Mistrial declared in Susan Van Note double murder case

A judge declared a mistrial Tuesday before the jury was even seated in the murder case of a Lee’s Summit lawyer.

Susan Van Note is accused of killing her millionaire father and his girlfriend on Oct. 2, 2010, at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Toward the end of jury selection Tuesday, Laclede County Circuit Judge Kenneth Hayden said that a mistrial had been requested in the case, and that he had granted the request because of improper discussions among jurors. A total of 96 potential jurors had been called for jury duty.

Van Note, 48, who is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting and stabbing of her father and his longtime girlfriend, smiled during the judge’s announcement.

She also was charged with forging her father’s name to have him removed from life support after the shooting.

Camden County Prosecutor Michael Gilley said the mistrial came after a juror told the judge other jurors had been discussing the case during a break outside the courtroom.

Gilley said the defense made a motion for the mistrial, and prosecutors offered alternatives, but Hayden granted the defense motion.

“It was a double murder trial,” Gilley said. “We were ready to try this case. And whenever this trial happens, we are confident we will have a strong case.”

The case must now wait for the availability of the judge and courtroom, but the judge said his own calendar is full through 2016.

Gilley said prosecutors would explore an earlier date.

Andrew Dickson, son of the slain woman, said through his attorney that he was frustrated by the mistrial “but was still hopeful that justice would come in the brutal death of his mother.”

The girlfriend, Sharon Dickson, 59, died at the scene. William Van Note, 67, was taken to a hospital in Columbia, where he died four days later after his daughter showed up with a durable power of attorney for health care dated Sept. 23, 2009. His signature was at the bottom. Doctors then shut off his ventilator.

Prosecutors say the daughter went to her father’s Sunrise Beach, Mo., house the night of Oct. 2, 2010,+ to kill the couple because she wanted his money. She was executor of his will, but it named Dickson as the prime beneficiary.

Susan Van Note was an attorney who specialized in “end-of life” matters.

Evidence allegedly showed her cellphone pinged a transmission tower seven miles from her father’s home. The call was made five minutes after her father called 911, court documents say.

Susan Van Note’s mother, Barbara Van Note, told investigators that Susan was home in Lee’s Summit with her when the shootings occurred. Lee’s Summit is 119 miles — two hours — from Sunrise Beach.

In 2005, Barbara Van Note went to prison for forging her mother’s name to a power of attorney. She was ordered to repay $108,000 to a trust fund.

The murder case had been moved from Camden County to nearby Laclede County on a change of venue. The trial had been expected to last 12 days.

This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 3:49 PM.