48 Hours - Reuschel vs. Reuschel

Episode Date: April 5, 2020

A wealthy Florida businessman is arrested after a violent confrontation with his wife – she survived. Did his daughter’s sumptuous wedding lead to a murderous rage? "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to this podcast ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app today. Even if you love the thrill of true crime stories as much as I do, there are times when you want to mix it up. And that's where Audible comes in, with all the genres you love and new ones to discover. Explore thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. Listening to Audible can lead to positive change in your mood, your habits,

and even your overall well-being. And you can enjoy Audible anytime, while doing household chores, exercising, commuting, you name it. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert

to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. It's a novel moment in the emergency. My wife and I need an ambulance for bleeding. I was called at approximately 4 o'clock in the morning on February 3rd, 2018. There had been a home invasion robbery in the area of Hale Plantation.

You said someone was in your house? Yes. I'm being advised that the wife has severe injuries. And was currently being trauma alerted to our area hospital. You woke up to her scream, and tall figure with... He massaged her. I didn't see it. I felt something sharp.

Susan Rochelle almost died that night. If Susan had died, the truth of what happened that night would die with her. When Susan Rochelle comes out of surgery, she tells investigators that there is no intruder and that the person who inflicted

all of the injuries that she is suffering from is Michael Rochelle. This case is about the power of money. It's about the power of desire for control. When Susan asked for a divorce, Michael Rochelle snapped. When he was faced with the prospect that he would have to give her half of his fortune, he made a calculated and premeditated decision to kill. to give her half of his fortune,

he made a calculated and premeditated decision to kill. This is the knife that was used to stab Susan. The bending in this knife, you believe, is the result of it hitting bone and it bent the blade. That's correct. All rise for the jury. Members of the jury, we're just going to lay here until you die, Sue.

We're just going to lay here until you die. Those are the words of that defendant, Michael Rochelle, spoken to his wife of 10 years, Susan Rochelle. I got close to her right here, and her hand comes out and... Was there anything in her hand? Yeah, a knife. There's no way on God's green earth that my father would stab anyone. Was Mike's daughter Caroline a source of conflict in the marriage? Absolutely.

Didn't you tell Michael Rochelle that you hated Caroline? Those words came out, yeah. And in fact, you called her a bitch. Is that right? Yes. Is that right? Yes. Never in one million years would I think that my wedding would be the catalyst of all of this.

Who do you believe brought the knife into that incident? Susan Rugell. Who do you believe was the attacker in the February 2nd incident? Susan Rugell. And who was the victim? My father. Thank you. Where were you and how did you learn that your father on February 3rd, 2018, had been arrested? I was in Chicago with my husband and I got an incoming call on my cell phone. This is a collect call from. It was a recording that said an inmate from the Alachua County Jail has called you. An inmate at the Alachua County Department. Minutes later, the phone rang again. Caroline Rochelle quickly answered and heard the

voice she'd known her entire life. And he said, Caroline, you have to get me out of here. You need to call my lawyer. And I dropped to the sidewalk. And I just sat on the sidewalk. The events leading to the arrest of Mike Rochelle began to unwind very early that morning after he called police. Tell me exactly what happened. I don't know.

Someone was in the house and next thing I know, I wake up next to my wife and we're bleeding. Mike reported that he and his wife Sue had been stabbed by an intruder inside their home in an upscale section of Gainesville. You're fine with the subject and he just ran off? You managed to scare him off? Yeah, I guess. Sue's injuries were life-threatening. And as menace rushed to save her, Detective David Visconti

was called to the scene. There was no force entry initially observed by any of our deputies. No broken window, no knocked down door, nothing like that at all? No, sir. Still, Visconti had no doubt that something terrible had happened inside that house. There was most certainly a struggle.

There was a vast amount of blood around the bed that was located on the wall of the bedroom. But overall, the scene was missing something, Visconti said, and he did not believe a violent intruder had been there. Typically, we'll see many things knocked over furniture, items broken, indentations in the walls, in the drywall. Did you see any of that? None of those things were present. What's more, the Ruchels had security cameras covering the outside of the house. The intruder allegedly fleeing the house from that direction is something that would have been captured on video. The veteran detective was becoming suspicious.

