On the evening of June 20, 2017, in the quiet 2800 block of Oakridge Avenue in Central Point, Oregon, the life of 58-year-old Duane Levon King came to a tragic and violent end. Responding to reports of gunshots at approximately 8:25 p.m., deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office arrived to find Duane King deceased inside a recreational vehicle parked in the driveway of his home.
He had sustained fatal injuries from a gunshot wound.
As law enforcement secured the scene, a vehicle was observed leaving the vicinity. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver was identified as Duane King's 55-year-old wife, Susan Marie King. She was detained and subsequently arrested in connection with her husband's death. Investigators later revealed that Susan King's blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit at the time of her arrest.
The investigation determined that Duane King was fatally wounded by bullet fragments that ricocheted off the door of the RV. A neighbor had called 911 after hearing gunshots and someone exclaiming, "Oh my God!" The neighbor also reported seeing Duane King's feet sticking out of the RV before Susan allegedly pushed them back inside and closed the door, then drove away from the home before returning and being apprehended by police.
Susan King was initially charged with murder. During her 2018 trial, her defense argued that her extreme intoxication prevented her from knowingly waiving her Miranda rights. While acquitted of the murder charge, a jury found her guilty of first-degree manslaughter in a non-unanimous 10-2 vote. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, this conviction was later overturned in 2021 following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that non-unanimous jury verdicts were unconstitutional. After being released on bond, Susan King faced a new trial in November 2023. A jury once again convicted her of first-degree manslaughter, and she was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with credit for time already served.
