Naman Shrestha
When Susan Jeanette Atkins was found dead in the bathtub of her house in Stephenville, Texas, in the summer of 1987, the entire community was shell-shocked. At the same time, a majority of them suspected her ex-husband, Michael “Mike” Woods, to be responsible for her gruesome murder. ABC’s ’20/20: There is a Monster in Me’ delves deep into the mysterious case and the decades-long investigation that followed. It was only after the real perpetrator was captured that Michael was let off the hook by the authorities. Featuring in the documentary, he talked about his experience of being under scrutiny and how it affected his life.
Michael “Mike” Woods Was a Suspect in Susan Atkins’ Murder For Nearly Two Decades
Hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana, Michael “Mike” Woods had an allegedly rough childhood, marked by his mother changing jobs constantly. In his formative years, he moved around El Paso with his mother and six siblings, leading to an unstable household. In his early teenage years, he discovered his talent and passion for playing the guitar. After his mother remarried, the family relocated to Virginia, where he honed his musical talent by performing small gigs in clubs and on street corners. By 20, he had moved to Stephenville, Texas, where he stood out, owing to his rigid personality.
Since the small town lacked an audience for his kind of music, Michael was forced to take up odd jobs. He told Texas Monthly, “I worked in a hayfield for a while. I worked at a Sonic for a little while. I went through a variety of jobs. I just did whatever I could until they got tired of me or I got tired of them.” Soon enough, he met Susan Jeanette Atkins, who worked at the sandpaper factory. The two married but had a volatile relationship as they wanted different things from life. After about five and a half years of wedlock, Michael left her with several of their belongings, including the car, in early 1987.
While leaving, Michael also left notes with negative messages for her in various spots in the house. He went straight to Indianapolis, where he lived with his brother. When Susan’s remains were discovered inside the bathtub of her Stephenville residence on July 28, 1987, the authorities suspected Michael to be involved in the murder, given his past with her. At the time, the former couple was also going through contentious divorce proceedings. Moreover, most of Susan’s loved ones, including Cindy Hayes, suspected Michael to be the perpetrator, which led to the police keeping him under suspicion for nearly 20 years.
Michael “Mike” Woods Seemingly Leads a Married Life in Indianapolis
According to Michael “Mike” Woods, he was not in Stephenville but thousands of miles away in Indianapolis at the time of Susan’s murder. In fact, he claimed that he learned about her death when the authorities knocked on his door and brought him in for questioning about the same. He was also advised not to leave town by his lawyer, as he would possibly get arrested if he tried to do so. At the time, his musical career had started to blossom, but the restriction on his movement put a dent in it, too, affecting his income. Michael went around town and played dinner music for a few bucks per night. He also performed with other bands that needed vocals for their act.
Michael stated, “I did a downhill spiral for the whole time because I tried to shrug it off and just live a normal life. I had a couple of times, because there were articles in the paper and whatnot, I had people come up to the stage and say, ‘Aren’t you the guy that killed his wife?’ Kind of puts a damper on the rest of your evening when they do that.” As a result, his mental health deteriorated, and he started going to a therapist. “…I was on antidepressants. I was taking anything anybody offered me at a gig, and I mean anything. Just anything. Get me out of this world. And I drank like a fish. Just, nothing seemed to cheer me up—or if it did, it wasn’t for long,” he said.
Years later, in 2006, suspicions around Michael disappeared when Susan Atkins’ actual killer, Joseph Scott Hatley, was apprehended. He was eventually convicted of murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison for the same. Since 2006, it is likely that Michael has rebuilt his life and remarried, but still keeps Susan’s memories alive in his heart. Despite getting cleared of the suspicions, he has been leading a private life, away from the limelight, possibly in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Read More: Susan Woods Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