Then, hours later, Sue awoke from surgery and broke this case wide open, telling detectives that the story about an intruder attacking them was a lie. She claimed that Mike concocted the whole thing and that he was her true assailant. Mike was arrested and charged with attempted murder. He could never have done anything like this. Mike's ex-wife, Dee Dee Hoffman, was incredulous. I have known Michael James Rochelle since I was 19, and I wouldn't be here today if I thought Mike was possibly capable of harming another person. Dee Dee met Mike in college. They married and had two daughters, Caroline and Kate. During your many years with Mike, was he ever

physically abusive to you? He never touched me, not ever, never. But like in many marriages, there were problems. Mike made millions in the technology business, but his job required him to travel all over the world. Truthfully, he wasn't around much, so it was hard. In 2005, after 25 years of marriage, Didi asked for a divorce. Didi said she moved out of the family home so their children, away at college, could always return to the house where they were raised. But soon, another woman unexpectedly joined the family. I moved out in July, but then all of a sudden, Susan moves into our house. Sue was then 38 years old and a hospice nurse. She and Mike,

49, met on Match.com, and Dee Dee says Sue quickly became the lady of the manor. Dee Dee says everything she left behind, including her dog, became Sue's. Mike and I were really opposites. He was engaging and outgoing, and I was really, and I think I still am, more Caroline remembers the first time she met Sue at a dinner. And my dad seemed to be laughing and having a good time. But Caroline says she couldn't help but notice how much Sue was drinking. Caroline says she couldn't help but notice how much Sue was drinking. We've never seen anyone take down five to six martinis and be able to stand and speak. Some two years after they met, Mike married Sue in August 2007.

Mike stopped traveling and bought a local business. The couple's happier times are reflected in some of the thousands of text messages that surfaced during legal proceedings. Mike refers to Sue as his trophy bride and writes that their lives together are simply amazing. But Caroline says Sue became jealous of the close relationship she had with her father and tried to keep them apart. She had such walls around him. He wouldn't call me unless he was in a car alone.

He was not to take my call in front of her. But surprisingly, when Caroline announced in 2016 that she was getting married, Sue was happy to help. But Caroline says Sue wanted to do it her way. Sue was pretty adamant about throwing me a shower. My mother was invited, but none of my mother's friends were invited. So the majority of the guests were Sue's friends and family.

But Caroline admits the shower was a lot of fun, and she was looking forward to the wedding. Sue helped her pick out a dress. I tried on a dress dress and I liked it. And Sue kept telling me, like, this is your dress. This is your dress. It's so beautiful. You have to have this.

Sue handed over her credit card and it was done. Do you mind me asking how much the dress was worth? This is so gauche. I think it was $11,000. $11,000? Yes. The wedding itself, in November 2017, would be a royal-like affair. The setting was the sumptuous Ohika Castle on Long Island. 160 people attended the wedding, and Caroline says the day

was magical. My husband and I know how lucky we are to have had that weekend. It was beyond beautiful. Caroline says it was nearly perfect, except for something that caught her eye, an unusual mark on her father's face. The last thing I saw before walking down the aisle at my wedding was this white scar from here to here. And in my mind, I was like, what is that? Weeks later, she found out. Mike revealed to Caroline what he said was a dark, disturbing secret. He claimed Sue had been physically abusing him for years. Hot shot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty.

Her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals. Hot shot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty. Her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals. However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld, and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark, host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X. In my long career in criminal justice as a prosecutor and defense attorney, I've seen some crazy cases, and this one belongs right at the top of the list. She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop.

Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informant's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach the age of 10 that would still avert it.

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Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I called him on his birthday and I said how are you doing and he just started crying it was late November 2017 just three weeks after her fairyytale wedding when Caroline says her father shared a disturbing secret about Sue that he had promised not to tell. And he said, Sue was arrested. And he said, she started attacking me. And I think he was so victimized

that he was really scared to tell anyone. Sue had been charged with domestic battery, but the details of what happened that day would not become public until two years later, at Mike's trial for attempted murder. When they both testified about the last tumultuous months of their marriage. What was the state of their marriage? I think it was in the lowest place that it could possibly be before a divorce. I was upset. Sue told prosecutor David Byron that shortly after Caroline's wedding, Mike told her it had gone nearly $150,000 over budget. Was it fair to say that you were partially upset with defendant,

but mostly at Caroline? Yes. Mike says Sue attacked him when the fight escalated. She throws the phone at him and charges around the bed, pushes and shuts her door. Meeting like this. But Mike didn't call 911 that day. Sue did. I just felt as though things were a little out of control. When police arrived, Sue admitted to pushing Mike and agreed to go to their beach condo to defuse the situation. But she was arrested half an hour later when she hadn't yet left the house. He said, please place your hands behind your back. You're under arrest. Sue told the jury that she was ordered to stay away from Mike.

