The Perplexing Death of Susann Sills

Summary

48 Hours: The Perplexing Death of Suzanne Sills

Episode Release Date: February 24, 2025
Host/Author: CBS News
Podcast Series: 48 Hours by CBS News

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1. Introduction to the Case

The episode "The Perplexing Death of Suzanne Sills" delves into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Suzanne Sills, a respected fertility specialist, and the subsequent investigation that unearthed unsettling truths about her family life. Hosted by CBS News' award-winning correspondents, this episode meticulously reconstructs the events leading up to Suzanne's death, the initial investigation, and the legal battle that ensued.

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2. Discovery of Suzanne Sills' Death

On a quiet Sunday morning, November 13, 2016, life in the Talega community of San Clemente was shattered by the tragic news of Suzanne Sills' death. Dr. Eric Scott Sills, Suzanne's husband and business partner, made a distressing 911 call reporting his wife found at the bottom of their home's stairwell.

• Scott Sills (02:10): "It's Talega in San Clemente."
• Witness (02:19): "Talega is a new community. It's kind of considered a sleepy little town. Nice place to work, nice place to live."

Upon arrival, detectives found Suzanne lying partially on the stairs, unresponsive.

• Scott Sills (02:40): "Looks like her shoe came off or something."
• Detective (02:35): "Suzanne Sills is his wife."

At the scene, family members and first responders were present, with Scott attempting CPR on Suzanne while his daughter, Mary Kate, watched.

• Scott Sills (03:07): "I'm doing the CPR."
• Witness (03:25): "She was making some kind of noise just from the compressions, but I think she was already dead."

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3. Initial Investigation

The initial assessment suggested a tragic fall, possibly exacerbated by Suzanne's known history of debilitating migraines. However, inconsistencies soon emerged.

• Detective (04:14): "Her neck had a pretty pronounced ligature mark."
• Scott Sills (04:36): "The question is, how was she strangled."

Suzanne's injuries were extensive, with bruises and abrasions that did not align with a simple fall. Moreover, unusual items were scattered around her body, including a stainless steel soup pot and an empty medication bottle, all pointing to possible foul play.

• Witness (04:26): "And then the scarf was a little bit further down away from her."

The presence of blood in Mary Kate's room, coupled with inconsistent explanations from Scott, raised immediate red flags.

• Detective (14:22): "We discovered that Scott had some injuries. He had cut up here on his forehead and on his arm. He had a bruise."

Despite these red flags, insufficient evidence prevented immediate suspicion of Scott, and Suzanne's death was initially ruled as an accident related to her migraine.

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4. Suspicion and Evidence Against Dr. Scott Sills

As the investigation progressed, crucial evidence began to implicate Scott Sills. Suzanne's autopsy revealed ligature strangulation, and DNA evidence placed Scott at the crime scene.

• Detective (24:38): "Do you honestly think that the dogs pulled hard enough to strangle her to death?"
• Scott Sills (24:45): "No. No, I didn't. That was not the main theory, that the dogs actually strangled her to death."

Moreover, Suzanne had been embroiled in personal turmoil, including the posting of a topless photo online, which may have fueled marital tensions.

• Suzanne's Friend (20:50): "She sounded like she was whispering. It was so different from the happy, jovial, excited voicemails I got before."

Scott's behavior post-Suzanne's death also came under scrutiny. Friends noticed drastic changes in his demeanor and appearance, raising suspicions about his involvement.

• High School Friend (23:26): "He started to dress like a movie star. I mean, he was very simple before."

In November 2017, the coroner ruled Suzanne's death a homicide, and DNA evidence linking Scott to the scene solidified him as the prime suspect.

• Detective (24:44): "They were both there."
• Detective (24:46): "He killed his wife."

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5. Defense's Theory and Trial

The trial commenced in November 2023, where Scott Sills faced charges for his wife's murder. The defense presented an unconventional theory, suggesting that Suzanne's death resulted from an accidental fall exacerbated by their dogs tugging her scarf, rather than intentional strangulation.

• Defense Attorney Jack Early (32:22): "Let's assume that someone trips and falls and fractures their C3, their breathing is compromised. If they're then choked, it doesn't take much to kill them."

The prosecution, however, countered this theory, highlighting inconsistencies and the lack of evidence supporting an accidental death. Crucial testimonies, including those from their daughter Mary Catherine, underscored the improbability of the defense's claims.

• Prosecutor Jennifer Walker (31:10): "This is a murder, not an accident."

Despite the defense's attempts to cast doubt, including challenging the validity of blood evidence and questioning the plausibility of the dogs' involvement, the jury found Scott Sills guilty of second-degree murder.

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6. Verdict and Sentencing

After three weeks of deliberation, the jury concluded that while Scott Sills did not premeditate the murder, his actions constituted second-degree murder.

• Jury Verdict (40:31): "We find the defendant Eric Scott Sills guilty of the crime of second degree murder."

Subsequently, on March 15, 2024, Scott Sills was sentenced to a mandatory term of 15 years to life in prison under California law.

• Judge Patrick Donahue (44:11): "Good luck, sir."

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7. Aftermath and Reflections

Suzanne Sills' death left an indelible mark on her family, friends, and community. Her mother, Teresa Neubauer, and daughter Mary Catherine poignantly expressed their grief and unfulfilled dreams, highlighting the profound personal loss resulting from the tragedy.

