Page 6 - Christopher Sutton News Today

Prosecutor karen keagan told the jury a horror story. the states version of what happened. >> the man for whom the gunman had signed on to commit a double-murder. a man who was intimately familiar with john and susan sutton. that man -- their son. christopher sutton. >> reporter: then graphic evidence. a crime scene soaked in blood and littered with bullet casings. the medical examiner placed knitting needles in a mannequin to show where susan was shot six times. her son took a deep breath, reco...

That christopher was behind it all. >> raise your right hand. she will administer the oath. >> reporter: for starters, this man once worked with christopher, was an occasional pot customer too, but was shocked he said when christopher asked him a certain question. >> what did the defendant ask you? >> he asked me if i knew of any hit men that would kill his parents. >> what reason or explanation did he give you? >> he said his parents were -- worth about $500,000 to $1 million. >> reporter: a lo...

>> he was banking on getting out when he turned 18. but we also learned that john sutton, being a lawyer, had an order signed by a judge that said when you turn 18, if you havent completed the course you are going to stay. which infuriated christopher sutton. >> reporter: why did you decide to keep him there when he turned 18? >> we had concerns he wasnt ready to return. he had not "graduated the program." >> reporter: how did he feel about that? >> he was quite upset. >> reporter: he wanted to ...

And john sutton got busy. he had a mission, two, in fact. one to seek justice no matter what that might mean for his son. and the other, perhaps even more impossible, to simply see again. coming up -- garrett kopp avenue confession should be enough to put him behind bars. but did prosecutors have enough to convict christopher sutton? >> this was a circumstantial case, extremely circumstantial. >> reporter: when "dateline" continues. really based on motive. keith morrison: when dateline continues...

>> christopher made comments that his parents are going to pay for sending him, taking years out of his life. >> reporter: when they took a closer look at christophers more recent history. they could easily see his improved behavior wasnt exactly lasting. even girlfriend juliettes influence couldnt keep christopher from slipping up. yes he went back to college after he returned from samoa, but soon dropped out. he did form a company. but the company folded. >> he didnt seem to be motivated. >> r...

>> from the day we are born we >> reporter: summertime in miami. pounding heat. unavoidable sun. unavoidable except of course inside. >> all rise, please. >> reporter: six years inside a cell in the county jail had produced a doughy christopher sutton by the time his trial finally began. it was july 2010. the son charged with hiring the hit man who murdered his mother, blinded his father. and here he sat apparently confident, highly prepared, ignoring most of the time the surviving members of hi...

Still, christopher demanded the al te spec >> i do recall him as very adamant that -- that my dad be placed under john doe so that who ever did this could not find him. and finish off what they had started. >> reporter: so you were a pretty paranoid guy lying there? >> most certainly. >> reporter: and with good reason. because the killer was still out there. and knew exactly where john sutton was. but unfortunately, police had no idea where the killer was. >> everyone is somewhat a suspect. you ...

>> reporter: lots of calls. on the day of the murder. quite probably meant nothing at all, of course. still. garrett kopp was 20. a visitor around the sutton house. didnt seem to hatch a job or any direction in life. but christopher saw some good in him apparently. hired him occasionally to do odd jobs. in fact after the murder, christopher had kopp rip up and remove the bloody carpets from the crime scene. >> reporter: what sort of person did he seem like? >> when garrett was in the house, he w...

To tell his story. complete with his 911 call and news footage. >> the body of susan sutton. >> i want to flip this tragedy, this catastrophe into a positive. >> reporter: meanwhile in miami it was decision time. the alleged shooter, garrett kopp, had finally agreed to plead guilty and testify against suttons son christopher. in exchange for a 30-year sentence and no death penalty. sutton confronted the killer the day he entered a plea. >> during the next days, months, years, 20 years, 30 years,...

>> she got her wish. as i said the happiest day of her life when she brought christopher home. >> reporter: the day they brought him home, john sutton remembers every minute, every detail, even the green suit he was wearing. >> when christopher came to us, about 2 days old, very cute, was a lot of fun. >> reporter: a happy time. >> absolutely. >> reporter: susan equipment her job to be a full time mom. but susan kept trying to get pregnant. after suffering through years of failed fertility treat...