She moved to their beach condo and got counseling for alcohol and anger management. Weeks later, Mike declined to pursue the battery charge and it was dropped. Prosecutor Sean Brewer. Did she have a problem with alcohol? Susan Rochelle has testified that at times when she would drink, she would lose her temper. But Mike says Sue's actions went way beyond a bad temper. He told the jury she had tormented him for years. She lunged at me again, punched me in the face, scratched my face, punched me in the arms, and bent my glasses, actually. She would throw things at him, very heavy things,

like vases and very heavy coffee mugs. Sue denies abusing Mike, and Mike never reported any of the alleged incidents to police. Is it true that you have seen your father with a black eye? He's sent me multiple pictures of him with a black eye. Mike did take photos of some injuries, which he shared with Caroline and later the jury. He has a picture that he showed me of his face gushing blood. And there was one mark from here to here. The prosecution admits this injury may have been caused by Sue.

But they say the evidence shows Sue was fighting for her life after Mike attacked her. There are text messages where she accuses him of smothering her with a pillow, which in fact is the same instance that she ended up scratching him in the face. which in fact is the same instance that she ended up scratching him in the face. Despite the alleged abuse and Sue's arrest, Mike says he still loved his wife and wanted to stay married. In February 2018, he asked Sue to come to Gainesville for the weekend. Mike had asked me to come in. He wanted us to work on the marriage. They decided to go to their favorite steakhouse.

That's Sue on home security video getting ready and enjoying a glass of wine. Mike arrives home and the two share a kiss before heading out. But over steaks and more wine, old wounds reopen. He had just received a text message from Caroline. Sue says that's when Mike admitted he had betrayed her trust by telling Caroline about Sue's arrest. He and I both agreed that we weren't going to discuss that. that we weren't going to discuss that. Mike drove home alone. Sue followed in an Uber, her anger spilling into a series of text messages about Caroline.

Good luck with your bitch. She will ruin any relationship you have. Once home, they went to separate parts of the house. Sue continued her angry texts. I am filing for divorce. I will leave in the morning. The last text from Sue is sent at 10.13pm. You have serious boundary issues with your daughter. Later, Sue says she was alone in the guest room when Mike entered. There are no cameras inside that room. And he just hopped on top of me.

And I felt like this pressure right here. And then all of a sudden I saw a knife come up. I said, oh my God, Mike, did you stab me? And he said, yes. At some point, does he say something to you? He said, Sue, we're not getting a divorce. He said, Sue, we're not getting a divorce. Sue says Mike was on top of her, pinning her arms with his legs. In the struggle, her left thumb was sliced. Then she says Mike stabbed her again.

And my neck right here. Sue says Mike then started slashing her wrist. Felt like he was mutilating me. My hand, it was like I couldn't feel anything. I could see into my arm. Losing blood, her life in danger, Sue says she vomited and lost control of her bodily functions. She says she tried to wriggle out from under Mike and they ended up lying sideways across the bed. He just said to me, Sue, it's going to lay here until you die. Sue says as she was lying there, struggling to stay awake, she saw Mike raise the knife yet again.

Desperate, she offered him a way out. I said, Mike, we don't have to divorce. I won't divorce you. Just put the knife down. Sue says after Mike put the knife down, she begged him to call for help. But he would only do that if she agreed to say an intruder had stabbed her. When she agrees to go with his story of the intruders, she saved her life. A toxic marriage, texts brimming with hate, and a bloody room. Texts brimming with hate. And a bloody room.

