[female narrator] when shots ring out in rural new jersey,
A beloved father is left for dead.
There was bullet holes under his arms,
Blood stained on his shirt.
The ford explorer had been stolen from the backyard
After the shooting.
[narrator] now, investigators must determine
If this a random act of violence...
Or something much more sinister
The area is beautiful.
You would not anticipate a carjacking.
The circumstances were very strange, to say the least.
They were having this affair.
[narrator] a woman willing to do anything to get her way.
This woman was gonna have everybody killed.
"you got to be kidding me."
He felt if he followed along, that he would win her back.
He was extremely concerned about having to wear a wire.
She kept questioning, "why won't you come over here?"
When you're in love with somebody that much,
There's no telling what you'll do for somebody.
[music]
[narrator] April 16, 2000.
It's 9:00 pm in hamilton township, new jersey,
When a homeowner calls 911 to report a possible shooting.
[police radio chatter] [siren wailing]
[narrator] seasoned officers marcello simone
And rich destefani arrive within minutes.
It was starting to rain on our arrival.
It was a dark night. It was difficult to see.
[marcello] this location was very rural.
It's a quiet street with just a few houses
And a lot of wooded area.
[narrator] since it's a small township,
Officers notice a few familiar faces.
I recognized one of the females as susan gigliotti
And an older woman, susan's mother, ruth jones.
This was susan gigliotti's mother's house.
And it was her family who was there,
And they were the ones who called in 911.
Susan told me that her estranged husband, joe,
Was there to drop off the children.
[chris] joseph gigliotti's girlfriend, sue mcchesney,
Was present also.
She arrived with joe at the house with the children.
Sue requested to use the bathroom
And went inside the house with joseph gigliotti.
[narrator] that's when susan says she asked joe for a favor.
Susan asked her estranged husband, joe,
To check the transmission on her ford explorer
Behind the house toward the garage.
Susan had then said while she was inside with her mother,
Ruth, they heard the shots.
The bathroom was at the rear of the residence.
And sue, the girlfriend, had said that
While she was using the restroom,
She also heard the shots.
Shortly after, they heard the explorer go peeling backwards
Out of the driveway.
[narrator] susan gigliotti tells police she immediately
Went out back to look for joe.
Susan gigliotti called joe's name and couldn't find him.
It was dark, and it was raining.
It would have been hard to see in those conditions.
So she came back in the house
Because they heard what sounded like gunshots,
They called the police for shots fired.
The general reaction from everyone that was in the house
Was surprise and shock.
[narrator] as police begin to inspect the property,
Officer simone makes a gruesome discovery.
As I was going, I saw a body laying on the ground.
I approached the body and I, uh, I recognized it was joe.
The area that we patrol, you get to know your residents.
I knew joseph gigliotti.
And he was always cordial and say hi and you'd say hello back.
There was bullet holes under his arms,
Blood stained on his shirt.
It was determined that at that moment joe is deceased.
[marcello] we had a crime scene and we had to secure it.
It was scary.
We didn't know if there was somebody still around.
We knew that at least one person had left with a ford explorer.
[rich] we do know now what the shots were for.
Joe gigliotti was dead.
We didn't know where the vehicle was.
Getting to know the victim is what we needed to do.
[narrator] born in December 1967,
Joe gigliotti was a new jersey native.
The eldest of eight children,
He took on the role of caretaker at a young age--
A trait that became a defining quality.
[lauren] I think being an older brother
Is probably what gave him his sense of responsibility.
Joseph was a social butterfly.
He would talk to anybody about anything.
[kelley] at 16, joe's charisma attracted
The interest of a classmate, susan jones.
And like joe, susan was compassionate and well liked.
They went together through part of high school,
And then got married not long after.
[narrator] the high school sweethearts tied the knot
In June 1986.
Within a year, the young couple welcomed a baby boy.
In 1997, a second son followed.
Joseph was really great with his kids.
He helped them pursue their dreams.
They were the sunshine of his life.
[narrator] the young couple worked hard
To make ends meet.
[cynthia] I met susan through our job driving a school bus.
It was atlanta county special services.
It was for special needs kids--
Kids in wheelchairs, kids with autism.
And she cared for the kids a lot.
[frank] joe worked for a company that removed asbestos.
And, um, he wanted to get out of that just for health reasons
And just get into something a little safer.
[narrator] in the late '90s,
Joe enrolled in accounting classes
At stockton university in galloway township, new jersey.
[frank] joe, he was a great student.
He was doing this basically for his kids,
So they'd be financially better off.
