Horror Moment Wife Killed Her Violent Hubby

Klingon Hamlet

Article here

(Warning: Disturbing Content)

A woman who shot her husband dead but was cleared of both murder and manslaughter has described how she drugged his food then with both hands shaking, "lined it up and fired".

Earlier this month, a jury in the Australian city of Brisbane took only 90 minutes to find Susan Falls not guilty of killing her husband Rodney, because they believed he had been violent and abusive to her.


She told Channel Nine's A Current Affair program the final straw was when he threatened to kill one of their four children and made her draw lots to decide which one.


Soon after the incident, Mrs Falls sent her 16-year-old daughter to meet a man who would sell her a gun with a silencer for $5,000.


One evening in May 2006, she drugged her husband with sleeping tablets by crushing them and mixing them into his favourite meal - curried prawns.


"When I saw that he'd dozed off, and to me what seemed he was asleep, I went and got changed," she recounted.


"I put pyjamas on, I tied my hair back, I had socks on, gloves, took all my jewellery off.


"I didn't know how much mess there'd be. I thought once I shot him, I'd be splattered in blood.


"I got the gun and the bullets... and I remember looking at the two and looking at the bullets and thinking, how can something so tiny kill somebody?


"It just didn't seem real holding them in my hand. I had my arms outstretched... the gun was heavy because it had a silencer on it.


"I was shaking so much, so I needed two hands... and I just lined it up and fired.


"I ran behind the cupboards and I crouched down and I pulled the cartridge out of the gun because I was scared that he was going to get up, and if these bullets were still in the gun he'd shoot me.


"So I pulled them out. And I'm just crouching there and the girls were there. And I asked them if they still loved me.


"And they said that they did, and then I heard - it was like a tap dripping. And I peered past the cupboard and I could see this blood just coming out

of his head."


But he was still alive and for three hours she and her children debated what to do before Mrs Falls fired another shot into his head. Even then, he was not dead.


"It was like, full bottle of sleeping tablets, two bullets to the head and he's still breathing. And I've got nothing left, nothing at all. To me he was like the Terminator."


She was about to suffocate him with a duvet when he finally stopped breathing.


"I did cry. I can't say that I cried because I missed him - because, he forced me, he pushed me, he gave me no choice.


"When I went to fire that second shot, he had a dry tear stain down his face. I momentarily felt sorry for him, that he had suffered.


"And I thought, well he didn't feel sorry for me. This was the first and only time that I really hurt him."


The men who helped her dispose of the body were also acquitted of being accomplices.

What a terrifying, terrible story. Why is it that so many abused wives have no-one to turn to? It's a global problem. Men beating and/or abusing their families, and women having to resort to violent self-defense.

Imagine the trauma of going through that. Her poor kids too. I'm not sure did the kids know that their lives were literally at stake, but they knew their mum was in danger, and judging from the article, they also witnessed the act or the aftermath of their father being shot in the head.

The extremely slow death is also very frightening.

I wonder, why don't police get involved much sooner? This sort of thing happens wives and husbands alot, judging by the headlines these days. Are the authorities afraid to intervene, for fear of escalating the violence? Or is there a silly sense of invading a family's privacy, even if it's for good reason?

No lady should have to experience the horror this woman has suffered through. Thankfully justice was done.

(Assuming that her claims were true---the jury seemed to have very little difficulty believing her, so it seems a genuine, and terrifiyng, true story).

Nijmegen

It's a terrible story, for all concerned.

Assuming authorities can get involved is often misguided - such is the nature of these things.

As for the slow death, often one can be shot in the head and make it. Depends on the calibre of the round, and the effect on slowing it down that the silencer had, and her range and where she shot him.

Must have been a surreal few hours deciding to pop him again.

I hope these people find peace.

easyeason3

Well she wasn't taking the fall for it.

omahaid

easyeason3 wrote: »

Well she wasn't taking the fall for it.

I don't get it How can I put on my sun glasses now?

prinz

I have to wonder if a man killed his wife in similar circumstances what the outcome would be.

biko

Unfortunately domestic abuse is all too often overlooked and ignored.

