Susan Wright

Case details

Susan Lucille Wright (also described as Susan Lucille Wyche; born April 24, 1976) was an American woman from Houston, Texas.

She was charged in Harris County in connection with the stabbing death of her husband, Jeff Wright, whose body was found partially buried in their backyard.

Timeline

• January 13, 2003 — Susan Wright stabbed Jeff Wright 193 times with two different knives, then buried his body in their Houston backyard.
• January 18, 2003 — Susan Wright asked her attorney, Neal Davis, to come to her home and admitted to stabbing her husband; Davis contacted the Harris County district attorney's office.
• January 18, 2003 — Officers investigated a report of a dead body in the yard of the Wright home and discovered Jeff Wright's partially-buried body in a shallow hole next to a patio.
• January 24 — Susan Wright turned herself in to authorities at the Harris County Courthouse.
• Monday following January 24 — Susan Wright was arraigned on murder charges.
• February 24, 2004 — Susan Wright's murder trial commenced.
• February 24, 2004 — The prosecution brought the Wrights’ actual bed into the courtroom as part of an in-court demonstration.
• March 2, 2004 — A jury of seven men and five women found Susan Wright guilty of murder after approximately five hours of deliberation.
• March 3, 2004 — The jury convicted Wright of murder after five-and-a-half hours of deliberations.
• March 4, 2004 — Susan Wright was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
• November 17, 2005 — The Court of Appeals of Texas, Houston, upheld Susan Wright's conviction (Wright v. State, No. 14-04-00244-CR).
• 2008 — Wright re-appealed.
• 2009 — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted Wright a new sentencing hearing, determining that Wright’s “counsel rendered ineffective assistance during the punishment phase of trial” in 2004.
• November 20, 2010 — Wright was re-sentenced to 20 years in prison.
• February 28, 2024 — Parole eligibility was stated as occurring when she would be 48 years old.

The offence

Susan Wright admitted that she inflicted stab wounds on Jeff Wright and buried his body in their backyard.

Stabbing and burial

On Monday, January 13, 2003, Susan Wright tied Jeff Wright to their bed and stabbed him 193 times with two different knives, then buried his body in their Houston backyard.

The medical examiner concluded Jeff Wright died of multiple sharp-force injuries and that he had been stabbed at least 193 times, including:

• 41 stab wounds to the face
• 23 to his neck
• 46 to his chest
• 22 to his abdomen
• 7 to his pubic region, including a superficial cut on his penis
• 19 to his legs
• 23 to his arms and hand
• one to his back

The tip of a knife was broken off in the top of his skull.

Injuries, restraints, and scene elements found

Jeff Wright was found nude. The body had “ligatures” described on his arms and one leg, specifically:

• tied around each wrist was a necktie
• tied around the right ankle was what appeared to be a part of a bathrobe sash
• candle wax was found on Jeff Wright’s thigh and scrotum

Police also found:

• a mattress, box springs, comforter, and headboard in the backyard
• the mattress soaked with blood
• in the home, one wall of the master bedroom freshly painted and a piece of carpet cut out
• painting supplies, a box cutter, and scissors found in the room
• blood spatters on curtains and other items in the bedroom
• a receipt for two gallons of bleach
• bleach-stained size 6 jeans and a towel
• a small hunting knife with a broken tip found in a flower pot on the patio; the tip of the knife was later located in Jeff Wright’s skull
• bed frame, box spring, and bloody mattress partly disassembled and left in the backyard
• a haphazard clean-up job in the bedroom, including ripped-out carpet, clothing stained with bleach, and a partially repainted wall
• red candle wax on Susan Wright’s buttock, thigh, and genital area was described as appearing to be from candles found in the bedroom

Investigation and evidence

Medical examiner findings referenced in testimony

The medical examiner testified that Jeff Wright had a significant amount of cocaine in his body at the time of death.