• Mary Catherine (43:45): "I want my father to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. Someday, when I have a family and children, I want my father to be there to hold my baby. I've been left orphaned, and I feel so lost without my parents."

Detectives involved in the case acknowledged that many questions remained unanswered, leaving a lingering sense of ambiguity despite the conviction.

• Detective Dave Holloway (42:28): "He had plenty of time from when he applied pressure to Suzanne's neck till she died to stop what he was doing. I was a little disappointed that it was a second degree."

The episode concludes by reflecting on the complex interplay of personal relationships, evidence, and the judicial process, emphasizing the enduring impact of violent crimes on all involved.

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Notable Quotes

• Host (03:08): "Keep going."
• Detective (05:03): "To us, he was a victim. We were going to a house where two kids and a husband just lost their wife and mother."
• Scott Sills (22:39): "He just seemed really happy."
• High School Friend (17:20): "He was flamboyant. He's bigger than life. He was very, very kind."
• Defense Attorney Jack Early (39:32): "If he had planned it or done any kind of forethought, it wouldn't be a hot mess crime scene that it was."
• Mary Catherine (43:45): "I've been left orphaned, and I feel so lost without my parents."

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Conclusion

"The Perplexing Death of Suzanne Sills" offers a comprehensive examination of a seemingly ordinary family's descent into tragedy and the intricate investigation that followed. Through compelling narratives, expert analysis, and firsthand accounts, the episode underscores the complexities of discerning truth in the face of loss and the enduring quest for justice.

Transcript

[Host]

Yeah, sure thing. Hey, you sold that car yet? Yeah, sold it to Carvana. Oh, I thought you were selling to that guy.

[Scott Sills]

The guy who wanted to pay me in foreign currency.

[Detective]

No interest over 36 months.

[Host]

Yeah, no. Carvana gave me an offer in minutes, picked it up and paid me on the spot. It was so convenient. Just like that? Yeah. No hassle?

[Scott Sills]

None.

[Host]

That is super convenient.

[Narrator]

Sell your car to Carvana and swap hassle. For convenience, pick up.

[Host]

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[Detective]

Paramedic. It begins with a 911 call from the house.

[Witness]

It was a Sunday morning, November 13, year 2016.

[Host]

What's the address of the emergency, sir?

[Scott Sills]

It's Talega in San Clemente.

[Witness]

Talega is a new community. It's kind of considered a sleepy little town. Nice place to work, nice place to live.

[Host]

Now what's happened?

[Scott Sills]

We got a pace here. Who's fallen off stairs and I don't have a pulse and she's cold.

[Detective]

Eric Scott Sills is a fertility doctor.

[Host]

He found her down at the bottom of the stairs.

[Scott Sills]

Yeah, partially on the stairs.

[Detective]

Suzanne Sills is his wife.

[Scott Sills]

Looks like her shoe come off or something.

[Detective]

The mother of twins, a boy and a Girl.

[Narrator]

So she's not breathing?

[Scott Sills]

No, she's not breathing.

[Detective]

She was the one who was found that morning.

[911 Operator]

I'm gonna give you instructions for chest compressions.

[Detective]

They had it on a speakerphone. So Scott and Mary Kate, the daughter, were both heard on the. On the 911 call.

[911 Operator]

What are you trying to do, sir? I can't see what's going on.

[Detective]

What are you doing?

[Host]

CPR.

[Scott Sills]

I'm doing the CPR.

[Host]

Dr. Sills was a infertility specialist. Keep going.

[Narrator]

Keep going.

[Scott Sills]

Okay, I'm going to do it this way.

[Detective]

They ran their clinic as partners.

[Friend]

Suzanne took care of all the business side of things.

[Host]

Continue the compressions until paramedics arrive and take over. She's making noises out of her mouth.

[Friend]

She was his number one supporter in everything that he did. They really looked like they had it all.

[Witness]

Hold on.

[Host]

We're doing it, baby. Come on.

[Witness]

She was making some kind of noise just from the compressions, but I think she was already dead.

[Detective]

We get notified by our sergeant to come out to a house and begin a death investigation.

[911 Operator]

So when you went inside, what stuck out to you?

[Witness]

Well, as soon as you go into the front door, the stairwell is right off to your left. Suzanne was right there. She had a blanket covering her body.

[Detective]

We could see the other things laying around like this stainless steel soup pot, a purse, an empty medication bottle.

[Witness]

And then the scarf was a little bit further down away from her. The deputy coroner during her preliminary body exam of Suzanne, the injuries weren't consistent with somebody falling down the stairs.

[Detective]

Her neck had a pretty pronounced ligature mark.

[Scott Sills]

The question is, how was she strangled.

[911 Operator]

When she was found?

[Scott Sills]

The scarf was around her neck.

[Detective]

I think the first day there was mention of dogs maybe pulling on a scarf.

[Host]

Oh, you're so good.

[Scott Sills]

They had a couple of dogs rescues. The Mary Kate saw the dogs pulling on the scarf.

[Detective]

We didn't get the impression that it was any kind of violent pulling.

[911 Operator]

Do you think that the dogs could have pulled on her scarf hard enough to strangle her to death?

[Scott Sills]

Could they do it? Yes.

