Kimberly Stephan and Dennis Young

Summary

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True Crime All The Time Unsolved

Episode: Kimberly Stephan and Dennis Young (Release: March 23, 2026)

Hosts: Mike Ferguson and Mike Gibson
Main Theme:
A deep-dive into the 1997 double homicide of Kimberly Stephan and Dennis Young in Greenville, Ohio—a case rooted in domestic violence, unresolved justice, and intense local suspicion, with the main focus on Kimberly's estranged, abusive husband who remains the only official suspect, and the ripple effects of the crime on two families and a tight-knit community.

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Episode Overview

Ferguson and Gibson examine the murders of Kimberly Stephan and Dennis Young—two well-liked residents whose violent deaths shocked Greenville, highlighting the dangers that survivors of domestic abuse face when attempting to leave their abusers. The hosts blend their trademark informal banter with a thoughtful, methodical breakdown of the case: covering victim backstories, known facts, suspect behavior, community reactions, and why—despite circumstantial evidence—the case remains unsolved.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Victim Backgrounds and the Nature of the Crime

• Kimberly Stephan:

  • Local mother, known for her warmth and resilience (04:34)
  • Left her abusive third husband, Bob Stefan, in October 1996 (05:23)
  • Secured a restraining order and filed for divorce citing domestic violence

• Dennis Young:

  • Widower, community fixture, managed local Speedway gas station (09:26)
  • Well-liked; seen as a good father, husband, and pillar in town (10:31)

• Circumstances of the murders:

  • Both found shot (and Dennis also stabbed) in Dennis’ home on Feb 23, 1997 (02:57)
  • Evidence of a targeted attack: “...they died as soon as they entered the home.” (16:23)
  • Signs of premeditation: sliding door pried open, phone/cable wires cut, thermostat maxed to accelerate decomposition (17:43)

2. Domestic Abuse and the Prime Suspect

• Theme of intimate partner violence:

  • Repeatedly emphasized by hosts as a common thread in similar cases (03:28, 06:44)
  • “If I can't have her nobody can” mentality discussed (08:10)
  • Bob's escalating control: disconnecting phones, disabling car, threats to kill Kim and her children (08:26)

• Bob Stefan’s History & Behavior:

  • Multiple threats to Kim and her family, waving a gun around (07:48)
  • “He just can't let go.” (12:20)
  • Exhibited obsessive surveillance (driving by her house, harassing calls)
  • “I don't know how this would ever work out well, how you could ever build a meaningful...relationship from this kind of conduct.” (08:56)

3. The Night and Discovery of the Crime

• Kim and Dennis last seen leaving Bumpers bar ~1:30am, Feb 23 (14:02)
• Sons noticed something was wrong next day—couldn't reach their mom, found house with unlocked sliding door (15:01)
• Teenage son discovers both bodies while on way to school (15:12)
• Crime scene: both victims still wearing coats—killed immediately upon home entry (17:08)

4. Investigation Details

• Killer used Dennis’s own .22 caliber gun (22:07)

  • Did not bring weapons—used what was available in the house; killer knew environment or improvised?
  • Test-fired weapon into bedroom pillow
  • “...does say something when the person doesn’t come armed with anything.” (22:12)

• Phone and cable lines cut, thermostat at 90°F, attempt to obscure time of death (17:43, 18:10)

• Kim’s vehicle found abandoned and oddly parked nearby (24:08)

• Sizable financial motive: Kim would have received half their farmland and had a life insurance policy naming Bob as beneficiary (25:16)

• Bob’s Alibi:

  • Claims to have finished a date at 8:30pm, then drove around with many gaps in timeline (27:56)
  • “It just seems like a lot of the time is really not accounted for.” (27:51)
  • American Legion bartender reportedly saw Bob that night, but witness since deceased

5. Local Rumors and Alternative Suspects

• Urban legend that Kim’s sons were responsible (no evidence, oldest was only 15, method too sophisticated) (28:43)
• Witness tip about a maroon Ford F-150, possible sighting of someone dumping the weapon (29:41)
• Theories involving Bob’s friend Patty Burton, but evidence thin and likely rumors (42:59)
  • “...if you want something done, do it yourself.” (Patty’s nephew quoting her, 42:59)

