A Texas woman who was convicted of brutally murdering her husband more than 20 years ago has been charged in an apparent hit-and-run crash, according to court documents.
Arrest for Hit-and-Run
Susan Wright, who now goes by her maiden name Wyche, was arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly hitting someone's vehicle in Harris County and fleeing the scene. It is unclear where the incident precisely occurred, but authorities said Wyche, 50, slammed into the other person's vehicle and caused at least $200 worth of damage. Wyche was charged with failure to stop and give information, a misdemeanor offense. She posted bond and is due to appear in court on May 7.
Background of the Murder
On January 13, 2003, Wyche tied her naked husband, Jeff Wright, to their bed with neckties and a bathrobe before stabbing him 193 times. She used two different knives, and seven of the wounds were in his groin area. Wyche, then 26, buried her 34-year-old husband in the backyard of their home in northwest Harris County. The couple had been married for four years and had two young children at the time: a four-year-old son and a daughter who was 18 months old.
Two days after the murder, Wyche submitted a domestic abuse report. Within a week, her attorney claimed she killed Jeff in self-defense after he allegedly spent years beating her.
Trial and Sentencing
In her 2004 trial, prosecutors argued that Wyche's motive was financial gain, telling the jury she was the beneficiary of her husband's $200,000 life insurance policy. Prosecutors also said Wyche 'undertook an elaborate plan to seduce [Jeff] so that, in anticipation of lovemaking, he would allow her to tie him to their bed.' 'Once Jeff was tied up and defenseless, she emerged with a knife and, with unfathomable anger, brutally stabbed him over and over again,' they said.
The trial included a dramatic reenactment of the murder, during which Wyche was seen crying. Prosecutors hauled the blood-soaked mattress into the courtroom and proceeded to go through the state's theory of the case. Paul Doyle, a then-assistant district attorney, was tied to the bedframe by his wrists and ankles. Once he was secure, lead prosecutor Kelly Siegler straddled him and performed mock stabbing motions while questioning a state expert. This 20-minute demonstration, combined with the financial motive, convinced the jury of her guilt. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Appeals and Release
In 2010, Wyche succeeded in getting her sentence reduced by five years after arguing she had ineffective counsel during the penalty phase. Ahead of her re-sentencing trial, Jeff's former fiancee testified during an appeals hearing that she had been beaten by him while they were together. Ultimately, Wyche served 16 years in prison and was released on parole in 2020. Her parole officially concluded in February 2024, meaning she has been a free woman for more than two years. While on parole, she was on intensive supervision, including wearing an ankle monitor, and submitted to mandatory anger management counseling classes.
