Bill Stout Murder Case: Who Killed Him and Why?

Bill Stout Murder

Bill Stout Murder: How Did He Die? Who Killed Him? – In 2007, Bill Stout was discovered dead in his bed with a gunshot wound to the head. Investigations revealed that Bill was murdered by someone close to him, who used his gun against him. Authorities investigating the case discovered considerable evidence of cold-blooded murder, all of which pointed to his wife. The work that went into bringing Bill’s killer to justice is chronicled on NBC News’ ‘Dateline: The Box.’

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who was Bill Stout

Who was Bill Stout and How Did He Die?

Bill Stout, his wife, Anne Marie, and their two teenage kids lived in Montana. In addition to Anne’s son from a previous marriage, whom Bill adopted, the couple produced two sons. After that, the family relocated to a rural location near Darby. Bill worked as a drywall installer there, as well as at a ranch and a care home at one point.

Bill Stout made headlines on June 10, 2007, when his wife Anne and younger son Noah returned home from a shopping trip to find his body in their home. With a single gunshot wound to the head, the 52-year-old was found under the sheets. After driving across the street to a neighbor’s house, a frightened Anne dialed 911 for police help. When the police came, they ruled out the possibility of suicide because the pistol was nowhere to be seen.

Who Killed Bill Stout
Stout’s wife charged for killing husband and sentenced to life-term.

Who Killed Bill Stout and What was the Reason?

Despite the fact that he was shot in the head, reports suggested that there was no gun at the crime scene after a comprehensive examination. Initially, the coroner assumed he had been murdered 8-10 hours before he was discovered. That day, Anne and Matthew departed at 8:30 a.m. and returned around 4 p.m. Bill appeared to have been killed shortly after Anne and Matthew had left. An autopsy, on the other hand, placed the time of death significantly earlier, between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. on June 9, 2007.

As a result, the investigators probed deeper to figure out who had been at the house the night before. Matthew had gone out to meet some friends and returned after midnight, while their other son, Noah, was not at home. As a result, Anne was alone at home with Bill. Bill had also reported his rifle, holster, and some ammunition missing around 10 days before to the incident. This was the murder weapon, and it was discovered in the garage, hidden inside Bill’s motorcycle saddlebag.

The holster was discovered in the laundry hamper underneath some still-wet clothes while the detectives were examining the house. The clothing was washed but not dried, and the place smelled like bleach. Three rounds of ammunition were missing, and they were found on the top of a safe.

Bill was murdered by one bullet, there was another in the chamber, and a third shell casing was discovered outside the home. Bill’s affair with a woman named Barbara Miller was discovered by the authorities in March 2005.

Bill’s family and friends got several messages and emails that appeared to be from Barbara after that. Bill reported acts of damage and hang-up phone calls as part of the harassment that lasted for a long time. The police, on the other hand, ruled Barbara out and assumed Anne was to blame for everything. They discovered two notes in her car that were similar to the ones they had received previously. Her fingerprints were on the sealed one inside, and her DNA was on the adhesive.

Furthermore, detectives discovered a glove in the laundry hamper that had Anne’s DNA inside and tested positive for gunshot residue on the outside. The previous email IDs were formed on Anne’s work computer, and the hang-up calls were linked to a payphone at her workplace, forming yet another crucial link in the case. The prosecution believed Anne orchestrated the whole incident because she was enraged over the affair. She pretended to be normal after killing Bill on June 9, 2007, by going shopping with her son before reporting his death.

Investigators speculated that another reason could have been a desire to collect $500,000.00 in insurance money from Bill. Anne Marie Stout was convicted guilty of premeditated homicide in a trial that ended in September 2018 due to overwhelming evidence. She was given a life term in jail.

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