Police had no reason to suspect anything fishy in the 2012 deaths of Mark and Shaun Staudte. However, their cold-blooded murder would not have been solved had it not been for their pastor, Jeff Sippy, who warned authorities anonymously. ABC’s ’20/20: Home Sweet Murder’ paints a vivid picture of the murders and shows how essential Jeff’s advice was to the investigation. If this case appeals to you and you want to know where Jeff Sippy is right now, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Jeff Sippy?
At the time of Mark and Shaun’s death, Jeff Sippy was pastoring Redeemer Lutheran Church in Springfield, Missouri. With the Staudte family, the church was attended by Diane Staudte, who played the organ in parallel. Being a close acquaintance of the family, Jeff mentioned that Diane and Mark, who were high school sweethearts, initially had a happy marriage. However, problems began to creep into their relationship as the lead singer of a local band, Mark’s income was meager and Diane had to shoulder the responsibility of the family. Additionally, the two were parents to four children, Brianna, Shaun, Sarah, and Rachel. The show mentioned that while Brianna had a learning disability and Shaun lived with autism, Sarah, a college graduate, did not yet have a job and was unable to support her parents financially.
Nevertheless, there seemed to be no reason to worry until Mark’s sudden passing in April 2012. Although his death was considered due to natural causes, Diane withdrew her life insurance and moved the family to a new house. Subsequently, in September 2012, tragedy struck again when Shaun left for his heavenly home. According to doctors, Shaun was quite ill for at least three weeks before his death and even experienced body aches, nausea and diarrhea. However, there was no reason to suspect foul play and his death was also considered natural. With both deaths not arousing the slightest suspicion, police wouldn’t have taken a second look if it weren’t for Jeff Sippy.
According to the show, in early 2013, Jeff notified authorities, albeit anonymously, and explained that the deaths were unnatural and needed to be investigated. He further mentioned that Sarah, too, had started showing symptoms similar to Shaun’s and was in serious danger. The police immediately intervened and launched a thorough investigation. They spoke with Sarah’s doctors, realized there was a suspicion of slow poisoning, and finally got Diane to confess to murdering her husband and son. Surprisingly, further investigation revealed that Rachel was also involved as an accomplice in the crimes.
Where is Jeff Sippy now?
Jeff’s information was integral to the police investigation and helped bring justice to Mark and Shaun. With Diane and Rachel finally in custody, Jeff resumed his work as a pastor and, in 2002, was promoted to the prestigious position of Senior Pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Currently, Jeff resides in Springfield, Missouri, and aside from his occupation as senior pastor, also works as a hospice chaplain and an American Sailing Association instructor. Also, he now enjoys a happy married life and, on the face of it, is a proud father.
Read more: Where is Rachel Staudte now?