6. Strange Behavior by Bob After the Murders

• Multiple incidents of harassment and intimidation against Kim’s and Dennis’s families:
  • Silent phone calls, riding by homes late at night, stalking, and threatening Kim's family at the cemetery, where he blocked and held them at gunpoint (33:18–36:15)
  • “You cannot threaten people. You can’t point a gun at a person for no reason.” (35:08)
  • Only received misdemeanor charges, served 3 days in jail (40:51)
• “...making it look to other people like you did [the murders].” (32:46)
• “Does Bob Stefan not realize the police are going to be headed his way? It's almost like he wasn't fazed by it.” (36:42)
• “It just sounds like to me he was somewhat unstable.” (47:45)

7. Evidentiary Limitations & Cold Case Status

• No forensic evidence or DNA tying a perpetrator to the murders (45:02)
• Physical evidence has been fully tested, nothing left for new techniques (45:40)
• Case was reviewed on show Cold Justice but remains cold, despite thorough reinvestigation (44:16)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On domestic violence and control:
  • “Often in the name of the victim or victims, as is the case here.” (05:23)
  • “It's not about the relationship...for these guys, it's just around the control.” (08:26)
  • “If I can't have her nobody can have her...That mindset needs to be removed.” (06:58, B)
• On the crime scene:
  • “...bodies hadn't had a chance to take their coats off, and I think that tells you a lot.” (17:12)
  • “Kim's head was on Dennis' leg, and she was clutching his pants leg.” (17:42)
  • “Some rage there.” (17:42, B)
• On Bob’s continued actions:
  • “You really making it look to other people like you did.” (32:46)
  • “He can no longer control Kim, so he's going to try to start controlling her family.” (33:07)
  • “Either this guy is experiencing some mental health issues...or...he is just trying to control her family.” (33:18)
• On the challenge to solving the case:
  • “...without new evidence, it may be really hard, if not impossible, to solve this crime.” (45:51)
  • “...the fact that the police even come out and say Bob Stefan is the prime suspect to me says a lot, because normally police are really careful...” (45:57)
• On prime suspect status:
  • “He may be. He may not be. I have no idea.” (49:37)
  • “It just sounds like to me he was somewhat unstable.” (47:45, B)

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Important Case Timestamps

• [02:57] Case introduction: discovery of victims and background in Greenville, Ohio
• [05:23] Victims’ personal stories; creation of a victims assistance fund
• [07:48] Details on direct abuse/threats from Bob Stefan to Kimberly
• [14:02] Timeline: last sighting of Kim and Dennis, bar visit
• [15:12] The sons' discovery of the bodies — emotional neighborhood scene
• [17:43] Crime scene analysis: evidence of planning, thermostat detail, methods
• [22:07] Weapon origin and analysis
• [24:08] Kim's abandoned car found; implications
• [27:56] Gaps in Bob Stefan’s timeline the night of murders
• [32:43] Cemetery intimidation incident by Bob with loaded firearm
• [35:01] Discussion of potential charges for Bob’s post-murder actions
• [40:51] Bob’s conviction: minor penalties for harassment and firearm charge
• [42:59] Alternate suspect rumors about Patty Burton—debunked
• [45:51] Highlighting evidentiary limitations in the case
• [47:45] Final reflection on why Bob remains the only real suspect

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Closing Analysis

The episode paints a vivid portrait of fear, trauma, and the ongoing dangers for survivors of domestic violence, especially those attempting to leave controlling relationships. Ferguson and Gibson highlight both the overwhelming circumstantial evidence and the frustrating lack of conclusive proof against Bob Stefan, probing the intersection of psychological control, community rumor, and procedural hurdles. The hosts are candid about the limitations: the lingering suspicion, lack of closure for the families, and the likelihood that without new leads or physical evidence, the murders of Kimberly Stephan and Dennis Young may tragically never be solved.

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For listeners seeking action:
If you have any information about the case, consider contacting Darke County authorities. And if you or someone you know is in a situation involving domestic violence, seek resources and support—this case underlines the urgency and importance of those protections.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Foreign.

[C]

And welcome to episode 457 of the True Crime all the Time Unsolved podcast. I'm Mike Ferguson and with me, as always, is my partner in true crime, Mike Gibson. Gibby, how are you?

[B]

I'm doing good, man. Obviously, according to you, I'm number one, too.

[C]

You are number one.

[B]

Yeah, I've seen that.

[C]

You know, Uno number one in our hearts. Let's go ahead and give our Patreon shout outs. We had Matilda M. Winma Gitanga. Oh, and when Wa Siandra Swisher jumped out at our highest level.

[B]

What's going on, Swisher?

[C]

Young Lee.

[B]

Well, you know, if you're going to be young, be a Lee.

[C]

Olivia Doss.

