Dr. John Cooper's letter to the judge - Calif. v. Susan Polk: Housewife Stabs Husband

FULL COVERAGE

The Susan Polk Trial

KEY DOCUMENTS

Death Certificate
Multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma are listed as Felix Polk's official cause of death.
Suicide Files
Felix Polk's apparent suicide attempt while in the military was documented by the U.S. Navy.
Autopsy Report
Felix Polk's fatal injuries and toxicology results were detailed in this report.
Felix's Letter to Gabe
Just months before he was stabbed to death by his estranged wife, Felix Polk wrote this letter to his son Gabriel in an apparent effort to improve their relationship.
Felix Polk's Resume
This resume was retrieved by investigators from Felix Polk's desk after he was stabbed to death by his estranged wife, Susan Polk.
Properties Letter
Before she fatally stabbed her husband Felix, Susan Polk wrote this letter as the couple was going through a divorce to discuss financial matters and various properties the Polks owned
Ottoman Analysis
Investigators sought to recover from an ottoman residue of pepper spray, which Polk claimed she used on her husband.
Saab Report
Criminalists also analyzed Felix Polk's 1999 Saab, on which they found blood stains.
Diary Excerpt
Polk describes her self-proclaimed psychic abilities, her theories about the Middle East and her husband's alleged ties to the Mossad in this journal entry.
Letter to Dr. Cooper
These excerpts from Susan Polk's letters to her defense expert, Dr. John Cooper, include a narrative of the killing and a map.
Crime Scene Report
Forensic evidence gathered from the crime scene is itemized in this official report.
Incident Report
This 7-page report from the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Dept. details the night Felix Polk was killed.
Eli's Letter
The only child of three to support his mother, Eli Polk wrote this letter to Susan Polk behind bars.
Guardian's Letter
Dan Briner wrote this letter updating her about her son, Gabriel, while she was behind bars.
Cooper's Letter
Controversial defense witness Dr. John Cooper wrote this letter to the judge explaining why he would not return to conclude his testimony.
Son's Declaration
Eli Polk's divorce court declaration was full of praise for his mother, Susan Polk.
Secret Letter
In this two-page letter dated 2001, Susan Polk says her husband beat, drugged her.
Dispute Report
Police documented responding to a domestic dispute before Felix Polk was killed by his wife, Susan.

Updated May 9, 2006, 2:06 p.m. ET

Dr. John Cooper's letter to the judge

Testifying as a defense witness in the murder trial of Susan Polk, forensic pathologist Dr. John Cooper had stated that Felix Polk died of heart disease, not 27 stab wounds inflicted by his wife. But when pressed to produce letters from Polk which he claimed he used as a basis for his conclusion, Cooper said he was unable to locate them. Judge Laurel Brady delayed proceedings to give Cooper an opportunity to do so, but Cooper instead wrote this letter to the judge, informing her that he would not return to court to finish his testimony.