[narrator] but eventually, joe's efforts
To build a better life for his kids
Took a toll on his marriage.
When he started going to school, it left more for her to do.
And I don't think she really wanted to do that kind of stuff.
[narrator] in early 1998, joe moved out.
But susan didn't officially file for divorce
Until September of 1999.
[lynn] their breakup was not good.
He was just so devastated
And didn't know what to do with himself.
Part of that agreement that they were working on,
Uh, included their custody sharing.
[narrator] the boys lived with susan after the split,
But joe remained an active part of their lives.
He loved his boys.
They were with him a lot, like on the weekends.
And on his days off, they were out with him.
[narrator] it wasn't long before joe found love again
With one of his classmates in school.
We just spent a lot of time together studying.
And you spend that much time together with somebody
That has similar goals, similar dreams
And it just-- we just connected.
[narrator] joe wasn't the only one who moved on.
Susan attracted the attention of 36-year-old richard debow.
[cynthia] rich got hired as an aide on the bus.
We had aides to help us with the wheelchairs
And to help take care of the kids on the bus.
[davon] my uncle rich was head over heels for susan.
My uncle was always either staying at her house
Or they were communicating on the phone.
[narrator] however, friends say susan
Wasn't ready to settle down.
She broke it off with rich after a couple of months.
Rich was easygoing and very quiet,
And she was very, like, uh, rough, not his type.
[laughs]
So, I knew that wasn't gonna last.
[narrator] by 2000, joe and lauren's relationship
Was also hitting the rocks.
His divorce had not been finalized.
Joseph and susan gigliotti were still fighting
For custody of the children.
He proposed to me no less than three times.
But joseph was helping susan out financially with the house,
And he wasn't able to contribute to our household.
Until that got figured out, I wasn't ready to go there.
[narrator] the couple split, but joe wasn't alone for long.
In March of 2000, while preparing for his cpa exam,
He met sue mcchesney.
[sue] I met him online in a chatroom for singles.
We hit it off right away.
He started bringing his children over.
I could tell he was an extremely good father
And wanted to spend as much time as possible with them.
[narrator] but sadly, joe gigliotti's time with his sons
Would be cut short.
April 16, 2000.
After discovering the gunshot-riddled body
Of joe gigliotti,
Hamilton township officers call for backup.
[rich] our next actions are to control the scene
And keep the residents inside the property,
Whether they live there or not.
Not let anybody in the backyard.
We didn't want anything contaminated.
[narrator] initially, detectives keep the news
Of joe's death quiet from the family.
Nobody really understood why they didn't keep searching
For joe in the backyard, but they said they didn't.
That's suspicious.
You have to assume that everybody is a suspect.
[narrator] coming up--
Crime scene evidence paints a chilling picture of
Joe gigliotti's final moments.
It appeared somebody may have been laying in wait.
[narrator] and officers discover
A key piece of evidence.
We did find computers at her home,
And the computers were actually stolen from the government.
[music]
[narrator] April 16, 2000.
Within an hour of joe gigliotti's murder,
Investigators are on the scene
In hamilton township, new jersey.
[rich] being a small town,
We don't do the homicide investigation on our own.
That's turned over to
The atlantic county prosecutor's office.
Once we were contacted by the department,
We then arrive and take over that scene.
I came in with my team,
And we began processing and started talking to witnesses.
[sue] I kept asking, "do you know anything about joe?
Have you heard about him? Is he okay?"
And no one would answer me.
[marcello] when susan was describing the incident,
She thought it was a, uh, carjacking, a robbery.
[narrator] but detectives aren't so sure.
It'd be very unusual for that to happen in this location
Because it is so out of the way,
As far as somebody passing through.
[narrator] as the hours tick by,
Sue mcchesney, joe's current girlfriend,
Is growing impatient as she awaits any news of joe.
I told joseph junior, "something's not right.
"I would like you to call your grandfather
And, uh, let me talk to him."
I said, "joe's not here, something happened.
Could you come pick up the kids?"
So he said, "sure."
At some point, police officers showed up and each one of us--
Myself, susan and her mother--
They took us to the police station.
[narrator] with the occupants of the house away,
Investigators are free to focus on the scene.
[chris] you can see that the victim had some type of wound
To his arm, and he had blood, uh, in his chest area.
There were no shell casings found,
Which indicates that this may have been a revolver.
There really wasn't much of a outdoor crime scene
Beyond the body.
The reality is that we don't have any indicators of anything.