The medical examiner also testified that Jeff Wright’s body had wounds consistent with defensive injuries on his hands, and it was described that some injuries were not deemed fatal on their own.

In testimony at the later 2010 punishment hearing, it was stated that the prosecution’s theory that Jeff was tied to the bed was not supported by the medical examiner’s findings, including that the defensive wounds were inconsistent with being tied to a bed.

In-court demonstration evidence and appellate dispute

The State staged an in-court demonstration using the Wrights’ blood-stained bed and had it assembled during a recess.

The Court of Criminal Appeals’ opinion in Wright v. State described the demonstration as using:

• the bed frame, mattress, and box springs from the Wright home admitted into evidence without objection for the proposed demonstration
• a prosecutor, Paul Doyle, positioned similarly in size to Jeff Wright, and a prosecutor, Kelly Siegler, positioned similarly in size to Susan Wright
• neckties and bathrobe sashes that Detective Reynolds confirmed were similar to ligatures found on Jeff Wright’s body
• Detective Mark Reynolds of the Harris County Sheriff's Department, Homicide Division, who testified to observations at the scene and later autopsy-related conclusions

Arrest and surrender

Susan Wright turned herself in to authorities at the Harris County Courthouse on Friday, January 24.

Trial

Charges and plea

Susan Wright was arraigned on murder charges. At her trial, she had pleaded not guilty to killing her husband by reason of self-defense.

Prosecution and defense theories

The assistant district attorney, Kelly Siegler, depicted Susan Wright as:

• scheming
• having seduced her husband into bed, tied him up
• repeatedly stabbing him
• burying his body in their backyard
• doing so in hopes of collecting a $200,000 life insurance policy

The defense attorney, Neal Davis, claimed that Susan Wright:

• suffered years of physical and emotional abuse by Jeff Wright
• killed him to protect herself and her two young children

Susan Wright’s testimony and quotations

Susan Wright testified in her own defense and described her actions during the stabbing in testimony quoted verbatim:

"I couldn't stop stabbing him; I couldn't stop. I knew as soon as I stopped, he was going to get the knife back and he was going to kill me. I didn't want to die."

She also testified, in the appellate opinion’s quoted recitation of her testimony:

"Die, bitch."

Her testimony further included:

“I stabbed him in the head and I stabbed him in the neck and I stabbed him in the chest and I stabbed him in the stomach, and I stabbed his leg for all the times he kicked me, and I stabbed his penis for all the times he made me have sex when I didn't want to,”

In the appellate opinion’s recitation, she also testified:

“Originally I was to the side. But then eventually I climbed over like he was on me because I couldn't stop stabbing him.”

And she testified:

“I stabbed him in his penis for all the times that he made me have sex and I didn't want to. And I couldn't stop because he was going to kill me and I couldn't stop.”

Defense witnesses and claimed bruises

Susan Wright’s mother and other witnesses testified for the defense, claiming they witnessed Wright's bruises.

In-court bed demonstration and objections

The prosecution’s in-court demonstration was disputed by the defense as speculative and highly prejudicial.

The trial court overruled objections. During the demonstration, the defense objected to speculative aspects of tying and to the knife-wielding demonstration.

The appellate opinion reproduced parts of the demonstration exchange, including objections and evidentiary ruling questions.

Opening statements as quoted in appellate opinion

In the appellate opinion, the State’s opening statement included that Susan Wright killed her husband rather than seek a divorce and that she sought to gain from a recently-acquired $200,000 insurance policy.

The defense opening statement in the appellate opinion described self-defense and alleged drug-influenced violence by Jeff Wright.

Verdict

A jury convicted Susan Wright of murder.

The Court of Appeals opinion described the jury as finding Wright guilty of first-degree murder and assessing her punishment at twenty-five years' confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division.

Sentencing

Susan Wright was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

In the later 2010 re-sentencing, it was stated she was re-sentenced to 20 years in prison, five years less than her original sentence, after a Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruling about ineffective assistance during the punishment phase.

