Bio

Michael Ray White was born on October 10, 1951. Little is known about his early childhood or family background. He grew up in the United States and later moved to Arizona.

As a young man, White faced various experiences that shaped his life. By the time he was an adult, he became involved in a romantic relationship with a woman named Susan Minter. Their relationship was complicated, as Minter was also involved with another man, David Johnson, who worked as a miner.

In November 1987, Susan Minter and Michael White took steps that would set them on a dark path. Minter married David Johnson and made arrangements to include herself and her children as beneficiaries on his life insurance policy.

Over the years, information about White's upbringing and daily life has not been widely documented. Most of what is known about him centers on his relationship with Minter and the events that followed.

Murder Story

Michael R. White was involved in the murder of David Johnson on December 12, 1987. White was in a romantic relationship with Susan Minter, who was also seeing Johnson, a miner from Bagdad, Arizona. Minter and White plotted to murder Johnson to collect on his life insurance policy. In November 1987, Minter married Johnson and named herself and her children as beneficiaries on the policy.

On the day of the murder, White waited outside Johnson's home for him to return from work. When Johnson arrived, White used a potato as a silencer and shot him with a .357 Magnum. He shot Johnson in the face and in the back. While this happened, Minter was inside the house. She locked the doors and did not let Johnson in as he called for help. Johnson later died that night from his injuries.

After the events, Minter was tried separately. She was convicted of first-degree murder and received a life sentence. White was sentenced to death on December 9, 1996. Aggravating circumstances for his sentence included the motive for pecuniary gain. There were no sufficient mitigating circumstances to lessen his punishment.