The medical examiner determined that, uh,
Mr. Gigliotti was shot five times.
The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.
[narrator] joe's body is transported to
The medical examiner's office,
While detectives chase their only lead.
[chris] the victim's ex-wife, susan gigliotti,
Had a ford explorer,
And the explorer had been stolen from the backyard
After the shooting.
[narrator] authorities immediately release a bolo
For the explorer.
We put that information out countywide
As a possibly armed and dangerous individual
With a description of the vehicle.
[narrator] within an hour, police get a hit
After an officer in a neighboring town
Spots the suv.
[chris] susan gigliotti's car was located at the train station
About three miles away from the gigliotti residence
By an egg harbor city, uh, police officer.
The keys were in the vehicle, the vehicle was unlocked.
The officer indicated that he had seen a white male
Exit the vehicle and go into the train station.
Back in 2000, there was no surveillance video
At the train station.
[narrator] what's more, when they sweep the vehicle
For evidence, they come up empty handed.
The vehicle was processed.
There was nothing that was left in the vehicle
That we could see.
[narrator] with little to go on,
Investigators turn to their witnesses for answers,
Starting with joe's girlfriend, sue mcchesney.
A detective finally told me that joe was dead.
I did not find out he had been killed until that interview.
I had no idea at that point.
I couldn't believe, you know, that's what happened.
[chris] the girlfriend, sue mcchesney,
Was very affected by this incident.
Uh, she showed, uh, quite a bit of shock
And, uh, disbelief and confusion.
[narrator] despite the shocking news,
Sue mcchesney pulls herself together
To provide some crucial context
Joe had the two boys almost every weekend.
Joe never really told me very much about his ex-wife.
I had not met susan until that night.
I understood that that joe had a difficult time
Returning the children.
I could tell that there was a lot of tension there.
[narrator] sue mcchesney says on the day of the murder,
Everything felt off.
[sue] christian became sick and, uh, was running a fever,
And he started crying and whining
That he wanted his mother.
So, uh, I pretty much insisted that joe give her a call
And ask if we could return the children early.
She declined and said, "don't bring them back any earlier
Than when you're supposed to bring 'em back".
I couldn't understand why any mom
Would turn away a child that's sick and wanting them.
When I got there, I asked susan to use the bathroom.
So the four of us went into her mother's house.
[narrator] as they were exchanging the kids,
Joe's ex-wife asked him for a favor.
Susan gigliotti asked joe to go in the back yard
And check the transmission.
She said she was having problems with the transmission.
[sue] at that point, I went to the bathroom.
While I was in there, I started hearing a couple noises.
They sounded like bangs to me.
I became very concerned, and I came out, and I asked susan,
"did anyone hear the noises?"
At that point, a car drove past the house.
It just seemed like it was, like, flying past the house.
You know, joe's outside.
I wanna go take a look and see if everything's okay.
But susan stopped me at the door, and she goes,
"no, no, don't go out there. You do not know the property.
I'll go out and check."
[chris] susan gigliotti ran outside
And looked for joe gigliotti, or to see what the disturbance was.
Did not find him. Came back in the house.
When susan came back, she said, "I couldn't find him."
And I said to her, I go, "how is that even possible?
How could you not find him?"
And I said, you know, "something's not right."
I thought, maybe joe got injured.
Maybe joe is driving himself, you know, to the hospital
Or something like that.
I insisted that they call the police.
So they did.
[narrator] police allow sue mcchesney to go home
And call susan gigliotti into the room.
[kelley] based on information from other witnesses
About her contentious divorce,
Police asked susan if she had anything to do with the murder,
And she denied it.
[chris] susan gigliotti downplayed the fact
That they had a contentious situation going on.
She didn't seem overwhelmed
Or overly affected with joe's murder.
But she indicated that she had no idea
Why this would have happened.
Interviewers now wanna know who could've been responsible
For bringing harm to joe.
[narrator] that's when susan gigliotti reveals
She has a new boyfriend, steve ferman.
Steve ferman and susan met each other
Through a online chatroom,
And then they eventually met in person.
[narrator] without any prompting,
Susan admits the two have a side business...An illegal one.
[chris] she said her boyfriend, steve ferman,
Worked for the federal government,
And they had a warehouse in brooklyn.
They stored computers up there.
And they were interested in getting as many computers
As they could out of there
And bringing them back to susan's house
With the intention of selling those computers.
[narrator] what's more, susan says joe recently found out
About the operation.
[chris] joe gigliotti had found the stolen items
In susan's house during one of his, uh, drop-offs
For visitation and was not happy with it.
