HONESDALE -- PA State Police arrested a Pleasant Mount man for the murder of Suzette Bullis at her Como Road, Mount Pleasant Township, home back in December
Patrick L. Robinson, Wayne County District Attorney announced Cole Francis Dufton, 25, has been charged with one count of criminal homicide.
District Attorney Robinson stated, “This execution style killing is very disgusting and obviously unconscionable. The Pennsylvania State Police did an outstanding job of investigating and documenting this crime as evidenced by the comprehensive Affidavit of Probable Cause filed by Trooper Decker. This Defendant, Cole Francis Dufton, had the motive, the means, and the opportunity to kill Suzette Bullis. Dufton is the last known person to see Suzette Bullis alive. Bullis was shot with a pistol found in Dufton’s bedroom. The circumstantial evidence is clear. I believe that this is a drug related murder. I will personally handle the prosecution of this Defendant.”
According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause filed by Trooper John Decker, Suzette Bullis, 51, was found shot to death in her Lakewood house on the morning of December 19, 2018. The investigation revealed that Bullis was shot in the back of the head with a 9 mm handgun. The bullet exited her forehead. A 9 mm bullet was found at the scene near the body and a discharged 9 mm cartridge casing was also found near the body. A Firearm and Tool Mark Examiner from the PSP Wyoming Lab determined that the cartridge casing was discharged from a 9mm Taurus G2 c semiautomatic pistol belonging to the Defendant Dufton.
The victim, Bullis, had supplied the Defendant Dufton in the past with prescription pills.
Approximately one to two weeks prior to the fatal shooting Dufton was at the victim’s residence, very upset, yelling and screaming at the victim about being shorted $1,500. Dufton pulled out a black handgun slammed it down and said he was going to kill the guy that stiffed him. The victim stated she had money in the deal too.
A 9 mm Taurus G2 c semiautomatic belonging to Dufton, which was purchased by Dufton’s girlfriend was found in Dufton’s bedroom, and 9 mm ammunition matching the casing found at the murder scene were also found in Dufton’s bedroom.
The State Police showed a photo of the 9 mm pistol to Dufton who initially claimed he had never seen the pistol before and had no idea where it came from. A subsequent investigation revealed that on October 17, 2018, prior to the shooting on December 18, 2018, that Dufton’s Facebook depicted a firearm resembling the 9mm Firearm recovered from Dufton’s bedroom.
Dufton was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Ronald Edwards and incarcerated in the Wayne County Correctional Facility. His initial Court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday February 6.