Dravokivich

Klingon Hamlet wrote: »

What a terrifying, terrible story. Why is it that so many abused wives have no-one to turn to? It's a global problem. Men beating and/or abusing their families, and women having to resort to violent self-defense.

There are plenty of places often doing Public Awareness campaigns... the problem is the victims are too afraid to go out and look for help for numberous reasons.

1) It could lead to more beating...
2) Public perception of the household. If it taints the agressor (Male or Female) do people then recognise the victim...

Either way... sure we can say oh she had the shít kicked out of her by her husband, but this was pre-meditated murder. If the above story actually does include proper quotations from herself, when she said:

"When I went to fire that second shot, he had a dry tear stain down his face. I momentarily felt sorry for him, that he had suffered.


"And I thought, well he didn't feel sorry for me. This was the first and only time that I really hurt him."

What is she looking for there? She knows what she's been through. She wants to fight back and get out... fair enough, but killing the guy and only then afterwards thinking to herself... dam... i never thought of how bad he would of felt through this... nah fúck him... he was a bo||ox to me...

As I said earlier.. there are places out there victims of domestic abuse can go, they need to choose to go out to them though.

Mrmoe

Did she call the cops at any stage? There is probably a lot of the story that we do not know. I sympathise with her but did she really have no other options?

Wreck

Are you fcuking kidding me? If that's not murder then what the hell is? She was able to kill the guy but not go see a solicitor about a divorce, or a police officer about any violence, or at the very least get some of the men who were prepared to dispose of the body to have a word with him? That verdict is an absolute joke, I don't give a damn if the guy was a child molesting serial killer, she should be in jail for a long time.

dreamers75

You can shoot people to death but arent allowed play Doom, what a strange country.

stovelid

While I have sympathy for the abused, I think it's stretching it too much for somebody to walk free after calculatedly murdering somebody. Doing him in on the spur of the moment or in self-defence, mayeb, but drugging him and shooting him?

SeaFields

bought the gun, drugged him, dressed for the occasion and then shot him twice in the head.

Premeditated Murder.

orourkeda

SeaFields wrote: »

bought the gun, drugged him, dressed for the occasion and then shot him twice in the head.

Premeditated Murder.

And she went back to finish him off.

Its so clear cut it's unbelievable.

Poccington

Drugged him and then shot him, then left him there for 3 hours before shooting him again.

How is that self defence? It's murder, plain and simple.

If a man did that to a woman, the outcome of the case would have been much different.

SugarHigh

SeaFields wrote: »

bought the gun, drugged him, dressed for the occasion and then shot him twice in the head.

Premeditated Murder.

Nah even when they're armed, women are still fragile little things that need to be protected from men.

TheZohanS

She was right.

Police can't do a thing in these circumstances unless the husband actually murders the wife.

orourkeda

biko wrote: »

Unfortunately domestic abuse is all too often overlooked and ignored.

True, but it should not be used as a justification for murder

Wreck

TheZohan wrote: »

She was right.

Police can't do a thing in these circumstances unless the husband actually murders the wife.

That's absolute bollocks to begin with, but even if it were true, she could have just left him?

moonpurple

catherine nevin must have been at her wits end as well....:pac:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0411/nevin.html

TheZohanS

Wreck wrote: »

That's absolute bollocks to begin with, but even if it were true, she could have just left him?

No it's not, bollocks.

I would imagine fear was the main reason she didn't leave him.

Wreck

TheZohan wrote: »

She was right.

Police can't do a thing in these circumstances unless the husband actually murders the wife.

TheZohan wrote: »

No it's not, bollocks.

I would imagine fear was the main reason she didn't leave him.

The police in most countries take any accusation of violent assault very seriously, and the article suggests that she was assaulted on more than one occasion. Even death threats alone would be acted on if reported, especially against children. The claim that the police can do nothing unless someone is killed 100% untrue.

She's very well housetrained.. Got the daughter to buy the gun so she wouldn't have to leave the kitchen.

Voodu Child

TheZohan wrote: »

No it's not, bollocks.