[B]

What's going on, Doss?

[C]

Sabaton. Queen.

[B]

Hey, Queen.

[C]

Jules.

[B]

What's going on, Jules?

[C]

Andy Roundtree.

[B]

Hey, Roundtree.

[C]

And last but not least, Kate Means.

[B]

And she's not mean. She just means. Yeah, yeah.

[C]

She means what she says.

[B]

She meets the means.

[C]

I don't even know what that means. If we go back into the vault this week, we selected Karen Jones.

[B]

Hey, Karen.

[C]

Yeah. Thanks for the new support, the continued support. It all means a lot. We have an episode out right now on True Crime all the Time where we're talking about Erica Green. And Erica Green was a young girl who was found dead. She was unidentified for four years and known as Precious, though. And then after she was identified, her killers became known. And who they were was kind of shocking. And it was a hard episode for us to do because we did not like them at all.

[B]

We did not. I was really pissed off.

[C]

Yeah. They were terrible people. And I'm assuming still are.

[B]

Yeah. People like that don't change.

[C]

Hi, buddy. Are you ready to get into this episode of True Crime all the Time Unsolved?

[B]

I am.

[C]

On February 23, 1997, the bodies of 33 year old Kimberly Stephan and 55 year old Dennis Young were found shot to death inside Dennis's home in Greenville, Ohio. At the time of her death, Kimberly was in the process of finalizing her divorce from her abusive husband, who Police identified as the prime suspect. So there's a couple of things that jump out at me. Number one is we're doing a case close to home. Greenville is very close to us.

[B]

It is.

[C]

And then number two, how many times, Gibbs, have we heard of this? A woman is killed while she's in the process of either trying to leave an abusive husband or in this case, finalizing a divorce from an abusive husband or partner? Right. It can be either. And the fact that, you know, they're coming out and naming him the prime suspect, you know, we know, just based on the fact of who he is, he's going to be on the police radar, you know, high at the top. But to actually say prime suspect. Okay, what's that tell you?

[B]

I mean, it's. It's says a lot, actually. But typically police are pretty careful about stating things like that.

[C]

Yeah. So, I mean, I think that means a heck of a lot if they're going to come right out and say it. Kim Stephan was born in Greenville, Ohio, on October 1, 1957. She had two sons, Jamie Stevens and Jackie Lawson. From her prior marriages, Kim earned an accounting degree so she could make more money to support her children. She worked as the accounting manager for the Council on Rural Service Programs. Kim's co workers later created a victims assistance fund in her memory. Natalie Milotte told the Greenville Daily Advocate in 1997, Kim was always a person with a smile on her face, willing to talk. She never wanted anyone to feel alone. And by forming this coalition in memory of Denny and her, we felt we could increase the awareness of. Of the domestic violence problem and let her smile live on. And it is something we do see, right. Obviously, there is a tragedy, but in the wake of that tragedy, people are trying to do some good things.

[B]

Right?

[C]

Often in the name of the victim or victims, as is the case here. Kim married her third husband, Robert Bob Stephan, in 1991. She and her sons lived with Bob until October 1996, when Kim filed for divorce. Kim filed a domestic violence report against Bob that same month. Her restraining order demanded that he be forbidden from contacting annoying, harassing, molesting, striking, injuring, or disturbing her during the divorce process, per the Cincinnati Inquirer.

[B]

It's a pretty thorough order.

[C]

That's pretty comprehensive language, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Basically, don't do anything.

[B]

Stay away.

[C]

Kim's friend John Thompson recalled to investigators years later. Kim said he's crazy. She's scared to death of him. Kim's friend Bethany Gonzalez said in an interview she didn't like the way he treated the boys. She talked about the bruises and being slapped around. And unfortunately, you know, we, we do have to talk about domestic violence quite a bit.

[B]

We do.

[C]

Because it crops up in so many of these cases. It's just an ongoing problem that needs to be stamped out. I just have no idea how to make that happen.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Or how it's going to, you know, come about.

[B]

But you're right, it needs to stop. And you know, this other thing of if I can't have or nobody can have her or, you know, have them.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

That mindset needs to be removed.

[C]

Yeah, I agree. Because it just never seems to work out well. Kim's brother in law, Shane Murray, visited her in October 1996 before she filed for divorce. He said in a phone interview for the show Cold Justice. She was very miserable. She was just in real bad marital status. She told us that she was leaving him. There's no way to patch things up, she said. And she wanted just to be as far away as possible from him. The following day, he accused her of screwing around on him. He's waving a gun around, telling her he's going to kill her and her kids if she leaves. That's what she told us directly. Said he'd burn everything she owned if she left that house.