[911 Operator]

When you came to the house, it was a death investigation. By the time you left, was it a murder investigation?

[Detective]

No, it wasn't. Just as clear cut as that.

[Friend]

Tracy Smith reports the puzzling death of Suzanne Sills.

[911 Operator]

Do you have a spidey sense when you go into these scenes?

[Detective]

I'd like to think so. Probably all of us would like to think so, that we could just figure it out as soon as we walk in, Sherlock Holmes style.

[Narrator]

On that Sunday morning in November 2016, Orange County Sheriff's homicide detectives Eric Hatch and Dave Holloway had more questions than.

[911 Operator]

Clues at that point in time. That morning, November 13th, was Scott Sills a victim or a suspect?

[Detective]

To us, he was a victim. We were going to a house where two kids and a husband just lost their wife and mother.

[Narrator]

Dr. Scott Sills had made that 911 call and reported finding his wife and business partner Suzanne at the bottom of the stairs.

[911 Operator]

Is it a steep stairway?

[Witness]

Yeah, it's pretty high. I believe it was 13 and a half feet from the floor to the top of the stairs.

[911 Operator]

Did it seem plausible that a 45 year old woman in pretty good shape would have fallen down the stairs to her death?

[Witness]

At the time, it sounded believable.

[Detective]

Suzanne had injuries to pretty much her whole body. Her face was all bruised up, her back was bruised up. Both arms and legs had bruising and abrasions.

[Narrator]

And around her body was that odd collection of items.

[Witness]

They definitely stood out, especially that steel puck. It almost looked like it was placed there. It wasn't upside down or leaning against anything.

[Detective]

We had to figure out why those things were there.

[Narrator]

The detectives say Dr. Sills didn't seem nervous that a homicide team was in his home asking questions.

[Witness]

He was just kind of going with the flow.

[911 Operator]

How cooperative was he?

[Detective]

Oh, very. Everything we asked of him, he gave us.

[Witness]

He signed a consent form that gave us permission to search his house.

[Narrator]

And when they interviewed the Sills children, Mary Catherine And Eric, the 12 year old twins, each told a similar story to their dad. That Suzanne had not been feeling well that night.

[Detective]

Suzanne had a history of migraines. They were typically debilitating, requiring a dark room, quiet, and bed rest. And she had been suffering from a migraine that weekend.

[Narrator]

The migraine seemed to explain that large.

[Detective]

Pot sometimes she carried around a bowl in order to have it near her bedside in case she threw up in the middle of the night.

[Narrator]

And the empty pill bottle was for a pain medication Dr. Sills said his wife took to treat her migraines.

[911 Operator]

So did that make it sound more possible that she could have fallen down the stairs because she was suffering from a migraine?

[Witness]

Maybe.

[Narrator]

And there seemed to be nothing in the couple's relationship to suggest another reason.

[911 Operator]

What did you learn about the Sils marriage?

[Witness]

According to Scott, everything was fine. They had a good relationship.

[Narrator]

Both children attested that their parents loved each other and said they rarely argued and were never violent. Detectives started piecing together a timeline of the weekend.

[Detective]

Saturday night she was on the couch. Eric came down to see her, check on her, make sure she was okay.

[Narrator]

It was around midnight when Eric said he and his mom went back upstairs. After she put the dogs away in their crate, Mary Catherine had gone to bed in her parents bedroom. Suzanne was going to spend the night in Mary Catherine's room, which, which was the quietest.

[Detective]

It was Mary Catherine's idea for Suzanne to spend the night in that room. It was clean, according to Mary Catherine, and done up like a little hotel suite for Suzanne to convalesce in there.

[Narrator]

Mary Catherine had left a note on her door with what would be her last words to her mom. I know you are tired, she said, but you need to know that I love you. Around 4am Eric said he woke to the sound of his parents arguing in the next room.

[Detective]

The two windows, that's Eric's room.

[911 Operator]

So Eric is right next to Mary Katherine's room where his mom was. And what did he tell you he heard?

[Detective]

Well, he heard loud voices arguing, but he didn't describe hearing any physical confrontation.

[Narrator]

Eric told detectives that after about five minutes he decided to go sleep in the main bedroom with his sister. According to Mary Catherine's statement, she thought he'd come in around 3:40am and told her their parents were arguing about a work email.

[Host]

How do you know she got an email? Because Eric said they were talking about that. Oh, okay, so Eric told you that she got an email and that it was about something, something about work.

[Narrator]

Dr. Sills told detectives he had argued with Suzanne because he found her working late on her laptop, which made her migraines worse.

[911 Operator]

When you heard that they had an argument shortly before she was found at the bottom of the stairs dead, what was going through your mind?

[Detective]

Well, again, that's one more piece of data that we're going to collect. It doesn't mean one way or the other that it was a murder, but that's definitely an avenue that we would have to pursue.

[Narrator]

Neither Eric nor Mary Catherine heard their dad return to the bedroom.

[Host]

I woke up and my dad was just like on the covers, just laying there. Like there wasn't enough room to get in, I guess.

[Scott Sills]

Yeah.

[Host]

So he just was laying there on top of it? Yeah.

[Narrator]

It was around 6:30am the next morning when Dr. Sills and the twins woke up. He asked them if they wanted to go to the pool and get some donuts. Mary Catherine said when she left the bedroom and looked over the banister, she saw her mom's body at the bottom of the stairs. That long red and white scarf around her neck.