I would imagine fear was the main reason she didn't leave him.

Of course its bollocks, you think it's completely justified to shoot someone in the face because you fear they may harm you?

Maybe he would have harmed her if she'd left him, maybe he wouldn't. You can't go and murder someone 'just in case'.

TheZohanS

Wreck wrote: »

The police in most countries take any accusation of violent assault very seriously, and the article suggests that she was assaulted on more than one occasion. Even death threats alone would be acted on if reported, especially against children. The claim that the police can do nothing unless someone is killed 100% untrue.

Unless she went down to the police at the time of the assault and made a statement they would not believe her, the husband could just deny. Also if she told the police that he made a death threat chances are they would just take it as her word against his, she'd need witnesses.

If you don't believe me; pose the question over in the AGS forum, you'd be amazed how archaic our laws are. There is not much that the police can do, she would have had to wait weeks to get a protection order etc.

PK2008

Whatever way you look at it, its a dangerous precedent to set.

Self defence in the heat of the moment is one thing but this is clearly murder.

Dyr

Could she have done something to ensure her own safety other than commit murder? Undoubtedly. Did she try anything else to ensure her safety before she killed the guy? Apparently not. This was a premeditated and very determined murder.

strobe

Maybe the guy deserved it, if what she says is true. But it's quite clearly premeditated murder and yes she did have other options.

The_Kew_Tour

prinz wrote: »

I have to wonder if a man killed his wife in similar circumstances what the outcome would be.

Life behind bars

biko

It seems this happens from time to time. Mostly by poision or burning down the house/bedroom.

The reason is the wife cannot fight the man when he's awake since he'd overpower her and beat her to pulp/kill her.
Once she starts on the attempt on his life she can't stop, if she does he will definitely kill her when he wakes up.

Often men like this say they'll kill the wife if she leaves them, and they mean it.
Try living with that for years on end.

Btw, I'm not condoning it, just saying I can see the reasoning behind it.

Overheal

Wreck wrote: »

Are you fcuking kidding me? If that's not murder then what the hell is? She was able to kill the guy but not go see a solicitor about a divorce, or a police officer about any violence, or at the very least get some of the men who were prepared to dispose of the body to have a word with him? That verdict is an absolute joke, I don't give a damn if the guy was a child molesting serial killer, she should be in jail for a long time.

Okay then...

This is not murder. The man was threatening to murder her child, let alone one child picked at random as to further scare life out of her.

How long would it have taken to get a restraining order? Would the child still be alive right now?

karma_

Overheal wrote: »

Okay then...

This is not murder. The man was threatening to murder her child, let alone one child picked at random as to further scare life out of her.

How long would it have taken to get a restraining order? Would the child still be alive right now?

No matter how much you sympathise with the situation she was in, she pre-planned the killing and went ahead and carried it out, in front of children. I doubt there is a more clear cut case of murder anywhere.

greenmachine88

Overheal wrote: »

Okay then...

This is not murder. The man was threatening to murder her child, let alone one child picked at random as to further scare life out of her.

How long would it have taken to get a restraining order? Would the child still be alive right now?

That's crazy talk

Murder, as defined in common law countries, is the unlawful killing of another human being with intent (or malice aforethought)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder

She could have left her home sought family support etc, the woman is clearly insane and should be locked up.

Wreck

TheZohan wrote: »

Unless she went down to the police at the time of the assault and made a statement they would not believe her, the husband could just deny. Also if she told the police that he made a death threat chances are they would just take it as her word against his, she'd need witnesses.

Well the jury were happy enough to take her words as gospel in court, so can't see why the police would not have believed her if she reported an assault. And I'm pretty sure that in most cases the accused would be charged by the police if an assault was reported and there was physical evidence.

I think there may be a little confusion here, it's true that if the woman does not report the assault or agree to press charges then there is little the police can do. I'm saying that killing this guy was not her only option, that she could have gone to the police, or a solicitor, or a refuge or her friends or whatever, instead she chose to commit premeditated murder and she should go to jail for that.

