Reuschel vs. Reuschel | Full Episode | Forensic Files

[Music] foreign I was called at approximately four o'clock in the morning on February 3rd 2018. there had been a
home invasion robbery in the area of hail Plantation you said someone was in your house yes
I've been advised that the wife has severe injuries and was currently being trauma alerted
to our area Hospital you woke up just her screen and called Figure was he Masters uh fighting with you see I felt
something Sharp [Music] 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
[Music] this is the knife that was used to stab Susan the bending in this knife you
believe is a 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 soon 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 get close to her right here and her hand comes out and was there anything in her hand yeah a
knife [Music] 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 is that right yes [Music] 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 Russell who do you believe was the attacker in the February 2nd incident Susan Russell
and who is the victim my father [Music] thank you foreign [Music] foreign [Music]
that your father on February 3rd 2018 had been arrested was in Chicago with my husband I
come and call 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 Alaska 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 Nick 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 your minister to scare him off yeah I guess whose injuries were life-threatening and
as Medics rushed to save her detective David Visconti was called to the scene there was no fourth Century initially
observed by any of our deputies no broken window no knock 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 this 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 rochelles 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 Dede 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 Dede 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 it was
hard in 2005 after 25 years of marriage Dede 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 is then
38 years old and a hospice nurse she and Mike 49 met on Match.com and Dede says Sue quickly became the lady of the manor
Dede says everything she left behind including her dog became sues Mike and I were really opposites he was engaging
and outgoing and I was really and I think I still am more reserved not quite so exuberant
and I think he was looking for exuberance 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 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 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 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 oh this is so gosh I think it was 11.
eleven thousand dollars the wedding itself in November 2017 would be a royal like affair
the setting was the Sumptuous oheka 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 [Music] [Music] 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 fairy tale 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 please when they both testified about the last tumultuous months of their
marriage ma'am please be seated 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 a hundred and fifty thousand dollars over budget was it fair to say that you were
partially upset with defendant but mostly at Carolyn yes Mike says Sue attacked him when the
fight escalated she throws the phone I mean charges around the bed pushes and so start her
meeting like this but Mike didn't call 9-1-1 that day Sue did I just felt there's a 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
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 time but Mike says Sue's actions went Way Beyond a bad temper he told the jury
she had tormented him for years she lungs up again punched me in the face scratched my face punch him 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 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 is 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 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 stakes and more wine Old Wounds
reopen you 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 and I both agreed 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 she will ruin any relationship you have
[Music] 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 13
pm 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 on I said oh my God why did you stab me and he said yes at some point does he say something to
you he said uh 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
Sue says mike then started slashing her wrist are you deleting me my hand it was like just I couldn't feel
anything and 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 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 Michael 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 text brimming with hate and a bloody room Mike Rochelle's future will now depend on whether he can
convince jurors that he is the real victim [Music] [Applause] what is the strongest evidence that
supports Sue's account see more of the trial evidence at 48hours.com [Music] when First Responders entered this
bloody scene in the early morning hours of February 3rd 2018 they'd been told by
Mike Rochelle that a stranger had broken into their home and assaulted his wife and then him with a knife
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 melodrama the rest of her life just the anger's got to go
once again they fought about Caroline and that fight continued back at the house
after that Mike ensues 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 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 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 I rolled off as fast as I could because I was afraid if that went in there 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 yeah but no it's not
squirting and there's no blood at all you could see on suit 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 nice said sue we need to
go to the hospital and 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 in 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 Mike never mentions that Tuscany in 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 bed to deal with a dog and 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 light a police and he reluctantly agreed in order to protect her I said that 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 9-1-1 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 birkeland is a former doctor and bloodstained pattern analyst who testified for the defense
what do you consider the most important blood evidence inside that bedroom the arterial spur patterns birkeland
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 birkeland 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 pm
but Mike says Sue cut her own wrist at around 3 A.M hours later Brooklyn 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 [Music] thank you [Music] inside this box this is the knife that was used to stab
Susan encased in protective plastic this is a lot of blood 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 foreign this is Mike Rochelle'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
they also say the items on that bedside table help 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 we call Dr
Burke prosecutor Brewer not only attacks Brooklyn'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 climate control room restoring that at 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
Brooklyn 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 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 burglar
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 he didn't tell his jury and then after
all you've been through it didn't seem fair for Susan to sake half your mind yeah that is true it doesn't seem fair
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 Arena she's 18 years old right
I looked at pictures from women with clothes on yes sir sir question I'm asking is you were
looking for your next girlfriend right no I'll tell you exactly what it's looking sure
all I want out of a woman in my life is so 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 soon I looked at these together many times and and our
relationship in Saint Sue that's 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 do 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
shows Sue had made that threat many many times you actually say for the 50th time I won
a divorce it's just an expression like saying for the you know 100th time but it is
about 50 times isn't it you don't know I didn't count and defense attorney and Fennell
suggests those tax also reveal Sue's destructive intentions have you told him I hate you
yes okay you said I will destroy you and on your anniversary in 2017. hate you happy 10th anniversary I'm
divorcing you you you said that 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 she hates everybody
she hates his daughters she hates his former spouse that's how hateful this woman
was and it is but the prosecution says there is no question Mike wanted Sue dead this
is not a frenzy 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 Rochelle's 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
[Music] as the jury goes out to deliberate what are those minutes and hours like
for you 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 the prosecutor's verdict it's a thought that creeps into your head but you never really know what a jury's
going to do I understand you got rich diverse defendant Michael James Rochelle in this
case as the cow won the defendant is guilty of attempting first degree murder as strong as you count guilty Mike
Rochelle is convicted of the most serious count against him we were all so shocked
as to count to 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 Rochelle tried to kill Sue not once but
twice while he was in jail awaiting trial and 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 Rochelle 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 in December 2019 everyone returns to
judge William Davis's courtroom for sentencing the victim in this crime suru shell does not appear in person
right here please when it's Caroline's turn to speak the moment is charged with emotion no one is as positive caring and
generous than this man laughs I will say I am and we'll always be around 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 micro shell
I know is a stand-up gentleman then judge William Davis took Center Stage Mr Michelle will you please stand Mike was
about to learn his fate 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 year to 30 years imprisonment and Department all told the judge gives Rochelle 30 years not the 50
years requested by prosecutors or Mike who is 64 years old it is in essence a life sentence
[Music] here are two sophisticated people very wealthy living in Paradise one of
the most beautiful parts of Florida and yet they couldn't work this out 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 shells 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 the murder for higher charges against Mike Rochelle were dropped
a California lawyer murdered this looked like a targeted assassination the sky dressed as a delivering man across the
country a matching deadly attack at a judge's home who would want to hurt the judge were the crimes connected 48 Hours
next on CBS [Music]

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. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

True crime. Real justice. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

Brief Summary

Michael Rochelle was convicted of attempting to murder his wife Susan during a domestic dispute over divorce.

Key points

Home Invasion Turns Deadly. A home invasion leads to a shocking revelation about the true assailant.
The Wedding That Sparked Conflict. Caroline recalls her father's wedding and the unusual mark on his face.
A Disturbing Secret Revealed. Just weeks after her wedding, Caroline learns of her father's claims of abuse.
The Night of the Attack. The couple's tumultuous relationship culminates in a violent confrontation.
Blood Evidence at the Crime Scene. Forensic analysis reveals critical details about the timeline of the attack.
Blood Evidence Unveiled. Prosecutors present bloody pajamas and a knife as crucial evidence against Mike Rochelle.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This case is about the power of money.

1:25WatchSep 19, 2023

Tension

80/ 100High tension

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