Survivor Stories: Susan Still

Photo credits: Oprah.com

Susan Still is now a celebrated women’s rights activist, but her path to advocacy began with years of unimaginable abuse. At college, she met blues guitarist Ulner Lee Still, whom she later married, with Susan financially supporting the household early in their marriage. Ulner’s behavior seemed controlling at the start, but it was only over the years that his desire to dominate deepened, and he began isolating Susan from her family and friends. His manipulation was gradual, and by the time she realized the danger, Susan was trapped in a toxic environment.

Susan soon quit her job to care for their children. Over twelve years, Ulner’s emotional and verbal abuse intensified. By 2001, after a trivial incident at the grocery store, his abuse turned physical. Ulner would order his children to insult their mother, calling her a “white slut” despite her biracial identity, and he instructed his son to record him beating Susan. He later played the recordings at family dinners, pausing to ridicule her and justify himself. The psychological torture was relentless, leading Susan to feel powerless and isolated.

It was in May 2003 that Susan’s employer, Lynn Jasper, noticed unexplained bruises and discovered a farewell letter Susan had hidden at work, hinting that her husband might be responsible if she disappeared. Jasper urged her to escape. So, with her two sons, then 13 and 8, Susan fled and sought police protection. Her daughter, 21 at the time, sided with Ulner and testified on his behalf. Assistant District Attorney Lisa Bloch Rodwin prosecuted the case, gathering damning evidence, including the home video of the beating recorded by Susan’s son.

In December 2004, New York State Supreme Court Justice John F. O’Donnell sentenced Ulner Lee Still to 36 years in prison, the longest sentence ever given in the U.S. for non-lethal domestic violence. The charges included multiple counts of assault and child endangerment. This landmark verdict underscored the seriousness of prolonged domestic abuse and gave hope to survivors seeking justice.

In 2006, Susan shared her story with Diane Sawyer on 20/20, and in 2007, she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, using her experience to raise awareness about intimate partner violence. She has since become a prominent voice for victims, speaking at national conferences, including as keynote for the National College of District Attorneys. Through her activism, she has inspired others to break free from abusive situations, as she did

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Jurisview Journal is a student-led blog that publishes biweekly articles about interesting criminal cases. Our aim is to shed light on cases that require justice or further exploration and provide input on controversial legal events. We also publish infographics to help victims or those who wish to educate themselves on legal issues. 

In this series, Survivor Stories, we explore and share the stories of survivors of violence and crime. Through this, we advocate for justice and more attention to victims such as the survivors we feature.