Deus Ex Machina

I am aghast. I simply cannot believe that she was cleared of murder charges.

Indubitable

I am shocked too.

walshb

prinz wrote: »

I have to wonder if a man killed his wife in similar circumstances what the outcome would be.

Exactly. I am always amazed how people will defend and justify these murders simpy becaue we hear a woman claming all these wrong doings.

She deliberately set out to end this mans life, and no matter what he did,
that is not allowed in a democratic society. Had she shot him in the act of self defence, I could maybe take it aboard. She drugs him, waits till he is completely defenceless and then butchers him. Murder!

Wolfe Tone

Thats is just pure murder. An absolute joke.

Misty Chaos

What is the world coming to, this a complete joke and shows you a bunch of spineless pussies that Australian justice system is full of.

I don't care if the husband was an asshole, murder is murder, plain and simple.

TheZohanS

Misty Choas wrote: »

What is the world coming to, this a complete joke and shows you a bunch of spineless pussies that Australian justice system is full of.

I don't care if the husband was an asshole, murder is murder, plain and simple.

I'm sure he was more than an asshole. The jury would have heard full details of how he treated her and what level of abuse he carried out. It's their call and if his family want to appeal I'm sure they will.

It's very easy for us all to say what she did was wrong etc, but unless we have the full facts, as the jury did, we are just making assumptions. They would have heard what he was capable of and would have established the danger he presented to his daughters life.

greenmachine88

TheZohan wrote: »

I'm sure he was more than an asshole. The jury would have heard full details of how he treated her and what level of abuse he carried out. It's their call and if his family want to appeal I'm sure they will.

It's very easy for us all to say what she did was wrong etc, but unless we have the full facts, as the jury did, we are just making assumptions. They would have heard what he was capable of and would have established the danger he presented to his daughters life.

How do we know she was telling the truth!?

Prof.Badass

As a man, it scares me that a woman can kill a man and get away with it because there are idiots out there with romantic notions of women being "poor defenceless creatures who can do no wrong".

:mad:

Indubitable

Prof.Badass wrote: »

As a man, it scares me that a woman can kill a man and get away with it because there are idiots out there with romantic notions of women being "poor defenceless creatures who can do no wrong".

:mad:

Fight for men's rights here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055926072

Kimia

I don't think a lot of you understand how devastating it is to one's mental health after being subject to years and years of physical and emotional abuse by someone who professes to love you.

I can't believe you are all so black and white towards this issue. She was (from reading the article) systematically abused over years even to the point where she had to face the very real possibility that one of her children would be murdered because of a horrific 'choice' she had been given.

I would imagine that she was in a constant state of terror and confusion and did the only thing that she thought was an escape.

And for those who say loftily from their safe perch 'Oh she could have gone to the police /solicitor/ refuge' - do some research please. It's well known that victims of domestic violence find it extremely difficult to seek help for a number of reasons, ranging from fear of the abuser, fear that they wouldn't be believed (and a lot of the time they are not believed), and a genuine love towards their abuser, where they actually don't want to leave. They think 'Oh this is the last time, he / she'll never do it again'.

So you see, it's a lot more complicated than 'She's a murdering bítch'. And before anyone asks, I'd be the same if it was a man who shot his wife. Men (lots more than we know) can be victims of this too. We are all human at the end of the day and we would all break at some stage.

AudreyHepburn

While I understand that the poor woman must have been at the end of her tether, what she did is still premediated murder, justifiable though it may be.

Had he been attacking or beating her at the time then fair enough but she drugged him, shot him and then for good measure shot him again when he was already dying. That's just overkill as well as murder.

What gets me most is that if it was a man who killed his wife, there's no question he'd get life for murder. But because she's female it somehow makes it less serious.

walshb

I think what most are missing here is that the dead man could NOT tell his side of the story, and that all we are left with is her side.

Wreck

Kimia wrote: »

I don't think a lot of you understand how devastating it is to one's mental health after being subject to years and years of physical and emotional abuse by someone who professes to love you.

