In the spring of 1982, Susan Irving, a 34-year-old woman living in Kansas City, Missouri, found herself in a marriage that was spiraling into violence. Her husband was a man named Michael Herbert Singh, who was then on a work-release program from a state prison. Susan had become the target of his violent outbursts, a pattern of abuse that would soon escalate with fatal consequences.
She took a brave step to protect herself, but the system that held her husband accountable was not enough to save her life.
Just weeks before her death, Susan filed a formal assault complaint against Singh. On May 13, 1982, she reported to authorities that he had brutally kicked her in the face and ribs. This act of courage resulted in an assault charge against Singh, and a court date was set for June 3. For Susan, it was a move toward freedom and safety. For Singh, a man already convicted of killing a previous wife, it was a threat to his control. He had a history of escalating violence against the women in his life, and Susan had become his latest victim.
On May 25, 1982, before he was scheduled to appear in court, Singh fled his work-release program with a singular, violent purpose. He went directly to Susan’s home in Kansas City, abducted her, and forced her into a vehicle. He drove her to a quiet, rural area near Camden Point in Platte County. There, his rage culminated in a final, brutal act. He bludgeoned Susan to death with a blunt instrument, ending the life of the woman who had tried to escape his abuse.
In a chilling turn of events, Singh’s attempt to conceal his crime was accidentally thwarted. As he was trying to bury Susan’s body in a shallow grave, a pair of police officers happened upon the scene. They were not looking for a killer; they were simply responding to a routine trespassing complaint. Singh was caught in the very act of hiding his victim. Panicked, he attempted to flee but was apprehended after a short chase, bringing his violent spree to an immediate end.
Michael Herbert Singh, born Rupert Sookman, was a serial killer responsible for the deaths of at least three women between 1975 and 1982. Before murdering Susan, he had shot and killed his second wife, Mary Singh, in 1976. For that crime, he was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to just 10 years in prison. It was during his work release from this sentence that he met, married, and murdered Susan. His first known victim was 16-year-old Candace Lynn Starr, whom he killed in New Mexico in 1975.
For the murder of Susan Irving, the legal system reached a different conclusion. During his trial in July 1984, some psychiatrists testified that Singh was "grossly disturbed." Ultimately, a jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity. Instead of returning to prison, he was committed to the Fulton Medical Clinic, a secure mental health facility. His life of violence ended there on March 30, 2005, when he was stabbed to death by a fellow inmate. Susan's case was the last in a tragic series of homicides that left multiple families devastated.
