In the quiet community of Bagdad, Arizona, a fatal encounter unfolded, leading to the death of David Johnson. The incident, which took place on December 12, 1987, was not a random act of violence but rather the culmination of a sinister plot. Johnson was shot outside his own home, a place that should have been his sanctuary. The male victim suffered gunshot wounds to his chin and lower back.
Despite the grave nature of his injuries, testimony presented later suggested that the wounds themselves were not immediately fatal and that he might have survived were it not for subsequent medical 'carelessness' at the hospital where he was taken for treatment.
The investigation into the shooting quickly unraveled a story of betrayal and greed. At the center of the conspiracy was David Johnson's own wife, Susan Minter, and her lover, Michael Ray White. The two had met and begun an affair while working at a Prescott nursing home. The motive behind the murder was a life insurance policy on David Johnson, which Susan had inquired about in the months leading up to the shooting. White had confided in his estranged wife and a friend that Susan wanted him to kill her husband. In the days leading up to the murder, White purchased a. 357 Magnum from a pawn shop and had told his wife not to worry about missed child-support payments, hinting at a future windfall of $100,000 from Susan.
On the night of the shooting, as David Johnson lay wounded and calling for help, Susan, who was inside the house, locked him out. In the immediate aftermath, she attempted to deflect suspicion by blaming her ex-husband. However, the focus of the police investigation soon narrowed in on her and Michael Ray White. The evidence against White was substantial; upon his arrest on December 18, authorities found an empty box of bullets, a holster, a ski mask, and a bag of potatoes in his car. The potatoes were significant as the gunman had used one as a makeshift silencer for the murder weapon. Susan was arrested five days later, on December 23.
Both Michael Ray White and Susan Minter were tried and convicted of murder and conspiracy. Susan received two sentences of 25 years to life in prison. Michael Ray White, on the other hand, was sentenced to death. The prosecution's argument for the death penalty hinged on the aggravating circumstance of murder for monetary gain. Years later, a federal appeals court would reverse White's death sentence, citing his lawyer's failure to challenge the monetary gain claim and to present mitigating factors from White's life. Even the original prosecutor in the case later testified that he believed Susan was the instigator and 'the brains' behind the murder, and that the death penalty was not appropriate for White.