[narrator] susan admits she worried that joe would use
This discovery against her
And file for sole custody of their children.
Joseph had an opportunity to call the police
And have susan removed from the home because of it.
I told him to do it.
And he said to me, "I can't do that to her, lauren,
She's the mother of my children."
He wanted whatever was best for the kids,
Which he felt was staying in their home.
He did not want to disrupt their lives,
So he wasn't trying to take them anywhere.
[narrator] investigators obtain a warrant
To search susan gigliotti's home for evidence.
[timothy] we did find computers at susan's home.
We were able to establish that the computers
Were actually stolen from the government.
So steve ferman is another person of interest.
We suspected that steve ferman had some aspect of involvement
In the death of joe gigliotti.
[narrator] coming up, rumors of a jilted lover.
There was some belief that he may have been
Stalking susan at one point.
For the ex-boyfriend to be in the picture,
He obviously became someone we immediately wanna speak with.
[narrator] and investigators uncover
A big break in the case.
The man was extremely nervous, sweating profusely.
[music]
[narrator] within a few hours of the murder of joe gigliotti,
His soon to be ex-wife, susan, tells investigators
That joe recently found out about her illegal side business
[chris] there was a ongoing dispute between susan and joe
Regarding this.
She did confess that she participated in this theft
With her boyfriend, steven ferman.
He needed to be interviewed.
[narrator] when steve sits down with investigators
On April 17, he reveals another twist.
The fact the steve ferman was married
Did come up in our interview.
Steven told me that he was having this affair
And that he deeply cared for susan gigliotti.
[chris] he says he's in love with her,
That they've been seeing each other for quite a while,
And that eventually he would like to start a life with her.
[narrator] detectives push steve for more information
About the stolen computers.
[narrator] while steve admits to the theft,
He's avoiding the elephant in the room.
He really wasn't talking about the homicide very much.
And when he did talk about the relationship between
Susan gigliotti and joe gigliotti,
It was always how terrible joe is.
That is an immediate red flag.
In my mind, my immediate response was
It was a misdirection.
[narrator] detectives believe steve may be hiding something,
But release him for now.
When detectives question susan's family members,
Suddenly a new person of interest surfaces--
Richard debow.
[chris] we always ask in a situation such as this,
Who were prior boyfriends?
Was there anybody that might be jealous?
And, uh, rich debow's name came up through a family member
As a former friend or lover of susan gigliotti.
And family members indicated that there was some belief
That he may have been stalking susan at one point.
[timothy] for the ex-boyfriend to be in the picture,
He obviously became someone
We immediately wanna speak with as well.
We were able to pick him up, bring him in.
[narrator] investigators press rich debow
About his whereabouts the day of the shooting.
Rich told us that day that he followed his normal routine.
I believe he worked, he walked the boardwalk in atlantic city,
And then he caught the train back to egg harbor city.
And from there he went home, and that was the end of his day.
[narrator] although authorities need to verify rich's alibi,
He seems harmless.
[timothy] he wanted to cooperate.
He didn't have extensive violent criminal history.
There was no indication in the world
For us to believe that he was involved.
[narrator] with no leads from their initial interviews,
Investigators seek out joe's friends and family,
Looking for more clues.
All the information that everyone provided was that
He was a nice guy that nobody had a problem with,
That nobody was aware that he had any issues with anyone
Other than his ex-wife.
[maddy] there was that custody battle between them
For their two children,
So it was not a good situation.
[narrator] the family tells investigators
At one point, susan claimed joe had abused her
During their marriage.
[chris] susan had alleged a number of assaults.
At one point, she said, I think,
That she had a broken nose caused by joe
During a domestic dispute.
[narrator] however, detectives find no record of abuse.
There was no proof submitted to the court that would sustain
A charge of domestic abuse.
[narrator] they do uncover threats of violence.
However, they didn't come from joe.
[chris] friends indicated that susan gigliotti was aware that
Joseph gigliotti had an insurance policy,
And had made statements to them that it would be easier
If joe was dead, that she wouldn't have to go through
The aggravation of a divorce.
[narrator] could susan have followed through
With her threats?
Or did someone intervene on her behalf?
Detectives suspect steve ferman knows much more than he claims.
So they circle back to him on April 19th.
[chris] during the first interview with steve ferman,
He was very evasive and very vague in his answers.
We brought him back in, and then we brought up our belief
That this was an arranged murder, that he knew about it.
The man was extremely nervous, sweating profusely.
