Page 5 - Christopher Sutton News Today

>> reporter: miami homicide detectives larry bellevue and art manney had a problem they were afraid the man who shot sutton was a frequent visitor at the sutton home. and they at least suspected the suttons own son, now johns care giver was all mixed up in it somehow. >> i was becoming more concerned. >> reporter: was john sutton a sitting duck for another attack one that might finish him off. you must have found it a little worrisome that john sutton was actually living with his son christopher...

So, now the complexion of the investigation changed. >> trying to think why would garrett kopp do this? i mean he is like 20-year-old kid. obviously there is a tie with christopher sutton and him. >> reporter: as for christopher himself, the detectives had no trouble finding people with an opinion about him. >> the cops should be looking at christopher sutton. because of the lengthy family history of problems that john and susan had had with their son christopher who was a handful from a very ea...

He said that i was at the movies. he said do you want to see the tickets. >> reporter: just had them right there like that? >> basically to me, red flag there. i want to prove im at the movies. >> reporter: or, perhaps, might mean nothing at all. the gun implicated kopp, of course, but christopher, no real evidence to show he knew a thing. >> there were still a lot of the pieces of the puzzles we are putting together. >> we cant prove it yet. >> reporter: like for exam pull, this big tantalizing...

There were vandalism of other peoples property. >> reporter: they sent him off to boarding schools then. but he didnt last at any of them. failed, got kicked out. of course, the whole family tried, said his sister melissa. the trouble wasnt the lack of love. not at all. was there a sense that christopher was loved? >> oh, no doubt about it. >> reporter: but neither love nor money could prevent christopher from always ending back in the same place, trouble. >> i know that he dealt drugs. and at o...

>> reporter: but christopher could not break so easily. and paradise cove was no paradise. in fact, there were many reports of physical abuse and restraints used on those who were uncooperative. something christopher learned when he first arrived. >> we knew that christopher sutton had complained that he had been hogtied, beaten. >> reporter: when his family was allowed to visit him a year later they did seem to beep a distinct change. a huge improvement. they found the buff, cleaned up young ma...

Him for murder. >> his parents deserve to die for taking years out of his life. she said this went for years. she interjected i knew it was going to happen. i just didnt know when. >> reporter: that night they put juliet into protective custody. >> the next day i prepared an arrest warrant for christopher sutton. >> reporter: and a female officer paid a visit to christophers father home alone. >> she says, well, i have good news and bad news. and the good news is -- that we have arrested the ass...

>> heap basically said look, you have to look out for me and my family because i am afraid of him. >> reporter: chris is going to kill him. >> if he didnt do this. >> reporter: having given himself an excuse. kopp confessed. said christopher was behind it all. gave him the gun. money to buy the black clothes. hired him as the a hit man. >> did he formulate this plan or combined effort between the two of you? >> he did. >> what plan did he tell you? what did he want you to do. >> go in the back d...

Was it a shock or did you have some kind of an idea? >> it was 50 emotions all at the same time. one of which is -- well, i finally know. two was, i cant believe this. >> reporter: john ever the attorney wanted to know what the evidence was. had the reports read to him and was convinced. >> i think -- that i was some where in between being c completely outraged and upset and some where i knew he had done it. >> reporter: melissa so grief stricken wasnt focused on who did it so much as what she h...

Thats where he met his future fiancee, a young woman from boston, jewel yet driscoll. juliette moved and became a member of the family. john sutton got her a job at his law firm. >> she was what i would imagine if somebody was going to marry into the family. my mother embraced her. she was a great influence on my brother and the family. >> reporter: christopher got his act together. enrolled in college. started working. his parents helped out by buying him a $300,000 condo. >> he started up his ...

Thats my best friend. >> reporter: i was going to ask how old your mom was? >> 57. no, you cant put that on. she was a nice 45. lets put it, leave it at that. >> reporter: the guests laughed. the law partner went home. son christopher and his girlfriend went to a movie. john settled in to watch tv in the master bedroom. susan in another bedroom talked on the phone with a close friend. a quiet end to a pleasant evening. quiet. but not for long. >> coral gables, 911. >> i need the police at my hou...