Jeffrey Bernard Morris has been found guilty of murdering poker player Susie Zhao in July 2020. A Michigan jury took less than an hour to find 62-year-old Morris guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and felony murder in Oakland County Circuit Court on Friday, October 7.
Guilty Verdict in Susie Zhao Murder Trial
It has taken more than two years for justice to finally be served in this case. In July 2020, 33-year-old Susie Zhao’s badly burned and mutilated body was discovered in a parking lot near forest ground.
Justice for Susie Zhao
Jeffery Morris had violently sexually assaulted Zhao before setting her on fire while still alive.
Nothing will bring Susie Zhao back to life. Nothing will erase the horror she experienced or that which her family and friends will live with forever. But perhaps the swift guilty verdict will provide a little sense of justice. #JusticeForSusieQ ❤️
— Jennifer Newell (@WriterJen) October 7, 2022
The trial only required two days of testimony from 17 witnesses and the following day prosecutors and defence counsel delivered their closing arguments.
The evidence was overwhelming and included cell phone location tracking placing Morris and Zhao in close proximity on the day in question.
Morris is said to have searched for violent pornography on close to 2,000 occasions, many of these searches detailed acts the prosecutors assert Morris inflicted upon Susie Zhao.
DNA evidence from internal swabs also linked Morris to the crime scene.
How Could this Happen?
It is unclear how Susie Zhao met Jeffery Morris or what their relationship was, but we learned that Zhao was in a vulnerable state having been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
In 2015, Zhao’s mother, Fang Dai, tried to have her committed to a psychiatric hospital and claim guardianship over her.
Jeffrey Bernard Morris will be sentenced on November 10 and faces two life sentences without parole on both counts.
Jeffery Morris, convicted sex offender, watched extreme violent porn (is this not monitored for sex offenders??) right before murder/torture of Susie Zhao. #justiceforsusieq goes beyond life in prison for accused murderer Jeffery Morris. https://t.co/mRtVWeBWAo
— Jennifer Shahade (@JenShahade) October 6, 2022
Who Was Susie Zhao?
Susie Zhao was fondly thought of in the poker community. A strong player who was noted for deep runs at the World Series of Poker and her appearances on Live at the Bike.
Zhao’s live tournament earnings totalled $222,671 and her record shows that she narrowly missed out on two WSOP final tables in 2009 and 2012, finishing 15th in both events.
She was also completely at home in high stakes live cash games too. Check out the video below to see Susie Zhao in action on Live at the Bike.
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