Bill Stout, a cherished community member, was discovered dead in his bedroom in June 2007, shocking and frightening the people.
The investigation by the authorities revealed substantial proof of cold-blooded murder, with all signs pointing to his wife. NBC News “Dateline: The Box” details the efforts to apprehend Bill’s killer.
How Did Bill Stout Die?
William Lee “Bill” Stout was born in San Jose, California, in February 1955. He met Anne where he was raised and finally married her in the middle of the 1980s.
In addition to Anne’s son from a previous marriage, Ben, whom Bill adopted, the couple also produced two boys, Noah and Matthew.
The family then relocated to a rural region close to Darby. William was a drywall installer and had previously worked at a ranch and a care facility.
On June 10, 2007, Anne and their youngest son Matthew went shopping and returned in the late afternoon. Bill was discovered dead in the bedroom, much to their horror.
The 52-year-old was lying under the blankets with a single gunshot wound to the head. After crossing the street to a neighbor’s house, a frightened Anne dialed 911. Because the gun wasn’t at the site when the authorities arrived, they ruled out the possibility of suicide. Bill’s head was also partially hidden by a cushion.
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Bill Stout Killed
As per the show, the evidence suggested that Bill’s body had been moved after his death. Initially, the coroner believed he had been killed about 8-10 hours before being found.
Anne and Matthew left home sometime close to 8:30 am that day, returning around 4 pm. It seemed like Bill was killed shortly after Anne and Matthew left. However, an autopsy placed the time of death much earlier, between 10 pm and midnight on June 9, 2007.
To determine who was home the night before, the investigators probed further. While Matthew had left to go out with friends and returned just before midnight, Noah, their other kid, wasn’t home. Anne and Bill were thus left at home alone.
Also, Bill reported his gun, holster, and some ammunition missing around 10 days before the incident. This was the murder weapon discovered in the garage, hidden inside Bill’s motorcycle saddlebag.
As they examined the house, the detectives discovered the holster in the laundry hamper underneath some still-wet clothes. The room smelled like bleach, and the garments had been washed but not dry. Three rounds of ammunition were discovered missing on top of a safe.
Bill was murdered by one bullet, another was recovered in the chamber, and a third shell casing was found outside the house. The authorities then discovered Bill’s connection with Barbara Miller in March 2005.
Following that, Bill’s family and friends got additional letters and emails that appeared to be from Barbara. The hostility persisted for a long time, with Bill alleging vandalism and phone hang-ups. Yet the cops ruled out Barbara and assumed Anne was to blame for everything.
They discovered two letters that looked similar to the previous ones in her car. The sealed one inside only had her fingerprints, with the adhesive containing her DNA.
In addition, authorities discovered a glove in the laundry hamper that tested positive for gunshot residue on the exterior and contained Anne’s DNA inside.
Another crucial link in the case was that the previous email IDs were formed on Anne’s work computer, and the hang-up calls were tracked to a payphone at her workplace. The prosecution believed Anne orchestrated everything because she was upset over the romance.
After killing Bill on June 9, 2007, she acted as usual and went shopping with her kid before reporting the death. Anne was convicted of murdering her husband in June 2008 and sentenced to life in prison.
