramp--
No Mercy----Real Freak--

[stopabuse]

I am anything bu naive. Obviously you never lived through this. Abusers hurt where people don''t see it.

[polemonkey1]

two words....jealous, insecure.....her sister is no more sane than Susan

[llsteamerll]

Susan Wright should be found guilty and spend her life in a cell. Women are extremely protected in
our society ... to the point that men accused of
threatening behavior must prove their innocence.
Men are deemed guilty.
She had numerous alternatives ... divorce ... restraining order ... etc... including walking out when he was tied up. She is guilty ... believing she
would be killed ... has many previous warnings written into his behavior. Judge .. Jury .. and Executioner has its consequences.

[bluesouth369]

GUILTY...GUILTY...GUILTY...GUILTY! 193 STABS IS NOT SELF DEFENCE! PLAIN AND SIMPLE IT IS MURDER!!

[unbelievabl5]

that lady is guilty as OJ!! How TF does 193 stab wounds, calling her Mom, friend, and the victim''s Mom to say that an argument happened and the victim stormed out of the house, putting the kid back to sleep in the middle of the assault, torturing him by mutilating his privates, burying him in their back yard, and 2-3 days later filing a protective order against that victim = anything other than GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY!!!!

She deserved the death penalty! What a wicked, conniving, calculating witch!

[air360]

"1..2..3..4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12...13...193 times...do you know how long that is...you would have to take a rest to finish it up!"

You can''t argue that fact....what a hardcore attorney...

even after being in an abusive relationship to stab someone that many times...that is intentional

[starrblaster]

I am very much a civil libertarian. I would never vote guilty on a jury unless I was positive that guilty was the right verdict.

In this case I would have voted GUILTY in a poll taken 5 seconds after the jury room door clicked shut, after the jury had entered. It is beyond belief that she was innocent. For oh, so many reasons.

[funnow747]

People are missing the point here.....look at the whole picture from when they met to the end...not the jury trial......if we focus on the trial - you''d be a fool not to vote guilty....of course she killed him....but WHY??? 193 times is not normal....did not any of the stuff they said that he did not true??????

[starrblaster]

Any prosecutor who is out of law school for more than a year should have a conviction rate in the high 90 percentile range! They choose the cases they will prosecute, and plea bargain any that they feel uncertain about winning. That''s how it works, folks!

[chevalierkit]

You call people crazy. Do you understand the word? I''m crazy, but I would not murder. Not unless it comes down to me, or them. She was abused. Her kids were in danger. In that state of mind...She is unable to process things rationally. She inherently became uncivil, and resorted to a primal instinct, Like a mother seeing their children in danger. Wouldn''t you? Men don''t understand things like that. Unless its happened. Women, back me up on this. She was pretty. Yes. She stripped, whatever. Some of her story IS a bit unfounded. She is guilty for murder, she murdered a dominating, overbearing male. Most people, show no signs of an abusive manner, until later. And a lot of the time, its those people, who seem most harmless (applies to her as well). His family wouldn''t understand, because most men/woman who abuse, don''t abuse in public, and almost show no signs around anyone else of an abusive behavior. Its really dumb they say she couldn''t have been abused. It was all too obvious. Another thing about people who are abused, they rarely bring attention to it. Its embarrassing to them. Think through this case carefully. I am impartial. Whether or not she is convicted. I only want people out there, to understand things more then just what lies in the open. Her sister understands things best. I watch my younger sister be abused by her significant other. I sympathize. But, as with many. They can not understand, that which hasn''t directly happened or effected them. That is why humanity fails.

[shanekingery]

It should be evident to those watching that Susan is using basic ''fake out'' psychology to try and fool the jurors and the rest of us that she was using self defense to kill her husband. "My brain couldn''t process it" is a deeply poor excuse to explain why she couldn''t believe that a lifeless, bloodless body was dead.

[pattiloch]

Having been a victim of spousal abuse and having been able to hide the marks, bruises etc. I tend to believe her. Men who may seem like upstanding citizens, who come from good families have a way of covering their tracks and no one knows the difference - these men hide it well. No one believed me that I was abused - he was the perfect business man etc.
Thank God I didn''t snap and managed to get out of the marriage.
Unless someone has walked in those moccasins most will never understand. The prosecutor didn''t get it!!!!
yep, 193 times is long but when one snaps after all of the hidden abuse it is pure anger that overtakes one.
My soon to be ex wouldn''t leave me alone or leave my house and then he grabbed me and yanked me across the kitchen counter, threw me on the floor and proceded to beat the heck out of me. I almost snapped then too as I grabbed his hunting shotgun - I told him then to get out and leave as I was calling the Police. He left and never approached me again because he had an image to protect in the business community!!!! He knew if he did it again that it would destroy him.

Again, Do NOT pass judgement unless you have walked in those moccasins.

I thank God everyday that I was able to get out 25 yrs. ago and have had a pleasant life since. I did find out from one of his later significant others that he did the same to her.

[gumbie1960]

I BELIEVE HER, I ALSO WAS ABUSED HE WAS A POLICE MAN THEN A CHIEF OF POLICE I WAS ALSO IN LAWENFORCEMENT, AND HIS DEPT KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT NO-ONE EVERY DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT, I HID THE BRUISES ETC, EVERYONE THOUGHT WE HAD THE PERFECT MARRIAGE, HE HAD SAID TO MY GRANDMOTHER WHEN I WAS 4 MONTHS PREGRANT THAT AFTER I HAD THE BABY HE WAS GOING TO BEAT THE *** OUT OF ME, AND BOY DID HE AND IT CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER 11 YRS, UNTIL I HAD ENOUGH AND WHILE HE WAS BEATING ME AND HAD THE GUN IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD THREATENING TO KILL ME & I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE THAT EARLY MORNING, I FILED THE CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST HIM FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE & HE GOT AWAY WITH ALL OF IT, EVERYBIT OF IT. SO I COULD SEE HOW THIS WOMAN LOST IT, NO ONE ELSE WAS THERE TO SEE WHAT TOOK PLACE, ONE SHOULD TRY AND PUT UR-SELF IN THEIR SHOES. IT ISN''T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SAY IT IS IN THE COURT ROOMS, AND TO HAVE THINGS TWISTED TO APPEAR AS SOMETHING ELSE. I WAS ALSO AFRAID OF HIM, AND WHAT HE WOULD DO TO ME IF I DID LEAVE, I SAW WHAT HE DID TO ME AFTER I FILED THE CHARGES, AND HOW HE PLAYED THE SYSTEM TO LOOK LIKE HE WAS A VICTIM, SPARE ME PLEASE. MY HEART GOES OUT TO HER. NO ONE KNOWS UNLESS U LIFE IN THAT FEAR. SO EASY TO JUDGE ISN''T IT.