Mike Ruchel's future will now depend on whether he can convince jurors that he is the real victim. What is the strongest evidence that supports Sue's account? See more of the trial evidence at 48hours.com. When first responders entered this bloody scene in the early morning hours of February 3rd, 2018, they'd been told by Mike Ruchel that a stranger had broken into their home and assaulted his wife, and then him with a knife. But in court, now with his defense attorneys Patrick McGinnis and Anne Fennell, Mike admits that story was a lie and says he's finally ready to tell the truth. He says despite Sue's drinking and violent outbursts, he was hoping to reconcile that night. I don't care if she's a mellow drunk the rest of

her life, just the anger's got to go. But at dinner, once again, they fought about Caroline and that fight continued back at the house. After that, Mike and Sue's stories diverge. continued back at the house. After that, Mike and Sue's stories diverge. Mike says he came into the guest room a little after 10 and was startled to see Sue kneeling on the bed holding a knife. I said, Sue, give me the knife. And then next thing I know, I felt searing heat. That's all I remember.

And I'm just trying to get my hands on it. I'm on the bed with her now. We're all on our knees. Mike doesn't just trying to get my hands on it. I'm on the bed with her now. We're all on our knees. Mike doesn't say how he got his hands on the knife, but he says as they struggled and fell over on the bed, he felt the blade go into Sue's stomach. She's falling backwards and I'm falling in front on top. I felt the knife penetrate here and I rolled off as fast as I could

because I was afraid if that went in her, it would kill her. Mike offers no explanation for how Sue was stabbed in the neck or thumb. But he does say about one minute into the struggle, he somehow calmed her down and put the knife out of reach. Now, you're both bleeding during this point in time, right? Yeah, but it's not spurting and there's no blood at all you can see on Sue through the through here. Mike says he wanted to call for help right away but Sue wouldn't let him because she was afraid she'd be arrested again. I said Sue we need to go to the hospital she said, then make up a story so I don't get arrested.

Mike says they argued about a possible cover story. But then, as bizarre as it sounds, they just lay together, bleeding for several hours. Having what Mike says was one of the best conversations of their lives about future vacations to Europe. We talked about going to Germany on the Rhine and Moselle River cruise. Maybe we'll do Burgundy next. If Mike is speaking the truth, this happy conversation happened on a bed soaked with blood and human waste. Greece, because we've never been to Greece in Carolina. Mike never mentions that.

Tuscany and Florence. And prosecutor David Byron suspects why. Is this believable? I don't think it's believable at all. He held her there, and he can't admit that. Michael Rochelle had months and months to go over the evidence and construct a story that fit with things that he couldn't admit. According to Mike, at about 3 a.m.,

their dog Susie wandered into this bloody scene where violence was about to erupt again. I get up out of the bed to deal with a dog, and behind me was the knife, and next thing I know, she sliced her right wrist with her left hand. Did you talk to her about why she had cut herself? Yeah, she said she doesn't want to go to jail. I said, Sue, I'm not going to send you to jail. I'm not going to get you arrested. Calm down. She goes, you promise? You promise? I said, yes.

As Mike tells it, Sue cooked up the whole idea to lie to police. And he reluctantly agreed in order to protect her. I said, then the only chance I have is to turn the cameras off to give a window of opportunity to say someone broke in and did this to us. Mike says after Sue cut her own wrist, he left the room to turn off security cameras and stage a break-in. 25 minutes passed before he called 911 and turned the cameras on again. And he's doing that with the knowledge that with every beat of her heart, more of her blood is pouring into that bed. But the defense thinks the blood at the crime scene helps to prove their case. People lie. The forensics don't lie, and that's why the blood spatter was so important in this case.

Michael Berkland is a former doctor and bloodstain pattern analyst who testified for the defense. What do you consider the most important blood evidence inside that bedroom? The arterial spurt patterns. Berkland says he reviewed records which stated a small artery in Sue's wrist was cut that night. And he believes the blood here on the pillowcase and here on the nightstand came from that artery. The important thing about arteries, though, is that you get blood coming out of that with every beat of the heart. Berkland uses stage blood and a small syringe to demonstrate the way Sue's blood may have traveled, making a line or fine spray of drops.

So the blood, in your opinion, gives us a timeline as to when Sue's wrist was actually cut. Correct. Because arteries don't close up on their own. Remember, Sue says the attack, including the cuts to her wrist, started sometime after 10.13 p.m. But Mike says Sue cut her own wrist at around 3 a.m., hours later. Berkland says if Sue's wrist was cut before 11, she would have died long before help arrived. How much time does she have to live, in your opinion? If the wounds happen no later than 11 o'clock, she's dead before it ever hits midnight. Which leads you to believe what? When it comes to this injury, to the wrist, Michael's story makes more sense. The defense team says if we can't trust Sue's account about what time things happened,

then her entire story is suspect. It is absolutely impossible to have happened the way she claims it did. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror. But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, wherever you get your podcasts. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha

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This is a lot of blood. Are the remnants of the vicious confrontation inside that bedroom that Prosecutor Sean Brewer is certain contain evidence of an attempted murder. This is Mike Ruchel's pajamas. Yes. And they are soaked in blood. And whose blood is that? Well, Susan is the one that had the injuries that provided the mass amount of bleeding. So if blood could talk, this blood is telling you what?