I can't believe you are all so black and white towards this issue. She was (from reading the article) systematically abused over years even to the point where she had to face the very real possibility that one of her children would be murdered because of a horrific 'choice' she had been given.

I would imagine that she was in a constant state of terror and confusion and did the only thing that she thought was an escape.

And for those who say loftily from their safe perch 'Oh she could have gone to the police /solicitor/ refuge' - do some research please. It's well known that victims of domestic violence find it extremely difficult to seek help for a number of reasons, ranging from fear of the abuser, fear that they wouldn't be believed (and a lot of the time they are not believed), and a genuine love towards their abuser, where they actually don't want to leave. They think 'Oh this is the last time, he / she'll never do it again'.

So you see, it's a lot more complicated than 'She's a murdering bítch'. And before anyone asks, I'd be the same if it was a man who shot his wife. Men (lots more than we know) can be victims of this too. We are all human at the end of the day and we would all break at some stage.

No-one called her a murdering bitch, but on the facts presented in the report she quite clearly did murder the man, no matter what verdict the jury came to. I have the uptmost sympathy for any victims of domestic abuse, it must be a truly horrible thing to live through, but it does not justify murder. Pulling a kitchen knife on someone in self defense is one thing, but carrying out a premeditated plan to kill someone is an entirely different thing.

karma_

Kimia wrote: »

I don't think a lot of you understand how devastating it is to one's mental health after being subject to years and years of physical and emotional abuse by someone who professes to love you.

I can't believe you are all so black and white towards this issue. She was (from reading the article) systematically abused over years even to the point where she had to face the very real possibility that one of her children would be murdered because of a horrific 'choice' she had been given.

I would imagine that she was in a constant state of terror and confusion and did the only thing that she thought was an escape.

And for those who say loftily from their safe perch 'Oh she could have gone to the police /solicitor/ refuge' - do some research please. It's well known that victims of domestic violence find it extremely difficult to seek help for a number of reasons, ranging from fear of the abuser, fear that they wouldn't be believed (and a lot of the time they are not believed), and a genuine love towards their abuser, where they actually don't want to leave. They think 'Oh this is the last time, he / she'll never do it again'.

So you see, it's a lot more complicated than 'She's a murdering bítch'. And before anyone asks, I'd be the same if it was a man who shot his wife. Men (lots more than we know) can be victims of this too. We are all human at the end of the day and we would all break at some stage.

I think it is you who does not understand. Going back through this thread it's clear that all those who think this was clear murder also recognise the sad situation she was captured in.

However, this was not a crime of passion where she picked up a knife and stabbed someone in self defence. She arranged to buy a gun, made one of her children an accomplice, drugged the husband, changed her clothes and then shot him 3 times in the head. There is no excuse for going to these lengths.

jam_mac_jam

Amazing how she had the fore thought to plan all this,yet her brain was messed up by all the abuse? Very fishy. I dont care what he did you do not have the right to murder somebody. This was not self defence he was asleep ffs.

K-9

"She told Channel Nine's A Current Affair program the final straw was when he threatened to kill one of their four children and made her draw lots to decide which one."

Suppose it shows you the type of abuse she suffered.

Always think these types of cases are because the murderer is often insane due to the abuse. No normal person would live with abuse like that or consider murder as the way out.

walshb

K-9 wrote: »

Suppose it shows you the type of abuse she have suffered.

.

May have suffered. Yet again, it is her word, as he is dead.

Now, did she have evidence to back up this claim? (which child dies). I don't see how, unless
she has a voice recording. Otherwise it is hearsay.

You'd be amazed the stories people would come up
with to defend their actions. Sure the body in the boot
case here in Ireland is because the man shot the woman by accident
when he was trying to shoot himself. You just couldn't make it up.

moonpurple

have a look of the couple in happier times

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/susan-falls-not-guilty-of-murder-20100603-x2xv.html
:pac:

“[Prosecutors] say this was a planned killing perpetrated because she hated him and she wanted to get rid of him.”

3 week case yet just 2 hours spent by jury considering a verdict..they were finished in time for supper at 4:45pm

possibly did not want to spend one more day considering the life of these two aussies