Susan Perkins was a single mother with two boys. She was the kind of person who never tired of giving to her friends, family and community. About 8:30pm on August 31, 2004, Susan was helping her friend Robin Barber, who owned a day spa in Altamonte Springs, Florida. They were preparing the spa for a hurricane that was headed for the Florida coast. Robin was in the spa's back office when she suddenly heard Susan call her name. When Robin went out to check, she saw a man wearing a ski mask, holding a rifle pointed at Susan's head. The gunman forced the women to give him money from the spa, then he told them to empty their purses; that's when he saw Susan's ATM card. He ordered them to drive him to an ATM. After withdrawing money, the gunman forced the women into the trunk of the car. Susan managed to find the trunk release and they jumped out of the speeding vehicle. Robin escaped unharmed, but Susan hit her head on the ground and later died at a hospital.

The gunman forced Susan to withdraw several hundred dollars from her bank account.

Cameras at the bank's ATM were not working that night, so detectives were not able to get any photos of the suspect.

The suspect rode in the backseat of Susan's Red Ford Focus, and kept his gun pointed at Susan and Robin in the front seat as Susan drove to the ATM.

Detectives have only a vague description of the gunman, who wore a ski mask the entire time and had a strong odor of motor oil.

Detectives have not been able to identify any suspects.

Altamonte Springs Police Dept.: (407) 571-8279
Crimeline: (800) 423-TIPS