Attempted murder of Sue Reuschel by millionaire husband Michael Reuschel examined on 48 Hours on ID

Mugshot of Michael Reuschel
Michael Reuschel was sentenced to 30 years for the attempted murder of his wife, Sue Reuschel. Pic credit: Florida Dept. of Corrections

48 Hours on ID is investigating the 2018 attempted murder of Sue Reuschel by her husband, Michael Reuschel, in Gainesville, Florida.

The Reuschel’s were a financially successful couple with millions of dollars; however, the couple argued frequently, and one night it ended in an attempted murder.

In the early hours of February 3, 2018, the police received an emergency call from Michael Reuschel, who informed them that he and his wife, Sue, were bleeding after being attacked by an intruder in a home invasion.

When the police arrived, they found Sue had suffered severe injuries that included two stab wounds to her neck and wounds to her stomach and wrist. Michael was bleeding from his arm.

When questioned, Michael told cops that he had been woken by his wife’s screams and was then attacked by an intruder with a ski mask, who then fled the scene.

However, when Sue was well enough to give the police a statement from her hospital bed, she told them that the attacker had been her husband.

Sue explained that Michael had stabbed her at the end of an argument and had then waited 25 minutes before calling an ambulance. Having first told her she was going to die; he then demanded that she lie to the police and tell them an intruder had attacked them.

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Sue later told the cops that she would have agreed to anything in order to get him to call for medical help.

Michael and Sue Reuschel had a difficult relationship

The investigators subsequently learned that the Reuschel’s had had a tempestuous marriage that had included vicious arguments, angry text messages, and even physical abuse from both parties.

The couple had reportedly argued about the cost of Michael’s daughter’s wedding, which ran 100s of 1000s of dollars over budget. Michael’s daughter, Caroline, believes that her wedding was the catalyst that caused so much tension between her father and stepmother.

At Michael’s trial, the prosecution would later argue that the attempted murderer had feared losing half his wealth in a divorce case. They argued that he decided to murder his wife rather than share his money and assets.

The defense argued that Sue had brought the knife into the home and that she had received her injuries in the ensuing scuffle. They also claimed that the idea that Michael didn’t want to share his money is “ridiculous” and pointed to the 1.7 million dollar mansion he bought for her in Ponte Vedra.

However, in November 2019, a jury sided with the prosecution and found Michael guilty of attempted murder along with four other charges that included false imprisonment, refusing medical care to a victim of a crime, tampering with evidence, and intimidating a witness/victim.

He was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attempted murder, and he was given five years for each of the other offenses. He continues to maintain his innocence.

More from 48 Hours on ID

Follow the links to hear about more crimes investigated on 48 Hours on ID.

In a case with many similarities, from Maypearl, Texas, Sandra Garner claims that her husband, Jon Garner, was murdered in a home invasion. The cops charged Sandra with the crime, but the prosecution was unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she was the killer.

In a case going way back in time, 48 Hours took on the case of Lizzie Borden, who was accused of murdering her father and her stepmother in 1892. She was acquitted of the brutal ax murder after a jury of all men concluded that a woman wasn’t capable of performing such a horrific crime.

48 Hours on ID airs at 8/7c on Investigation Discovery.

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