He just was a mess.
[narrator] eventually, the pressure pays off.
[narrator] steve may not know the name of the alleged shooter
However, investigators believe they do.
Rich debow, her former lover.
Rich debow would do anything for her.
[narrator] while steve denies any involvement in the murder,
He's not in the clear just yet.
[chris] at the point that steve ferman admitted his knowledge,
He's now a conspirator.
We felt as though he'd be an asset to us
If he would cooperate.
[narrator] on April 19, 2000,
Steve agrees to wear a wire
In an effort to get susan to confess
And to reveal the alleged gunman's identity.
[chris] steve ferman was nervous.
He was gonna try to confirm with her
That rich debow was the shooter.
He needed her to admit and say names
And prove what steve had said was true.
Steve was concerned that she was going to figure it out.
It's an extremely dangerous situation
Where you're putting a wire on someone's body.
[narrator] coming up, steve puts his life on the line.
We can't eliminate all risk in situations like this.
It becomes apparent that susan may be sensing
That ferman's up to something.
[narrator] as detectives close in,
One man can't handle the pressure.
[timothy] he threw his hands in the air,
And he said "ok, ok, ok, I'm gonna tell you what happened."
If looks could kill, he'd be dead right there in the chair.
[music]
[narrator] April 19, 2000.
Authorities in hamilton township, new jersey
Are closing in on the main suspects
In the murder of joe gigliotti.
After his ex-wife's lover steve ferman
Agrees to cooperate with investigators.
[timothy] we had to give mr. Ferman
Explicit instructions.
He was extremely concerned about having to wear a wire.
He was concerned for his safety.
We're actually sending steve ferman in with a person
Who we believe had a hand in committing homicide.
And we can't eliminate all risk in situations like this,
And that's why it's voluntary.
[chris] steve ferman was made aware of the fact
That we would maintain surveillance.
And we also provided him with a code word
Should anything go wrong.
[timothy] we have teams in place that can respond
If it becomes extremely dangerous.
[narrator] on April 19th, aroun 5:00 pm,
Investigators take their places
[chris] I have a van,
Which is equipped with monitoring devices.
In this particular case, the house could be surveilled.
We then sent steve ferman in his own vehicle
To susan gigliotti's house.
He pulled in to the driveway,
And ms. Gigliotti came out of her house.
She was very guarded. She did attempt to hug him.
He was able to rebuff that attempt.
She kept questioning, "why won't you come over here?
Are you wired? Let me pat you down."
Mr. Ferman started requesting to know
What mrs. Gigliotti had said to authorities,
That he was very concerned that he was going to go to jail.
Ms. Gigliotti indicated that you don't have to worry about that,
You weren't involved, it was rich debow.
That was the first time we got any confirmation
From mrs. Gigliotti
That mr. Ferman was telling the truth.
They said their goodbyes, and mr. Ferman left in the vehicle.
[narrator] investigators immediately locate rich debow
And bring him back in for questioning.
We brought rich back in for a second interview.
We couldn't find any evidence at all
That he did what he claimed he had done on that day.
[narrator] before investigators lay out their cards,
They first confront rich about his shaky alibi
For the night of joe's murder.
Initially, rick debow had indicated that he was, uh,
In atlantic city, and nobody could verify it.
That's all it took for mr. Debow
To decide it was time to tell the truth.
Rich threw his hands in the air, and he said, literally,
"ok, ok, ok, I'm gonna tell you what happened."
He said the murder plot was actually discussed
Several months before it occurred.
Rich debow believed everything susan gigliotti told him,
That she's being abused by joe gigliotti,
That she wants to be with him, rich debow,
For the rest of his life, because that's who he is.
He wants to hear these things, so he believes them.
[narrator] rich tells detectives
That susan gigliotti first approached him months earlier
With her plan.
He proceeded to tell us how he committed the murder
And what he did after.
Every time he would respond, he would end it with,
"I'm not a cold-hearted monster."
On April 16th, it was around 8:30 that susan gigliotti came
And picked him up and drove home to susan's parents' house.
[narrator] rich says that susan handed him a black revolver
And left the keys in the explorer
So he could make his escape.
[maddy] joe came to the house to drop off the children.
Susan asked him to change her transmission fluid in her car.
He went out there, and that's when richard debow
Was laying in wait.
He said when gigliotti bent down
To look in the engine compartment, he shot him.
[timothy] rich shot him a couple times.
Joe was begging for his life, asking rich,
"please, please stop."
And when we asked rich, "what did you do next?"