[Detective]

That was Mary Catherine's scarf. It was Found in the same room as Suzanne's body.

[911 Operator]

But the scarf wasn't on her body when we arrived.

[Detective]

It was not. Mary Catherine told us that she had to remove the scarf, and she did that not to impede mom's breathing.

[Narrator]

Adding to the mystery were the injuries to Suzanne's neck. The deputy coroner had noticed during a preliminary examination of the body earlier that morning.

[Witness]

Especially with the ligature mark across her neck, it just didn't make sense.

[911 Operator]

Is it possible that she could have fallen down the stairs and then somehow the scarf strangled her?

[Detective]

Could have caught on a banister? Sure, I suppose so. But we didn't have any evidence of that.

[Narrator]

As detectives continued their investigation, the questions mounted.

[911 Operator]

Did anybody in the house hear a fall down the stairs?

[Detective]

No. Nobody described hearing a fall down the stairs or if Suzanne had been carrying that stainless steel pot. No one heard that bounce down the stairs or land on the tile floor. There was no evidence on the stairs of someone going down, like broken ballast or anything like that.

[Narrator]

And something else the detectives thought was strange.

[Witness]

It was a warm day, even though it was November. But when we spoke with Scott and during the whole time we were in the house doing our investigation, he was wearing a beanie over his head. And he said that he slept with it because it was cold.

[911 Operator]

Did you ask him to remove the beanie?

[Witness]

Yes.

[Narrator]

As it turned out, Suzanne wasn't the only one with injuries that morning.

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[Detective]

We discovered that Scott had some injuries. He had cut up here on his forehead and on his arm. He had a bruise.

[Narrator]

Dr. Scott Sills said there was a simple explanation for the injuries. He had hurt himself while working on his car in the garage with his son Eric. There was just one problem.

[Detective]

Eric told us, dad didn't hurt himself.

[911 Operator]

Did he say to you, I Left the garage. So maybe you hurt himself while I was gone.

[Detective]

No. He told us they came in the.

[Narrator]

House together, and investigators said they found something Dr. Sills couldn't explain.

[911 Operator]

On that day, you found blood?

[Witness]

Yes.

[Narrator]

Blood in Mary Catherine's room, where Suzanne had been staying. On the curtains, the wall, and the nightstand.

[911 Operator]

So that morning, when you asked Scott about the blood, what did he say?

[Witness]

He didn't know where it came from. He was unaware of it.

[Narrator]

Mary Catherine told investigators the room was, quote, perfect when she left it. She also said she'd turned down the bed, but now it was made.

[Witness]

It didn't really make sense. Why would Suzanne take the time to make the bed in the middle of the night?

[911 Operator]

So if you found blood in Mary Catherine's bedroom, you know that there are ligature marks on Suzanne. Why not take him down to the station at this point and question him?

[Detective]

Once you arrest somebody, that starts processes that you can't stop. Besides the blood in the bedroom, we didn't really have enough evidence of a fight occurring. So at the end of the day, there wasn't enough probable cause legally to arrest him.

[Narrator]

Suzanne's autopsy four days later didn't provide any definitive answers.

[911 Operator]

The forensic pathologist noted that Suzanne had.

[Narrator]

Injuries all over her body that could have resulted from a fall, including a fractured C3 vertebra near the base of.

[911 Operator]

Her neck, which can be fatal.

[Narrator]

Then there was that ligature mark across her neck and hemorrhaging of the blood.

[911 Operator]

Vessels in her eyes, which pointed to strangulation. It would take months to make an official ruling.

[Detective]

It's not something they want to rush into. It's not something they want to make a rash judgment on. The doctor wanted to examine the whole case more clearly.

[Narrator]

In the meantime, detectives requested DNA testing on evidence collected from the Sils home and forensic analysis on Suzanne's phone and laptop. They also dug deeper into who the Sils were.

[Detective]

None of their immediate neighbors knew anything about the family. Eventually, we contacted whoever we could out of their contact list to try and find out more.

[High School Friend]

In high school, I thought this must be what genius means. His humor, his quick wit.

[Narrator]

Sandy Roberts and Jamie Akins have known Scott Sills since their high school days in Harriman, Tennessee.

[High School Friend]

He was something we had never seen before in a small town in Tennessee at that age. He was very special.

[Scott Sills]

He was hilarious.

[Witness]

How many people come to class in.

[Scott Sills]

A three piece suit and it's not dress up day?

[High School Friend]

He's flamboyant. He's bigger than life. He was very, very kind.

[Scott Sills]

I grew up Pretty poor. I didn't have a car in high school or anything like that. And a lot of times no lunch money. And he always pulled out his wallet and paid for it. It just wasn't a question.

[Narrator]

His future seemed limitless. He was accepted to both law school and. And medical school.

[High School Friend]

We were kind of all on the edge of our seat wondering what he was going to decide to do.

[Narrator]

And it was no surprise when the hometown boy became a renowned IVF specialist, a profession that would lead him to Suzanne.

[Suzanne's Friend]

Suzanne was going through fertility treatment, trying to get pregnant with her first husband.

[Narrator]

Chris Solemini met Susanne Arswaga in business school, where she earned an mba. She had confided in him about her struggles to get pregnant.

