Susan Mae Polk was born in 1957. Growing up, she faced challenges that shaped her early life. She struggled with panic attacks during her teenage years. To help her, her high school recommended that she see a psychotherapist named Dr. Frank "Felix" Polk in 1972. During their time together, Susan claims that Dr. Polk became inappropriate with her when she was just 16 years old, violating the ethical guidelines of their therapist-patient relationship.

After high school, Susan attended Mills College and later transferred to San Francisco State University. She graduated magna cum laude, which means she excelled in her studies. In 1982, Susan married Dr. Polk. At the time of the wedding, she was 24 and he was 50. They had three sons together during their marriage.

As their marriage progressed, complications arose. In 2001, Susan filed for divorce, leading to a difficult legal battle. Both Susan and Dr. Polk accused each other of domestic violence. Dr. Polk eventually gained full custody of their youngest son and reduced alimony payments to Susan. In October 2002, Susan went to retrieve her belongings from their home. Just a few days later, Dr. Polk was found dead.

At trial, prosecutors argued that Susan Polk murdered her husband, Dr. Felix Polk, for financial reasons. They claimed she had planned the murder ahead of time. Susan, however, defended herself by saying she acted in self-defense after years of abuse. She stated that during an altercation, Dr. Polk threatened her with a kitchen knife. In her account, she managed to take the knife from him and stabbed him first.

To support her defense, the forensic pathologist Dr. John Cooper testified that Dr. Polk’s death was mainly due to heart disease. He said that the stab wounds were not necessarily fatal and seemed to be consistent with Susan's claim of self-defense. However, Dr. Cooper's absence from court for a day created challenges in the trial. He later returned to provide his documents and continued his testimony.

The trial faced multiple issues. It was declared a mistrial after an unrelated murder involving Susan's attorney’s wife. Susan then decided to represent herself. Throughout the trial, she brought up a history of alleged abuse from Dr. Polk, including claims of drugging and threats on her life.

Each of their children testified during the trial. Gabriel, their youngest son, found his father's body and mentioned that Susan had talked about ways to kill Dr. Polk in the weeks leading up to his death. Adam, the oldest son, testified against her. He gained media attention for his comment referring to her as being mentally unstable. Their middle son, Eli, offered a different perspective, saying that Felix was the one who had been aggressive.

The jury ultimately did not see the crime as premeditated, instead finding Susan guilty of second-degree murder. She received a sentence of 16 years to life in prison. Following her sentencing, Susan Polk was moved to a women’s prison in California. She became eligible for parole in 2018 but was denied in May 2019 for being uncooperative during her hearing. She will have another chance for parole in 2029.