Neighbors tell different story of suspect

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002 | 8:22 a.m.

Susanne Carno, perfect wife and mother or adulterous wife desperate to kill her husband?

In the two weeks since she was indicted in the slaying of her husband, Richard, two distinct pictures of Carno have emerged.

Prosecutors portray Carno as a financially strapped woman bored with her husband and desperate enough to hire her brother to have him killed. Neighbors said she was a loving wife in what appeared to be a good marriage.

According to police, the couple owed at least $30,000 in credit card debts and had taken out $500,000 life insurance policies six months before Richard Carno died.

Richard Carno, who was married to Susanne for four years, was found dead Jan. 31.

A black plastic trash bag with slits for eye holes, duct tape and rope were found lying across Carno's chest. An autopsy revealed Carno, 36, died as a result of asphyxia due to strangulation or suffocation.

Susanne's brother, John Brian Ray, was arrested shortly after the body was found, when police learned he reportedly told friends his sister had agreed to pay him $50,000 to kill Richard Carno just six weeks before the slaying.

Susanne Carno was indicted Oct. 24 following a special grand jury investigation.

Discovered during that investigation was an e-mail purportedly written by Susanne Carno to her brother one month before the slaying.

In asking for Carno to be denied bail, Chief Deputy District Attorney David Schwartz provided the e-mail to District Judge Joseph Bonaventure.

It says: "How about 50 bucks ... I will give you 50 bucks if you get it done right away. I am going nuts waiting. If you are not going to do it, just tell me, and I will either do it myself, or find someone who will. Just tell me either way. I want this done and I am tired of waiting. Call me today. Your sister."

While prosecutors allege the e-mail concerns Richard's slaying, Carno's attorney, Deputy Special Public Defender Alzora Jackson, says the siblings were discussing the construction of a bookcase.

In grand jury transcripts, neighbors portray an entirely different woman than the one prosecutors describe. The neighbors describe the Carnos as a loving couple who suffered from financial difficulties as the result of the adoption of several children.

Dennis Lee Wagoner, a neighbor, called the couple's relationship one of "give and take."

"To me, they were like any other normal couple, but I really respected both of them for the things, the kinds of things they did," Wagoner said. "They were very family-oriented ....They were very, very good for each other. They balanced each other out well."

Jenifer and Shawn Olson, who lived near the Carnos two years, described the couple as "happy" and gave details about get-togethers the four of them would have.

And while Susanne Carno's sister, Amy Mills, said her sister told her she loved her ex-husband more than Richard, she believed the couple to be happy.

"Richard and Susanne never fought. They called each other all throughout the day and, you know, they were great friends," Mills said.

Susanne was so upset when the police came to tell her Richard's body was found, she forced her sister to drive her around looking for him, Mills said.

"She didn't believe they had the right person," Mills said.