Appeals

2005 appeal

In 2005, the Fourteenth Court of Appeals of Texas in Houston upheld Susan Wright’s conviction.

In November 17, 2005, the opinion in Wright v. State (No. 14-04-00244-CR) affirmed the trial court’s judgment.

The appellate opinion described issues raised by Wright, including:

• permitting the in-court demonstration in violation of Texas Rule of Evidence 602
• permitting the in-court demonstration in violation of Texas Rule of Evidence 403
• denying a hearing on her motion for new trial
• overruling objections involving punishment references in the guilt-innocence stage
• overruling objections involving prosecutorial arguments during the punishment stage

The appellate court held that the demonstration did not violate Rules 602 and 403 and that there was no reversible error in the related arguments.

2009-2010 new sentencing hearing

In 2009, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted Wright a new sentencing hearing after determining that Wright’s counsel rendered ineffective assistance during the punishment phase of trial in 2004.

2010 re-sentencing outcome

On November 20, 2010, Wright was re-sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Outcome

Susan Wright served a 20-year sentence and was described as being at a Correctional Facility in Gatesville, Texas as of 2012.

She was stated to have been eligible for parole consideration as of February 28, 2024, when she would be 48 years old.

Aftermath and quotations

Family statements referenced

The appellate record included quoted remarks attributed to Ron Wright Jr. in a victim-impact statement, including:

"My brother was a kind and thoughtful man who loved life. He's not here to defend himself but I am. Jeff's legacy will be his two children who my wife and I are honored to raise. As for Susan Wright, I've seen your tears and I realize that over the last seven years they are not tears for remorse. Nor are they tears for what you've done to your two beautiful children. You left them parentless. What I've seen is that they're selfish tears, the fact that you have to go back to prison," Ron Wright said.

He also said:

"I love you, Mom."

Ron Wright Jr. also stated:

"The Wright family has been given a life sentence and I think you got off too easy,"

Susan Wright’s apology after sentencing

Susan Wright apologized to her in-laws after sentencing and was quoted as saying:

"I just want you to know that I'm sorry. Again I'm sorry. I'm sorry he’s not here. I'm sorry you don't have your son and your brother and your brother-in-law. And I'm sorry that the kids don't have their father. I'm sorry that he's not here,"

Other details

People named in the case narrative

• Susan Wright — defendant
• Jeff Wright — victim, husband
• Neal Davis — defense attorney
• Kelly Siegler — assistant district attorney
• Paul Doyle — prosecutor used in the courtroom demonstration
• Mark Reynolds — lead investigator (Harris County Sheriff's Department, Homicide Division)
• Misty McMichael — new witness referenced in Wright’s later appeal
• Steve McMichael — referenced in connection with Misty McMichael
• Kay Wright — Jeff Wright’s mother (and referenced during punishment argument)
• Ron Wright Jr. — referenced in victim-impact statement
• Ron Wright — referenced as Jeff Wright’s father in narrative quotations
• Sue Wyche — referenced as Susan Wright’s mother in narrative quotations
• Cindy Stewart — Susan Wright’s sister (also referenced elsewhere as Cindy Stewart)
• Cindy — referenced elsewhere as Susan Wright’s sister and as a psychologist with a Ph.D.
• Cindy Stewart is named as Jeff Wright's family member in connection with custody arguments and charges referenced in narrative.
• Bradley — Susan Wright and Jeff Wright’s son (referred to as 4 years old in a narrative quote and as being named Bradley)
• Kaily — Susan Wright and Jeff Wright’s daughter
• Khou.com and CourtTV content were referenced in the narrative, but the case record is the basis for facts listed above.

Insurance policy and motive references

A $200,000 life insurance policy was referenced as a motive in the prosecution’s opening statement and in argument.

Parole and eligibility references

It was stated that barring another appeal, Wright would be eligible for parole on February 28, 2024, when she would be 48 years old.