How Suzan Kuhnhausen Survived the Unthinkable

Suzan Kuhnhausen is a woman who survived a brutal attack by a hitman hired by her estranged husband in 2006. She fought back and killed the assailant in self-defense, using her skills as an emergency room nurse.

The Attack

On September 6, 2006, Suzan Kuhnhausen returned home from a long shift at Providence Portland Medical Center in Oregon, where she worked as an ER nurse for 30 years. She found a note from her husband of 18 years, Mike Kuhnhausen, saying that he had left for the beach. She went upstairs to their bedroom and was ambushed by a man hiding behind the door. He was Edward Haffey, a 59-year-old with a long criminal record, who had been paid $50,000 by Mike Kuhnhausen to kill her.

Haffey attacked Suzan with a claw hammer, hitting her on the temple. Suzan realized that he was there to kill her and fought back with all her strength.

She tackled him, wrestled the hammer from him, hit him on the head, bit him on the arm and thigh, and choked him until he stopped breathing. The struggle lasted about 15 minutes and left Suzan with a fractured skull, a split lip, and multiple bruises.

The Bruises on Susan’s face

Suzan ran to her neighbor’s house and called 911. She told the dispatcher that she had killed an intruder who had tried to murder her. She also said that she suspected that her husband was behind the plot.

911 dispatcher: “What did she use on him? She strangled him. What else did she do?”

Anne Warnock, neighbor: “She put a chokehold on him.”

“I’ve got help on the way. Stay on the line.”

“She has a hammer here.”

“Don’t touch it. Don’t touch it. Just leave it there.”

“She hit him in the head several times. That’s the hammer he had with him. She struck him, and she strangled him, and she thinks he’s dead.”

—911 call on Sept. 6, 2006.

The Investigation

The police arrived at the scene and confirmed that Haffey was dead. They also found evidence linking him to Mike Kuhnhausen, such as a backpack with a day planner that had Mike’s name and address, a rental agreement with Mike’s signature, and a note that said “Call Mike, Get Letter”.

The hit man left behind a backpack that also contained damning evidence—Mike’s new cellphone number and a daybook with a note to “call Mike” two days before the attack.

The police arrested Mike Kuhnhausen and charged him with solicitation of aggravated murder. They discovered that he had hired Haffey through a mutual acquaintance who was also a convicted felon. They also learned that Mike had been abusive to Suzan during their marriage and that she had filed for divorce in June 2006.

Mike Kuhnhausen pleaded not guilty and claimed that he had no involvement in the murder-for-hire scheme. He said that he had hired Haffey to spy on his wife and gather evidence for the divorce case. He also said that he had left for the beach because he was depressed and suicidal.

Susan and her husband Mike

However, the jury did not believe his story and found him guilty in April 2007. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He appealed his conviction but lost in 2009. He died of natural causes in prison in 2014.

Motive

Mike learnt Susan had removed him from her life insurance policy, however, the couple’s how was worth about $300,000. He hoped to get it once Susan was dead.

The Aftermath

Suzan Kuhnhausen survived the attack but suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. She changed her last name to Walters and moved to a new house.

Susan and Mike in an older photo

She continued to work as a nurse and also became an advocate for domestic violence survivors. She spoke at public events, shared her story with the media, and supported legislation to protect victims of abuse.

Suzan Walters said that she did not regret killing Haffey because it was either him or her. She said that she was proud of herself for fighting back and saving her own life. She also said that she hoped that her story would inspire other women to stand up for themselves and seek help if they are in abusive relationships.

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