Dateline: Who was Christopher Sutton and what did he do? Details of Florida man's crimes, explored 

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered has been exploring some of the most shocking and mysterious cases in the United States, and here we're talking about a son's burning desire to kill his parents.

Yes, that's right. This case on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is about a young man named Christopher Sutton who orchestrated the killing of John and Susan Sutton. He was one of the adopted children of the Suttons who lived in Coral Gables, Florida.

While the couple loved their son, Christopher had been planning to kill them. On August 22, 2004, the Sutton family including Christopher's fiancée, Juliette Driscoll were invited to celebrate Susan's 57th birthday and her husband's legal victories.

The family celebration later turned into horror when John and Susan were attacked by an intruder. He fired multiple shots at Susan Sutton, followed by John Sutton to his head. Shockingly, John Sutton was able to call 911 and even survived the gunshots.

However, he couldn't save his wife as Susan endured several shots that resulted in her death. Since there were no signs of robbery or another motive, the authorities suggested it was a targeted attack.

Continue reading to know the complete details of this case and how Christopher Sutton was caught.

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Dateline tracks Florida man's sinister plan to kill his parents: Only one could survive

As mentioned above, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered tracked down the case of Christopher Sutton in the episode "Blind Justice", revealing how a tragedy struck in the middle of the night in August 2004. Soon after the attacker entered their house, he fired six shots at Susan and caused her death.

Whereas her husband John Sutton was shot twice and miraculously survived. Per CBS News, John Sutton said:

"Everybody says it was somewhat of a miracle that I survived. I lost a tremendous amount of blood... They apparently gave me last rites. They thought that I was gone."

He also called 911 after being fatally injured and the police immediately began its quest to find the murderer. They first suspected Sutton's law firm partner Teddy Montoto as he was on a call with Susan on the day of the attack.

Not only this, but Montoto also had a 9mm handgun—the same caliber used in the crime. However, he came out clean and confessed to having an affair with Susan Sutton.

The investigators also looked into a violent client of John Sutton but was proven innocent. Now that the police had no clear suspects, they turned their attention to Christopher Sutton.

Also Read: 5 harrowing details about the murder of Rob Limon on Dateline, explored

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Christopher Sutton had a dark past: Dateline reveals his history with violence

Christopher Sutton had been a troublesome child from an early age, who even vandalized one of his teacher's homes. Since his violence was reaching its peak, John and Sutton decided to control his behavior and sent him to a strict disciplinary school in Samoa called Paradise Cove.

Despite Christopher's objection to attending Paradise Cove, the Sutton couple got him admitted. They wanted their child to learn to control his anger and not indulge in crimes. As shared by Susan's sister Mary Marier:

"She [Susan] loved those children. And she loved them unconditionally."

Christopher was the first adopted child of the Suttons and spent almost 30 months at the disciplinary school. He was 19 when he returned home and relied on his parents for his financial needs.

As shared by Juliette Driscoll:

"They paid rent. They paid car payments. They paid insurance payments. They paid bills. They took us on vacations. He wanted more."

She continued:

"He [Christopher] said... he could find somebody to kill his parents."

While the couple was fulfilling all his needs, Christopher was harboring deep resentment over his time at the facility. As explained in the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode, investigators then found that his hidden anger had festered into a deadly plot to kill John and Susan Sutton.

Also Read: 5 disturbing facts about the Bailey Sharp murder case on Dateline, explored

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The trial and conviction of Christopher Sutton

As revealed in Dateline: Secret Uncovered episode, it was Christopher Sutton's grudge that led him to plan the murder of his parents. However, instead of carrying out the attack himself, he hired another man named Garrett Kopp.

In 2005, police received a tip from Kopp's ex-girlfriend about the case, and later investigators found that Christopher spoke to Kopp on the night of his parents' murder. The police also discovered that the weapon used in the killings belonged to Kopp.

When confronted for his crime, Garrett Kopp revealed being hired by Christopher Sutton to kill John and Susan Sutton. This was Christopher's payback to his adoptive parents for sending him to Paradise Cove.

He was arrested in 2005, and the trial began in 2010, the same year when Christopher Sutton was declared guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder. He was given three life terms without parole.

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Also Read: Dateline: Righteous Obsession — What happened to Milton Henry Sawyer? Details of the antique store owner's murder, explored

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