[B]

And that's what I have a problem with. Right. I mean, there's going to be unhappy relationships. What does that solve by saying, I don't care if you don't want me anymore, you're not leaving here, you're going to stay with me. And if you leave, I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill the kids, I'm going to burn the house, everything down. What does that really solve?

[C]

Yeah, because how's the relationship going to be even if that person stays because they're afraid of you?

[B]

Yes.

[C]

But to me, it's not about the relationship. Maybe so much as I think for these guys or a lot of these guys, it's just around the control.

[B]

Absolutely.

[C]

They just want the control. It's not really how good the relationship is or any of that. So if she leaves, he loses the control. If he's able to make her stay, he keeps the control. And that's what it's all about. According to Shane, Bob had the phone wires unhooked from the home and disabled the car to prevent Kim from leaving. He told her she couldn't have contact with the outside world.

[B]

There you go. That's total control.

[C]

It is. And again, I don't know how this would ever work out. Well, how you could ever build a meaningful or have a meaningful relationship from this kind of conduct.

[B]

Well, there's no trust, right? You don't trust me because you are unhooking the phone the way to get the car started. You know, you are basically kidnapping me, holding me hostage here.

[C]

And don't forget, threatened my life, the life of my kids, all that Kim told her family at one point, if we leave, he's going to kill us. Kim and her sons moved into their own place after she filed for divorce. Around Thanksgiving 1996, she started dating 55 year old Dennis Young, the manager of a local Speedway gas station. Dennis had lived in Greenville most of his life and was well known in the community. Dennis brother Stephen recalled that people stopped at the gas station on their way to work just to see Dennis. Dennis was married for 30 years and had four adult children. His daughter Joy Fry said that Dennis was a good husband, father and grandfather. Dennis lost his wife to cancer in 1994. He also had throat cancer but recovered. Dennis's sister Sherry Van said that after he lost his wife, he went off the deep end, but was doing better and enjoying life again by the time he started dating Kim.

[B]

So sounds like a really good guy.

[C]

Well, if he's the type of guy that people look forward to stopping into the gas station just so they can, you know, say hi to him and he makes him feel better, yeah, you get a sense of what type of guy this was. Sherry told the Daily Advocate, he was totally a family man. He never met an enemy. He enjoyed life and his family. Bob Stefan made comments to people about his displeasure at Kim's new relationship. And that doesn't shock me one bit. We've already talked about what kind of guy this person was. He threatened to kill Kim and her sons. Does it shock you in any way that he's not going to be happy when she's dating someone new?

[B]

Well, yeah. I mean, he didn't even want her to leave the house.

[C]

But now she's finally gotten away from him and she's found what seems to be a good guy everybody says is a good guy. She might actually start to be happy. And not only has he lost control over her, well, now she's happy. So he can't be happy about that either.

[B]

Yeah. What do you mean you're happy?

[C]

You're happy without me?

[B]

How can that be?

[C]

Deanna Young, a bartender at the local American Legion Post, said that sometimes Bob came in and was quiet. Other times he came in, got drunk and talked about his problems. He mentioned that he Drove past Kim's house a few times to see whose car was there. He told Deanna he was thinking about ending his life and once held a loaded gun to his head. Okay, now, bartenders hear a lot. They do, you know, but I don't know if he had this gun at the bar to his head or he was relaying that he had it to his head somewhere else outside the bar. But to me, what. What really kind of sparks my interest is this notion of driving by Kim's house all the time, you know, again, looking to see whose car is there. It's like he just can't let go.

[B]

Well, you know, he made the mess. According to her, he made this mess, and she didn't want to be part of it anymore. And clearly he wasn't able to get past that. And the only person he has to blame is his self. I feel bad for somebody if they really were really talking about ending their life to a bartender, you know, clearly maybe he needed some help. But again, it sounds like he put himself into that situation.

[C]

Well, he definitely did, as far as it. As far as Kim is concerned in their relationship. In early 1997, a bartender at Gallagher's bar witnessed a heated exchange of words between Bob and Dennis. Now, she couldn't hear what was said, but it was clear Bob was upset. Bob eventually left, and Dennis sat at the bar without saying anything. Dennis's mother, Cecilia, told the Daily Advocate that he received threats. She warned him to be careful. According to Cecilia. He told me, oh, mom, you watch too many television shows. I told him he'd come in the darkness of the night. He went to the police, but they said they couldn't help him until he was harmed. By the time he was harmed, it was too late.