[Suzanne's Friend]

Having kids was everything to Suzanne. She'd cry about it. I mean, it was so important to her. And Eric Scott Sills was her fertility doctor.

[Narrator]

But soon, Chris says, they were a couple.

[Suzanne's Friend]

She started talking about Dr. Sill's after she had told me she was getting divorced and that she was now dating him. I just remember her saying, he's a brilliant doctor.

[Narrator]

Dr. Sills, who was also coming out of a previous marriage, seemed to have met his match.

[Suzanne's Friend]

Susanna was smart, Witty.

[911 Operator]

We love Mr. Stock.

[Suzanne's Friend]

Sarcastic, but not in a mean way. You know, just enough to. To dig at you, you know, incredibly driven, a loyal friend.

[High School Friend]

She was so classy, so beautiful, very engaging.

[Scott Sills]

Seemed like to me he found one that it was a good fit.

[Narrator]

Suzanne fit right in at Scott's 20th high school reunion.

[High School Friend]

She danced the whole time. They were lovely together. He just seemed really happy.

[Narrator]

The couple married and welcomed twins through IVF, adding to Dr. Sil's two older kids. And eventually, Suzanne's business acumen would lead them to start their own IVF practice in April 2015.

[Suzanne's Friend]

She started the business. She built it. Suzanne pretty much ran everything with the exception of actually doing the procedures.

[Narrator]

The practice soon took off.

[Suzanne's Friend]

We actually have Dr. Scott Sills here in OB GYN, who's also a fertility specialist.

[Narrator]

And Dr. Sills was often featured on the TV program The Doctors, which was distributed by CBS.

[Host]

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[Detective]

Surgery at no cost.

[Host]

He was, in many eyes, a saint. He was loved by his patients.

[Narrator]

Dr. Julio Navoa is an OBGYN who co authored a book with Dr. Sills.

[Host]

Dr. Sills was a great doctor, and.

[Detective]

Susan was a great advocate for women as well.

[Host]

And they were a team. Not just married, but a team and working well together.

[Narrator]

But about a month before her death, Rick Leeds, another of Suzanne's friends, Says she left him a troubling message.

[Friend]

She sounded like she was whispering. It was so different from the happy, jovial, excited voicemails I got before. This one was definitely things weren't good when they spoke.

[Narrator]

Rick says it sounded like there was tension over a photo.

[Friend]

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[Narrator]

When news of Suzanne's death reached her friends, they were stunned.

[Friend]

It was devastating.

[Suzanne's Friend]

I couldn't believe it. It didn't seem plausible to me that she just fell down the stairs with a migraine headache.

[Narrator]

It didn't sound like the vibrant SUZANNE they knew. Dr. Sill's friends say they were equally perplexed.

[High School Friend]

Scott would not discuss anything with us.

[Scott Sills]

He quickly changed the subject. We never spoke again. You don't know how tragedies affect people.

[911 Operator]

What were your impressions of Scott Sills throughout the investigation?

[Detective]

I would describe him as emotionless. He never acted as though Suzanne was even his wife. He talked about what a good manager she was and how she kept their business flowing. But he never once mentioned that she was a good mother or that he loved her.

[911 Operator]

All very businesslike.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

In fact, the day after Suzanne's death, the doctor had gone to work.

[Host]

I was shocked at who goes to the office the next morning when your wife died.

[Narrator]

Joni Ricker's daughter was a nurse at the Sils IVF clinic and had called her in a panic.

[High School Friend]

She said her patients are in cycle.

[Host]

And they have to be treated.

[Narrator]

Joni volunteered to help manage the office, something Suzanne did and ended up working there for two years.

[911 Operator]

Did Dr. Sills talk about his wife?

[Host]

Oh, never.

[911 Operator]

Did he ever say how she died?

[Host]

It was never discussed.

[Narrator]

Pretty soon, she says, the doctor started changing his appearance.

[High School Friend]

He started to dress like a movie star. I mean, he was very simple before.

[Narrator]

And she says the once balding doctor now had a full head of hair.

[High School Friend]

We definitely noticed new hair.

[Narrator]

They also noticed Dr. Sill's flashier online Persona.

[High School Friend]

I said to one of my friends, now, is Sils a doctor or a model? I personally don't know any doctors on social media that are taking selfies in the gym and their blazers and their sunglasses and their Porsches. I mean, it was a little much.

[Friend]

All of a sudden, there started to be another Woman in photos and he was out on dates and they were going around town.

[Narrator]

The behavior raised eyebrows, but it was hardly evidence. Then, in November 2017, a year after Suzanne's death, there was finally news from the coroner's office. Suzanne's cause of death was cited as ligature strangulation and the MANNER A homicide. Dr. Sills was now the prime suspect. DNA results on the blood in Mary Catherine's room showed a mixture of his and Suzanne's DNA.

[Detective]

They were both there.

[911 Operator]

There was a fight.

[Detective]

There was a fight, and he killed his wife.

[Narrator]

On August 8, 2018, nearly two years after Suzanne's death, Detectives Holloway and Hatch made a surprise house call at the doctor's home.

[911 Operator]

Did you ask Dr. Sills at this point, just flat out, did you kill your wife?

[Witness]

Yes. And started stressing out and started sweating and he became more defensive, they say.

