This episode of See No Evil, the CCTV true crime show looks at the murder of Philip Gatusso.
49-year-old Gattuso was a periodontist and had been left a widower after his wife died following a botched heart operation. The Fargo resident being left to bring up their 3-year-old daughter and his two older sons, whilst balancing his career and dealing with his wife’s untimely death.
However, in November 2009 his dead body was found in his home, where he’d been beaten to death with a hammer and his home burgled.
Upon his death the grandparents rushed to comfort their granddaughter but it was not too long before suspicion fell on his father-in-law.
Gene Kirkpatrick, 63, and his handyman Michael Nakvinda, 41, were both arrested and charged with murder, robbery, theft and conspiracy to commit murder.
Kirkpatrick told cops that he wanted Gattuso “gone or dead” and offered a $20K fee for the job and even paid the handyman a down payment!
It seems that when their daughter became very ill earlier that year they had wanted Gattuso to promise he’d give them custody of their granddaughter once their daughter died. Naturally he was less than keen and this appears to have been Kirkpatrick’s motive behind plotting his murder.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelBoth Kirkpatrick and Nakvinda were found guilty, but it was video footage that helped police piece together what happened to Philip Gatusso and left a little girl losing both parents within six months of each other.
Kirkpatrick’s family still claim he is innocent and wanted custody of the little girl at the time, but a judge awarded Gatusso’s brother custody.
Watch See No Evil – Murder at Sunrise at 6:00 PM on Investigation Discovery.