A WEALTHY FLORIDA BUSINESSMAN ARRESTED AFTER A VIOLENT CONFRONTATION WITH HIS WIFE - SHE SURVIVED - DID HIS DAUGHTER'S SUMPTUOUS WEDDING LEAD TO MURDEROUS RAGE?

"48 Hours" Investigates in "Reuschel vs. Reuschel"

Saturday, April 4, 10:00 PM

When police were called to an upscale Gainesville, Fla., home in February 2018, they found Mike and Sue Reuschel stabbed and bleeding. Mike Reuschel, a multimillionaire, told police an intruder had slipped into the house and attacked them. However, when Sue Reuschel woke up after surgery she told investigators a very different story.

Peter Van Sant and 48 HOURS investigate the attack, the police investigation and the case against Mike Reuschel in "Reuschel vs. Reuschel," to be broadcast Saturday, April 4 (10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The investigation into what happened that night in Gainesville reveals fractured relationships and unusual family dynamics, and ultimately hinges on millions in marital assets, a potential divorce and a high-end New York wedding.

"This case is about ... the power of money," says prosecutor David Byron. "It's about the power of desire for control."

The initial call to police was for a home invasion at the Reuschels' home. When police arrived, Mike Reuschel said he woke up to his wife screaming. Sue Reuschel had been stabbed in the neck, stomach and wrist. She was rushed into emergency surgery and survived. When she awoke, she told investigators that her husband had attacked her - not an intruder. Soon after, Mike Reuschel, who suffered mostly minor injuries, was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

"If Susan had died, the truth of what happened that night would have died with her," Byron says.

Prosecutors say Sue Reuschel told Mike Reuschel that night that she wanted a divorce, and he attempted to kill her to avoid having to split his fortune with her. Mike Reuschel says his wife was the real aggressor, and he lied only to keep her from being arrested. His defense team claims she was an abusive wife and was often in conflict with Mike over his daughter, Caroline. A sore point was Caroline's costly wedding. Sue denies abusing Mike, and Mike never reported any of the alleged incidents to police.

"There's no way on God's green earth that my father would ... stab anyone," says Caroline Reuschel. "Never in one million years would I think that my wedding would be the catalyst for all of this."

So what happened that night? 48 HOURS takes viewers inside the trial of Mike Reuschel, where both he and Sue Reuschel tell their sides of the story.

48 HOURS: "Reuschel vs. Reuschel" is produced by Sarah Prior, Paul La Rosa and Dena Goldstein. Ryan N. Smith is the development producer. Marlon Disla, Michelle Harris, Mike Baluzy and Ken Blum are the editors. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.

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