[Narrator]

The doctor denied killing his wife, and he now offered an explanation for his blood in Mary Catherine's room. He said he had injured himself replacing a window screen.

[911 Operator]

Wouldn't Mary Catherine have seen the blood that he left from replacing the screen?

[Witness]

For sure.

[911 Operator]

And she didn't mention it?

[Witness]

Nope.

[Narrator]

Despite the death being ruled a homicide, detectives said they still had more investigating to do, like finding a motive. A search of Suzanne's phone provided some clues. Text messages hinted at problems in the marriage.

[Detective]

There was one in particular where she had some pretty strong words towards Scott.

[Narrator]

In texts sent in late August, less than three months before her death, Suzanne wrote, I am trapped. You are killing me. I just want out, and we just aren't right for each other. And about a month before her death, Suzanne had confided in Rick Leeds.

[Friend]

She and Scott were in a really rocky place and she was thinking about leaving him.

[Narrator]

He said. Suzanne was also upset about a photo she'd posted online.

[Friend]

Whatever was going on between her and Scott, and this picture was just a pivotal point for her.

[Narrator]

Suzanne had posted a topless photo after making a bet in a political chat.

[Detective]

Room called patrick.net Suzanne apparently was one of the few women who was involved in this forum. She kind of threw out that if Donald Trump won the presidential nomination, that she would post a picture of her bare breasts.

[Narrator]

And on the day of her death, detectives had found a printout in Dr. Seale's home office of an exchange between Suzanne and another Patrick.net member from August 30, 2016. Discussing the photo, the man who went by Ten Pound Bass wrote, all I've got to say is you must have a super cool husband. Suzanne, AKA Turtledove, replied, He's exhausted, actually. It isn't easy being married to a woman who is partially naked and posing alluringly all the time. Dr. Sills denied that he had printed that chat, but when investigators later searched his phone, they found a photo of the same exchange.

[911 Operator]

Does this sound like this could lead to motive?

[Detective]

Yes. If it's something that's building up in him, some kind of anger or jealousy about what his wife's doing online without him.

[911 Operator]

Enough to kill her.

[Witness]

Mm.

[Narrator]

Detectives also learned that Dr. Sills had tried to collect on a $250,000 life insurance policy on Suzanne, but he claimed the insurance company had called him.

[Witness]

He wasn't able to collect because that death certificate was ruled as a homicide.

[911 Operator]

Do you think Scott Sills thought he'd gotten away with it?

[Witness]

I think so.

[Detective]

Every day that went by, he felt a little bit more at ease, I think.

[Narrator]

On April 25, 2019, nearly two and a half years after Suzanne's death, Dr. Sills was arrested for her alleged murder. On his way to surgery, he quickly posted a million dollar bond. But investigators were about to get an unexpected tip from a woman who said she had met Dr. Sills while Suzanne was still alive.

[Witness]

They met through Facebook. He was infatuated with her.

[Narrator]

She shared an email Dr. Sills had sent her about two weeks after Suzanne's death.

[911 Operator]

Pour ma chre Marie.

[Witness]

Yes.

[911 Operator]

So it's in French. This is probably the most important manuscript I have ever written. I am asking you to seriously rethink our suspended but once intense relationship. When you first read that email, what was your reaction?

[Witness]

I thought. I was shocked. This is a motive.

[911 Operator]

So could Dr. Sills have killed his wife to get her out of the way?

[Scott Sills]

Oh, I just don't see that at all.

[Narrator]

Dr. Sills. Defense Attorney Jack early denies that there was a romantic relationship, and he says that email was merely a devastated father's desperate attempt to find a new mother for his children.

[911 Operator]

Did you feel in your gut that you could win this case?

[Scott Sills]

Oh, yes.

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[Friend]

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[Narrator]

See full [e-mail] In November 2023, just over seven years after Suzanne Sills death, Scott Sills, now stripped of his medical license, went on trial for her murder. The Orange County District Attorney's office declined our request for an interview, but cameras were allowed in court for portions of the trial where Senior Deputy DA Jennifer Walker laid out her case to the jury.

[Host]

November 13th of 2016. This man killed his wife and hit it.

[Narrator]

Walker argued that Scott Sills beat and then strangled Suzanne to death before staging the scene to make it look like she'd fallen down the stairs.

[Host]

This is a murder, not an accident.

[Narrator]

The prosecution's case relied heavily on Suzanne's autopsy. But Scott Sill's defense attorney, Jack early, came to court armed with a unique theory. He suggested that Suzanne fell either going up or down the stairs and that one or both of the family dogs then tugged on the scarf that was wrapped around her neck.

[911 Operator]

Do you honestly think that the dogs pulled hard enough to strangle her to death?

[Scott Sills]

No. No, I didn't. That was not the main theory, that the dogs actually strangled her to death.

[Narrator]

Instead, early focused on another injury identified in Suzanne's autopsy, that fractured C3 vertebra. He says that injury is consistent with a fall and that it would have left Suzanne incapacitated.

[Scott Sills]

Let's assume that someone trips and falls and fractures their C3, their breathing is compromised. If they're then choked, it doesn't take much to kill them.