[B]

Yeah, you hate to hear that, right? You know, can't really do much for you until you're harmed. But sometimes harm means kill.

[C]

Yeah, and then it's too late to do anything. On the night of February 22, 1997, Kim and Dennis were went to two bars in downtown Greenville. They were last seen together around 1.30am on February 23, leaving a bar called Bumpers. They left together in Dennis's car to go back to his duplex on North Chippewa Drive in Greenville. Kim's sons were staying with their aunt and uncle and last saw her on the evening of February 22nd before she went out. They couldn't get in contact with her all day on February 23, and went to Dennis's house looking for her on the morning of February 24th. 1997. Kim's son Jamie said in his interview for the show Cold justice that he called Dennis's house, but the line was busy all day. He called again on the morning of the 24th, and it was still busy. So he knew something was wrong.

[B]

Yeah, I bet he had that. That feeling you get when you know something's not right.

[C]

Yeah. You just have, like, a pit in your stomach. You feel like, oh, something bad has happened.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Their uncle took them to Dennis's home on their way to school. Jackie saw that the front door was locked, so he walked around the house and found the glass sliding door open a few inches, which was something Dennis never did. He entered the house and found Kim and Dennis dead on the floor. And it was neighbors who heard the boy screaming after they found their mother's body.

[B]

Oh, man, I can't. I just can't imagine what that would have been like.

[C]

I mean, they were on their way to school.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Something they did every day. Normal stuff, right? Yeah, sure. They're worried about their mom, but in a million years, they couldn't have guessed that they were going to find her and Dennis dead in. In his home.

[B]

Hear them cry out like that.

[C]

Neighbor Cliff Fleetwood, who lived across from the crime scene, told the Daily Advocate, I didn't know anything was going on until her son started running around the house across the street screaming, and then came and used our phone. When he came in the house, we tried to console him. He was yelling, my mom and Denny are dead. My wife and I both prayed for them.

[B]

I mean, it's tragic.

[C]

According to the Daily Advocate, Kim's sons went to the police department shortly before 8am and told the patrolman their mother was dead. The patrolman followed the boys to the address and requested a detective rescue squad in the fire department be sent to the house. He told dispatch the scene looked suspicious, but there were no immediate signs of foul play. The fire department checked for possible carbon monoxide fumes, but everything was within normal range. Kim and Dennis were lying face down in the front dining area. They were fully clothed and actually still wearing their coats, indicating they died as soon as they entered the home.

[B]

Well, it sounds like their killer was waiting for them inside the house.

[C]

Yeah, it's an interesting fact of the crime scene. Obviously, these people hadn't yet had a chance to take their coats off, and I think that tells you a lot. Yeah. Kim's head was on Dennis's leg, and she was clutching his pants leg. Kim was shot three times in the torso. Dennis was shot twice and had 10 deep incision wounds on his neck. Wow. So very brutal.

[B]

Some rage there.

[C]

Yeah, I think so. And like we said, right. There's clear evidence that the killer had been lying in wait. Also, the phone and cable wires at the back patio were cut and the sliding glass door had been pried open. The thermostat had been turned up to about 90 degrees, possibly to speed up decomposition and cause confusion about the time of death. And we've seen that in other cases as well.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, but somebody has to have a little bit of knowledge to figure that out.

[C]

Yeah, some, some knowledge of decomp and, and things like that. Now, you could get that from watching TV shows or whatever. I'm still wondering why thermostats go up to 90 degrees. Who is putting their thermostat on 90 degrees?

[B]

You know, I'm gonna say, when my mom, towards the end of her life, she would kick that bad boy up a lot.

[C]

Like, was it in the 80s?

[B]

Yeah, it was up in the mid-80s. And I'd go over there and be like, mom, what are you doing? You know, I'd be taking off clothes when I walked in that door, just so I could. Didn't feel like I was suffocating. Turn that thing down.

[C]

That's like, you know, my wife's car, the speedometer goes up to 180. Yeah, I know for a fact her car will not go 180. You don't need to put it up that high.

[B]

Right.

[C]

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[B]

You would think. Right.

[C]

So it kind of works against what you're trying to do. Probably. Police initially told the media that they didn't know the caliber of weapon use, but it appeared Dennis's gun cabinet had been tampered with. Investigators soon confirmed that Kim and Dennis were killed by a.22 caliber gun taken from Dennis's gun cabinet. This gun cabinet was in one of the bedrooms. And after removing the gun, the killer fired a test round into a pillow in the bedroom.

