Stephanie’s husband, Edward, acted strangely. He seemed unconcerned about her disappearance and later told their children never to mention her again. Their marriage was troubled; Edward was having an affair, was violent, and abused alcohol. Stephanie had filed for divorce and feared for her life, even telling friends Edward would kill her. One of Edward’s nephews claimed Edward offered him money to kill Stephanie.

The case took years to unravel. Edward was eventually convicted of Stephanie’s murder in 1994, largely due to testimony from his former girlfriend, Christina Knutson. Knutson initially lied to protect Edward but later admitted she helped him move the car and that he confessed to beating and stabbing Stephanie to death in their garage to avoid a costly divorce. He had even dug a grave beforehand. He also tried to have Knutson and her new boyfriend killed after the trial.

Edward received a long prison sentence and his daughters were awarded a large sum of money in a wrongful death lawsuit. Despite the evidence and conviction, Edward maintains his innocence and says he believes Stephanie is still alive. Stephanie’s body has never been found, but it’s suspected to be somewhere in Lake County, Illinois. Her disappearance is a suspected murder.