His response was, "I shot him again."
And with that, rich took a long breath, and he paused,
And then he looked at us, and he says,
"I guess I am a cold-hearted monster."
[narrator] rich explains that after shooting joe,
He took off in the ford explore as susan had planned.
[timothy] he then made his way back to egg harbor city.
He went to the train station,
And then he proceeded to go home.
Mr. Debow said that he had gloves on
At the time of the murder.
That he took the gloves, he took the weapon,
And he threw them in a trash can as he walked towards his house.
He said that he didn't know what trash can
He dropped the items in, and we never recovered the weapon.
[narrator] to detectives, rich's motive
Is one as old as time.
[chris] rich debow felt if he followed along
And did what susan asked him to do, that he would win her back.
He did it because he wanted to be with susan gigliotti,
And she asked him, and that's all it took.
[narrator] but debow isn't done talking just yet
And makes another shocking confession.
[timothy] that's when rich started telling us about
The plan to murder steve ferman's wife, carrie,
Which was news to us.
It was a, "you gotta be kidding me."
That murder was to occur
Two weeks after the murder of joe gigliotti.
It was a very bone-chilling moment.
[narrator] investigators charge rich debow with murder
And issue a warrant for susan gigliotti's arrest.
A team brought susan gigliotti in.
When susan came in, she saw rich,
At which point she stopped at the door
And rich said, "I told 'em everything."
[chris] susan gigliotti said,
"who do you think you're talking to?
I told you keep your mouth shut."
Rich debow responded by saying, "it's too late.
We're both going down together."
If looks could kill, he'd be dead right there.
[narrator] coming up, investigators determine
If another arrest is needed.
[narrator] and susan's fate is left in the hands of the jury.
[cynthia] she didn't pull a trigger, but she planned it.
I don't understand. I still to this day don't.
[music]
[narrator] April 19, 2000.
As new jersey authorities close in on susan gigliotti
For the murder of her ex-husband, joe,
They have just learned of another stunning murder plot.
[timothy] in addition to rich debow confessing to,
Uh, murdering joe gigliotti,
He was also slated to murder stephen ferman's wife, carrie.
[maddy] susan wanted to be with steve.
She wanted his wife dead,
And she wanted just everybody out of the way
So she could have her new life.
[narrator] in the interrogation room, unlike rich
Susan keeps her mouth shut.
She's under arrest. She's not saying a word.
If we didn't know her name,
We probably wouldn't have got that out of her.
We got no information from her.
[narrator] now the burning question is
Whether steve ferman was part of the deadly scheme.
[narrator] in the end, authorities decide
Not to press conspiracy charges against steve ferman.
[timothy] charges were filed against steve ferman
For the computer theft.
As far as his conspiracy in the death of joe gigliotti,
We didn't have a strong case against him
Based on the evidence we had.
In addition, he was cooperating with us.
[chris] there was no pursuit of charges,
Because mr. Ferman was
Very instrumental in us solving this case.
[narrator] in March 2002, the case finally goes to trial.
[timothy] rich debow, steve ferman,
All of 'em turn against susan gigliotti.
[narrator] on March 21st,
After only 90 minutes of deliberation,
The jury reaches a verdict.
They did what they needed to do, hour and a half,
And she was guilty of murder.
[lauren] susan was convicted of murder in the first degree,
Various other weapons charges,
And I believe stolen goods charges.
And she was sentenced to life,
But she does, uh, have the option for parole
After 30 years.
[chris] I-I think she got what she deserved.
She's evil and she's a manipulator.
[narrator] in January of 2003,
Rich debow is convicted of joe gigliotti's murder,
Conspiracy to commit murder, and weapons charges.
He's sentenced to 40 years in prison.
[davon] I feel bad for him, you know?
He was manipulated by this woman to do this crazy act,
To take a man's life.
When you're in love with somebody that much
And they take advantage of that, you know,
There's no telling what you'll do for somebody.
[narrator] the shockwaves of susan's manipulation
Are widespread.
She didn't care about the kids of ferman's.
She didn't care about her children.
She didn't care about, about debow's family.
Joe gigliotti is dead,
And his family mourns his death every single day.
[cynthia] she didn't pull a trigger, but she planned it.
She took a great dad from them.
He was a fantastic father.
I don't understand. I still to this day don't.
[lauren] joseph's legacy is his kids.
They are amazing kids that have had to grow up through this,
And still have been able to succeed and thrive,
And are both doing extremely well.
And that is,
That's his legacy, 100%,
And a worthy one.
[music]