911 operators in Winona, Missouri received an alarming call on May 4, 2014 from Jason McClurg, who claimed to have found his wife, Stephanie McClurg, unresponsive in their home. By the time first responders arrived on the scene, Stephanie had been pronounced dead from a drug overdose and Jason appeared extremely shaken by the proceedings. Investigation Discovery’s “Till Death Do Us Part: Love Sick” depicts the sudden death and charts the police investigation that uncovered evidence pointing to a deliberate homicide. Let’s take a closer look at this case and find out where the killer is now, shall we?
How did Stephanie McClurg die?
Stephanie McClurg was recovering from a difficult divorce when she met her single father, Jason. She and Jason quickly formed a close relationship, and it didn’t take long for them to grow closer to each other’s children. After moving into a home in Winona, Missouri, the couple welcomed their first child in July 2012. Sadly, the show mentioned that their daughter, who came into the world in 2013, had a premature birth and died a months later. However, the couple got married in October of the same year and had their second son in March 2014.
On May 4, 2014, 911 operators received a call from Jason, who sounded quite anxious and claimed his wife was unresponsive. Officers and medical staff rushed to the scene, but by then Stephanie had already breathed her last. An autopsy revealed she had overdosed on drugs and officers found a bottle of prescription medication next to her body. However, there were no immediate signs of foul play and police initially believed the death was natural.
Who Killed Stephanie McClurg?
Although Jason McClurg seemed very shaken by the death of his wife, his statements made the police quite suspicious. He initially insisted that Stephanie went unanswered for quite a long time, but the victim’s mother claimed she spoke to Stephanie just 30 minutes before the 911 call. Police managed to recover Stephanie’s phone and realized her mother was right. Still, there wasn’t enough evidence to warrant an arrest, so they had to keep investigating.
Police gathered even more information from Stephanie’s family as they were with her and Jason the day before she died. According to the show, relatives of the victim mentioned that Jason gave his wife kool-aid on March 3, claiming their 2-year-old was successful. However, Stephanie felt very sick when she drank it, and Jason washed the bottle before putting it away. Meanwhile, Stephanie’s workplace contacted authorities and revealed that Jason had called to inquire about his wife’s life insurance shortly before her death.
Nevertheless, the authorities received the most significant breakthrough when they discovered Jason’s affair. The show even mentioned that the girl Jason was having an affair with came forward and said that Jason intended to kill his wife with a drug overdose disguised as Kool-Aid. Determined to cement their case against Jason, authorities then searched his trailer and recovered the used bottle of Kool-Aid along with bottles of muscle relaxers. A quick toxicology report revealed that the cause of death was an overdose of muscle relaxants, and the bottle also tested positive for traces of the same drug. So, convinced of Jason’s involvement, law enforcement wasted no time in arresting him and charging him with murder.
Where is Jason McClurg now?
In 2014, while awaiting trial in a southeastern Missouri prison, Jason escaped captivity during July 4th celebrations. However, authorities were on his trail and picked him up from a trailer near his hometown two days later. Once Jason was brought to court, he pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of first degree murder. Based on his conviction, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. So, at present, Jason remains incarcerated at the Southeastern Correctional Center in Charleston, Missouri.
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