This blood is telling me that Michael was on top of her while he was stabbing her and she was bleeding quite a bit without any aid. Prosecutors say this evidence backs up Sue's testimony that Mike attacked her. Sue's testimony that Mike attacked her. They also say the items on that bedside table helped prove this was not a dynamic fight between two people. David Byron says that only one person had control of the situation, Mike Rochelle. There's a full glass of wine, there's some glasses, there's a lamp, and it's evidence of the fact that Michael Rochelle was so physically capable of constraining her that none of those things are disturbed. And the prosecution disputes defense expert Michael Berkland's claim that these stains on

the nightstand came from spurting blood from Sue's wrist. Instead, their expert says the blood was most likely cast off, flung from the knife, and not from Sue cutting her own wrist. The cast off shows that he was swinging that knife as he's plunging it into her stomach and into her neck. Prosecutor Brewer not only attacks Berkman's conclusions, he also challenges his credibility, attacks Berkland's conclusions, he also challenges his credibility, letting jurors know that his medical license was suspended, and he was later arrested for storing body parts from autopsies in Tupperware containers in an unusual place. You were storing them at Uncle Bob's storage shed, weren't you? In a climate control room. Were you storing that in Uncle Bob's storage shed? Yes. And the actual organs that you were storing included brains and hearts? I did have

some hearts and brains, yes. Berkland says the organs were preserved for private cases he was working on while he was still a licensed doctor. I used the storage locker because they were safe and secure. Either that or I put them in my house. This was safer than my house. The charges were later dropped. Prosecutors also want the jury to know that the severity of Sue's wrist wound suggests she did not do it herself. The one that was truly life-threatening was the cuts that the defendant made to her wrist. She was cut all the way down to the bone. Mike's injuries were a lot less serious. As you can see, he had some small cuts on his fingers and stomach. And Sue says these larger cuts to his forearms were in fact self-inflicted.

He put the knife in my hand and he stabbed himself in the arm. And what about that story Mike told investigators that an intruder did all this? The prosecution says it was all his idea to cover up what he had done. He turned off the cameras and did things to make the police believe that there had been a burglary. And the motive for this alleged attack? The prosecution believes it was all about money. That Mike didn't want to give up half of his fortune, millions of dollars, in a divorce. You didn't tell this jury that after all you've been through, it didn't seem fair for Susan to take half your money?

Yeah, that is true. It didn't seem fair. The prosecution refutes Mike's claims that he still wanted to reconcile the troubled marriage by pointing out that he had visited three dating sites. Ukrainian single girl Irina, she's 18 years old, right? I looked at pictures of women with clothes on, yes sir. I understand they had clothes on, sir. The question I'm asking is, you were looking for your next girlfriend, right? No, I'll tell you exactly what I was looking for. Sure. All I want out of a woman in my life is someone to be kind and nice to me. That's all I care about.

I looked at pictures and descriptions of how they would treat their male, and Sue and I looked at these together many times in our relationship and said, Sue, that's all I need from anybody. Please be nice to me. Please. All I need from anybody, please be nice to me, please. The defense counters that Mike's other Internet searches prove that he was being abused by Sue. Did you visit numerous sites related to battered husbands? Yes, I did. He has all of the economic resources.

He's not cut off from any family members. Michael Rochelle doesn't meet any of the criteria for what a battered spouse is. The defense also tries to counter Sue's claim that Mike's attack came after she threatened divorce. They produced dozens of text messages going back to 2015 that show Sue had made that threat many, many times. You actually say for the 50th time, I want a divorce. It's just an expression, like saying for the, you know, 100th time. But it is about 50 times, isn't it? I don't know. I didn't count. And defense attorney Anne Fennell suggests those texts also reveal Sue's destructive intentions. Have you told him I hate you? Yes. Okay. You've said I will destroy you. Yes. Happy 10th anniversary. I'm divorcing you. You d***. You said that? Yes. In her closing argument, Fennell insists Mike would never try to kill for money. She says Sue was the aggressor that night, and Mike was just defending himself.