[Narrator]

The defense had the scarf tested for dog DNA. It came back positive. And there was testimony that the dogs were known to play tug of war, as seen in this video. And when Suzanne and Scott's now 19 year old daughter Mary Catherine took the stand for the prosecution, her testimony supported the defense's theory. Investigator Dave Holloway was at the trial.

[Detective]

Mary Catherine testified that she saw the dogs pulling at this scarf around her neck and none of that came up during the day we interviewed her the first time.

[911 Operator]

How did that strike you?

[Detective]

Well, I know that she was still close with her father.

[911 Operator]

Do you think she's trying to protect her dad?

[Detective]

I would say so.

[Narrator]

Early denies that. He says the reason Mary Catherine didn't tell investigators is simple.

[Scott Sills]

It wasn't asked. Why would she think the dogs are important? She doesn't even know that there's any question of being choked.

[Narrator]

He says Scott Sills did tell first responders, and he argued that Suzanne's toxicology tests point to an accidental fall. She had a muscle relaxant and pain medication in her system. And early told the jury that Suzanne suffered from a fainting disorder and that vertigo would accompany her migraines. But the prosecution said the defense's theory just doesn't make sense.

[Host]

Strangulation is a silent killer. You know what's not a silent killer? Falling down multiple stairs.

[911 Operator]

You have to believe she bounced her.

[Host]

Head, neck, back, shoulders, inside her arms, legs, and feet multiple ways against approximately six stairs, like being in a soundproof pinball machine. Then was strangled by her dogs. Not reasonable.

[Narrator]

And why would Suzanne have a scarf around her neck that early in the morning? To begin with, prosecutors suggested that Scott Sills used it to strangle her and then left it around her neck to cover the marks. But early told the jury it wasn't unusual for Suzanne to wear a scarf, especially when she wasn't feeling well, because.

[Scott Sills]

If she got sick, that was something that she would wear. A scarf to wipe your mouth with.

[Narrator]

But the prosecution also pointed out that Suzanne and Scott's son Eric told investigators he saw his mother put the dogs away in their cross in the hours before she died.

[911 Operator]

Eric said that his mom put the dogs in the crate.

[Scott Sills]

Yes, sometimes dogs, when they're crate trained, when they go to bed, will go lay in the crate even with the door open.

[Narrator]

There was also no blood on the stairs or damage to them.

[911 Operator]

There are all these injuries that you say come from the fall down the stairs, all over her body, but she leaves no marks on the stairs.

[Scott Sills]

But there's no marks anywhere in the house.

[Narrator]

But there was that blood in Mary Catherine's bedroom. And the prosecution argued, argued it was evidence that a fight occurred. A forensic scientist testified that the stains on the nightstand and drapes were consistent with Scott Sill's DNA. Early did acknowledge that his client's blood was in the room, but he told the jury about Scott's claim that he hurt himself there on an earlier date.

[911 Operator]

From Scott replacing a screen from getting.

[Scott Sills]

Cut on a nail that was on the back of the nightstand that was there.

[Narrator]

That forensic scientist, though, testified that one of the stains on the wall was a mixture of DNA. And Scott and Suzanne were likely contributors. Early says that doesn't mean it was Suzanne's blood and that it could have been her touch DNA that was picked up.

[Scott Sills]

Susan had touched that area before at some point in time, and she lived there.

[Narrator]

But the prosecution pointed out that there were also clumps of Suzanne's hair found in Mary Catherine's room. And there were blood stains on Suzanne's clothing that were found to be consistent with Scott Sill's DNA. Too early had a rebuttal to it all, starting with the hair.

[Scott Sills]

She has hair extensions. And you know what? Hair extensions cause loss of hair.

[Narrator]

And the blood on the clothes.

[Scott Sills]

You don't know how old it is.

[Narrator]

The jury was also shown pictures of those injuries that were observed on Scott. Remember how he told investigators that he hurt himself while working on his car with his son? And how, according to investigators, Eric said that his father didn't get injured? Well, when Eric took the stand, his testimony allowed for the possibility.

[Scott Sills]

What he testified is, well, I didn't stay there the whole time. He fixed the car.

[911 Operator]

Does that seem like a discrepancy to you?

[Scott Sills]

Well, it's not a discrepancy. Nobody's asking him that full story at the age of 12.

[911 Operator]

So he didn't necessarily say at age 12, dad didn't get the injury from the car.

[Scott Sills]

No, he basically said, I wasn't there when he got the injury.

[Narrator]

While Eric Sills did testify that a loud discussion between his parents had woken him up shortly before his mother's death, the defense told the jury that there was nothing to it. And those texts between Scott and Suzanne in the months before Suzanne's death, If.

[Scott Sills]

You have 40,000 texts and there's five of them with hard language in it, that's a perfect marriage.

[Narrator]

The jury didn't hear about the life insurance policy, that email Scott sent to another woman or his social media photos in the wake of his wife's death. But they were told about the Patrick.net posts. And the prosecution argued that topless photo that Suzanne posted on the site enraged Scott.

[Scott Sills]

It wasn't a big deal.

[911 Operator]

It's not striking to you that he had this photo in two places on his phone and then on the printer?

[Scott Sills]

No. First of all, I don't know, really, who printed this stuff up early.

[Narrator]

Maintains there is no motive for murder.

[Scott Sills]

There was never any physical violence. They're working in marriage, relationship. Everybody looked at it as loving.

