Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of murder and suicide. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
The internet has often played a crucial role in crime investigations since its advancement. A simple Google search history can sometimes become a smoking gun for detectives to build a strong case. That is how cops charged Susan Michelle Perry with murder after they checked her Google search history.
According to an official affidavit from the Huntersville Police Department cited by Law & Crime, Perry had looked up “center mass shots,” the value of her deceased husband’s ring, and how to navigate a divorce when broke. It was these details from the search history that strongly pointed towards Perry being a suspect in a murder rather than a suicide, which she alleged.
On November 10, 2025, Huntersville Police responded to a 911 call around noon on the 8500 block of New Oak Lane. When police arrived, they noticed Perry reportedly kneeling and sobbing. Upon closer inspection of the home, they discovered the body of her husband, Robert Joe Perry.
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The victim was lying on his back and had a gunshot wound in the chest. He was declared dead by medical professionals and authorities present on the scene after attempts to resuscitate him had failed. When narrating her account of the crime, Perry claimed that hearing a “thud” was what made her rush to the living room, only to find her husband dead, prompting her to call the cops.
Detective Ferrell arrived to further investigate matters over this alleged suicide. Upon inspection of the crime scene, the detective uncovered a firearm, which later became the murder weapon. The gun was reportedly placed on the table and was surrounded by droplets of blood on the floor.
Shortly after, detectives decided to check the digital files of both Perry and her late husband to gather answers. After months of searching through copious amounts of data, they were able to find enough evidence to question Perry. Until February 6, 2026, she was not deemed a suspect.
When she was being interviewed once more, Perry alleged that shooting her husband was purely accidental—not the story she first told. Perry explained that the night before the tragic incident, the couple had been contemplating a divorce, which led to a heated argument.
Because of that, Perry was unable to sleep and slept in until about 10:30 am. After waking up, their altercation continued from the hallway and extended into the hallway where her husband was found dead.
Perry claimed that when she had walked into the office, Joe was already holding a gun and sitting on the stool. When things got extremely intense, Perry attempted to grab the gun away from him for their safety. Unfortunately, the gun was set off, leading to his death.
Per the affidavit, Perry’s remarks were deemed “inconsistent” mainly because of the timing. The time she reportedly murdered him and attempted to call for help or get him medical attention did not match the factual evidence they had gathered from the 911 call and the newfound digital evidence from the couple’s phone.
Moreover, the medical examiner claimed that Perry’s husband was shot at close range rather than from a distance as previously suggested by her. Perry was charged with 1st-degree murder and is currently at the Mecklenburg County Jail. She is on a $150,000 bond, pending a formal trial set for February 27, 2026.