And Mike was just defending himself. She hates everybody. She hates his daughters. She hates his former spouse. That's how hateful this woman was and is. But the prosecution says there is no question Mike wanted Sue dead. This is not a frenzied struggle between two adults. This is a bloodbath committed by one person who has imprisoned the other on that bed. In the War of the Rochelles, jurors will soon decide which one they believe.

Whose story rings true? Mike or Sue Rochelle? See more of their home security footage on Facebook at 48 Hours. As the jury goes out to deliberate, what are those minutes and hours like for you? I just couldn't talk to anyone. I spent the past year and a half mentally preparing myself for the worst and hoping for the best. Caroline does not have long to wait. After a nine-day trial, it took little more than four hours for the jury to reach a verdict. They say a quick verdict is often a prosecutor's verdict.

It's a thought that creeps into your head, but you never really know what a jury is going to do. Members of the jury, I understand you have reached a verdict. We have, Your Honor. Will you please pass it to my bailiff? We the jury unanimously fine as follows to defendant Michael James Rochelle in this case. As to count one, the defendant is guilty of attempted first degree murder as charged with... Guilty. Mike Rochelle is convicted of the most serious count against him. We were all so shocked.

As to count two, the defendant is guilty of false imprisonment. In quick succession, the jury also finds Rochelle guilty of four additional crimes, including false imprisonment and tampering with evidence. Jurors utterly reject Mike's story of a knife fight with his wife. Prosecutor Sean Brewer says justice was served to a man who lied to investigators and to the jury. Michael went through great lengths to try and kill Susan. He just wasn't very good at it. And what's more, Brewer says, Mike Ruchel tried to kill Sue not once, but twice. While he was in jail awaiting trial, an informant came forward to claim Mike tried to hire a hitman to kill Sue, a charge Mike strongly denies.

Do you believe that your father in jail plotted to hire someone to murder his wife? No. Honestly, I don't mean to laugh, but it is beyond laughable. As we were interviewing Caroline, she got a phone call that surprised us. Dad? Hi, I'm good. I'm with 48 hours right now, literally with cameras. Mike Ruchel allowed me to ask a few questions. Mike, I just want to hear you tell me, did you take a knife into the room that night on February 2nd, 2018 and attack your wife? Absolutely not. And you're telling me the truth? Absolutely. I'm like children's wife. All I did was defend myself and I got attacked. Last December, everyone returns

to Judge William Davis's courtroom for sentencing. The victim in this crime, Sue Rochelle, does not appear in person. Remain standing in the face of the judge and raise your right hand, please. When it's Caroline's turn to speak, the moment is charged with emotion. No one is as positive, caring, and will always be a proud daughter. One of the most caring, kind, gentle people I've ever met. Several colleagues and friends speak of Mike in glowing terms. He's a good person. The Mike Rochelle I know is a stand-up gentleman.

Then Judge William Davis took center stage. Mr. Rochelle, will you please stand? Mike was about to learn his fate. The person I heard through the evidence and the witnesses was somebody who was cold. They were brutal. On count one, the attempted first-degree premeditated murder. I'm going to send this sheet to 30 years imprisonment. All told, the judge gives Ruchel 30 years, not the 50 years requested by prosecutors.

But for Mike, who is 64 years old, it is, in essence, a life sentence. Here are two sophisticated people, very wealthy, living in paradise, in one of the most beautiful parts of Florida, and yet they couldn't work this out. It's a tragedy, isn't it? Absolutely. I mean, when you hear who Michael and Susan Rochelle were before this all occurred, they lived exemplary and mostly normal lives. And to see it get to this point really is a tragedy. The war of the Rochelles is not over. Mike and Sue are divorcing and continue to fight over the marital assets, including the house where Sue was nearly stabbed to death. Right now, it seems as if everything is unpredictable.

We're all stuck at home. And like you, I'm feeling a bit helpless right now. But fear not. I want you to know you are not alone. We want to get through this as soon as possible. We can do that all working together. We've got to look out for each other. We are here for you.

We're still us. And we will get through this. Because we're all in this together. Isn't that right, Sam? He says that's right. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey.