‘Your wife wants you dead.’ Man warned before he’s killed at OK park, cops say

An Oklahoma man was found shot to death at a park after being warned his wife was trying to kill him, officials said.

The man’s wife, Susen Adell Hunter, is facing charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation of murder and obstructing an officer, Comanche County court records show. A warrant was issued for her arrest on May 9, and her bond was set at $1 million.

McClatchy News reached out to an attorney representing Hunter on May 15 but didn’t immediately hear back.

Investigators say Hunter, now 58, killed her husband, John Velas, at a public park in Lawton in early September 2023, the Lawton Constitution reported. Velas had been shot in the head three times and his body was found near a walking track, according to investigators.

Police learned Hunter tried to hire two men to kill her husband, offering a large payment for the deed, but they apparently declined — and one of them warned Velas about what his wife was doing, KSWO reported.

Velas turned to the police for help, but he was killed two days later, KWTV reported.

“Our victim did indicate that someone tried to approach him, saying, ‘Hey, I believe your wife wants you dead,’” police Sgt. Chris Blessing told the station.

It’s unclear what motivated the killing.

Lawton is about an 85-mile drive southwest from Oklahoma City.

This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 2:07 PM with the headline "‘Your wife wants you dead.’ Man warned before he’s killed at OK park, cops say."