[Narrator]

Scott Sills chose not to take the stand. The trial spanned three weeks, and then the case went to the jury.

[Host]

My heart was just pounding.

[Friend]

What do you make of the Defense that the dogs may have played a role in her death. Chat now with the 48 Hours team on Facebook and X.

[Scott Sills]

Have you ever spotted McDonald's hot crispy fries right as they're being scooped into the carton? And time just stands still?

[Host]

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[Narrator]

Jurors Aaron Ellis, Jack van Camp and Susan Blaho say that when deliberations began, they felt the pressure.

[Scott Sills]

It's just so intimidating that you got someone's life on the line.

[911 Operator]

It weighs on you.

[Host]

Oh, yeah.

[Scott Sills]

And the ripple effect the kids and.

[Host]

Yeah.

[911 Operator]

Did you think about that? That these kids didn't only lose. Lose their mom. That if you convict him now, they're losing their dad?

[Host]

Of course.

[Scott Sills]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

They say they also felt a clear motive was lacking.

[Host]

I mean, it's hard to imagine why.

[Scott Sills]

Something like this, somebody would do that.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

After about three hours, they came to a decision.

[Witness]

The juries are indicating that they've reached tavern this matter.

[Narrator]

The clerk read the verdict.

[911 Operator]

We the jury, in the above entitled action, find the defendant Eric Scott Sills not guilty of the crime of first degree murder.

[Host]

We the jury, in the above entitled action find the defendant Eric Scott Sills guilty of the crime of second degree murder.

[Narrator]

Guilty of second degree murder. Scott S. Sills, who gave the gift of life to so many through his IVF practice, now convicted of taking the life of his wife, the mother of his kids.

[911 Operator]

I just felt sad.

[Host]

I mean, I was tearing up on the way out. This whole family had been through so much, you know. Now this is the next phase of it.

[Scott Sills]

But he did that.

[Narrator]

The jurors we spoke to say that no one on the jury bought the defense's theory about the dogs.

[Scott Sills]

The dogs would have to choke her on the stairs. And my dog was as big as hers. And my dog cannot get a grip on wooden stairs with her nails to do anything. They just slide.

[911 Operator]

The scarf had no puncture wounds either, I would have expected.

[Scott Sills]

And the fall down the stairs wouldn't create that scenario on her body.

[Narrator]

Instead, what they spent the most time grappling with was whether Scott Sills was guilty of first degree or second degree murder. First degree murder requires premeditation and deliberation.

[Scott Sills]

I just didn't think he planned it.

[Host]

I don't.

[Scott Sills]

If he had planned it or done any kind of forethought, it wouldn't be a hot mess crime scene that it was.

[High School Friend]

It was kind of like a snap.

[Narrator]

But investigator Dave Holloway says while Scott Sills may not have planned his crime, he certainly had the time to think about what he was doing.

[Detective]

He had plenty of time from when he applied pressure to Suzanne's neck till she died to stop what he was doing. He still did it. I was a little disappointed that it was a second degree.

[Narrator]

On March 15, 2024, about three months after the verdict, court reconvened for sentencing. Suzanne Sill's mother, Teresa Neubauer, addressed the court and kept the focus on her daughter.

[911 Operator]

She was a dynamic person. She had hopes and dreams, hopes and dreams.

[Narrator]

Neubauer said that one day Suzanne would see her daughter Mary Catherine, walk down the stairs of the family's San Clemente home on her wedding day.

[Host]

It was a very painful.

[911 Operator]

Thing for me to learn of the role the staircase eventually played in real life.

[Narrator]

Mary Catherine also addressed, addressed the court and spoke of all the loss she had endured at such a young age. She and her brother were taken in by a family friend after their father's arrest. And that family friend died suddenly of a health condition. Around the end of the trial, she asked the judge to show her father mercy.

[Host]

I want my father to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. Someday, when I have a family and children, I want my father to be there to hold my baby. I've been left orphaned, and I feel so lost without my parents.

[Witness]

We're here for sentencing on the matter.

[Narrator]

Judge Patrick Donahue sentenced Scott Sills to the mandatory sentence under California law, 15 years to life in prison.

[Witness]

Good luck, sir.

[Narrator]

His fate was decided, but for so many questions remain, exactly what led up to Suzanne Sills death.

[911 Operator]

Do you think we'll ever know exactly how it happened?

[Detective]

I don't think so.

[Witness]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Scott Sills declined our requests for an interview. But in the end, no explanation will suffice or ease the profound sense of loss that lingers patients now without their doctor.

[Host]

Thousands of women felt him to be a saint. From the saint all the way down to the devil. That's how it ended up being.

[Narrator]

And children without their father or their mother.

[Suzanne's Friend]

Her kids were so important to her, and everything she did revolved around her children. She was an incredible human being, you know, I miss her.

[Friend]

Scott Sills will be eligible for parole in 2033, though it could be sooner with good behavior, he is appealing his conviction. Need more time with 48 hours, go deep behind every true crime episode with first hand accounts from 48 hours investigations.

[Host]

Were you at all prepared for what.

[Scott Sills]

Happened in this case?

[Detective]

Shock is the word that comes to mind.

[Friend]

Get inside the twists and turns and get in on the case. Listen to postmortem from 48 hours, now available wherever you get your podcasts.