[B]

Okay. Wanted to make sure actually would fire, I guess.

[C]

Now, the murder weapon was never found, but the knife used to stab Dennis was found in the kitchen sink, and only his blood was found on it. So a couple of things jump out at me. Number one, the killer apparently doesn't bring a gun or any type of weapon with them because both of the implements they use came from Dennis house. Yeah. So a, did the person know that Dennis had a gun safe or did he just stumble upon it walking around the house? Now, I think most people would reasonably know that they're going to be able to find a knife in the kitchen.

[B]

Yeah, that's true.

[C]

So you could make that argument. Maybe that was the plan all along. And he stumbled upon the gun safe and thought, well, this will be better.

[B]

Right. So let me try one of these out, make sure it fires first, and it did.

[C]

But I think it does say something when the person doesn't come armed with anything. But they broke into the house and laid in wait. So they had plans.

[B]

So maybe it was somebody that didn't plan on doing something at that moment, but the rage overtook them that night.

[C]

Or maybe they weren't expecting them to come home, maybe, and were surprised. I don't know. I think maybe you're probably more on the right track. And then I think the second thing was only Dennis's blood being found on it. You know, we've talked a lot about stabbings, and it's very common for the perpetrator to cut themselves. Especially with, you know, larger number of stab wounds. It's very easy for your hand to slip down the blade and for you to get cut. But that couldn't have happened here.

[B]

Well, yes. You know, I think it happens more when you have the victim fighting against you. But if the victim in this case, you know, Dennis, was dying or already dead from the gunshot wounds, then there would be less fighting back.

[C]

Yeah, I think that's true. The Daily Advocate reported that an hour into the investigation, an employee at a local doctor's office informed police of a suspicious vehicle in the backlot of the office. The car was Kim's, and it was parked sideways. It was found an eighth of a mile from the crime scene. A yellow glove was found near the lot. Police interviewed Bob Stephan on February 24th. He was the only suspect, but he was not arrested. Bob talked to his attorney and allowed police to search two addresses, but nothing was found. According to the Cincinnati Inquirer, Kim stood to get half of some farmland she and Bob owned. Bob was also the sole beneficiary of to Kim's insurance policy.

[B]

So there's some motive.

[C]

There's definitely some monetary motive. We've already talked about the controlling aspect of his behavior. Now we're drawing into the mix what could be. And we don't know the exact amount, but what could be, you know, a sizable amount of money.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Between the half of the farmland and the life insurance payout. At the time of the murders, the divorce proceedings were coming to an end. Just six days before Kim was killed. A judge scheduled a hearing to finalize the divorce in March. So, I mean, you can make of that a few things. I think probably a lot of people will look at it as time was running out, and maybe, you know, Bob had to act before it was finalized.

[B]

Yeah, because once it's finalized, then she's legally gone from his life and Whatever the judge decides to do about splitting up property and things like that will take place.

[C]

And in the event of her death, would go to somebody else. One of her heirs.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

Bob didn't have a strong alibi for the night of the murders. He went on a date set up by his friend Patty Burton, which ended at 8:30pm Patty's from the Dayton area. She met Bob, a handyman, when he worked on sinks and cabinets in her house. The woman Bob went on a date with was Dana Williams. Dana worked as a nurse, now at one point cared for Patty Burton's husband. Years later, she did an on camera interview with investigators for the show Cold Justice. She said she agreed to go on the blind date with Bob if Patty went too. Bob didn't say much and Patty did most of the talking. They went to a church and to a barn. Dana had to go home around 8:30 because she had work the next day. And Bob left with Patty. In his original interview tape, Bob told police he left Patty's house at approximately 8:30pm he admitted that he drove by Kim's place on the way into town. He didn't see her car, so he went around the block to the American Legion Post. He continued driving to see if his brother was home and then returned home down backcountry road.

[B]

It just seems like a lot of the time is really not accounted for.

[C]

Yeah. And I think that's why people said, you know, just wasn't, you know, really a strong alibi. You know, when you say that, you're kind of driving down backcountry roads. Okay, how long did it take you? Now, there was a bartender at the American Legion Post who reportedly saw Bob that night, but that man has since died. According to the Daily Advocate, Bob Steffens life was threatened after police said he was the only suspect in the murders. Anonymous calls were placed to the Darke County Sheriff's office and the Greenville Police Department, which Bob was made aware of. But he continued to be the prime suspect even though there was a rumor in town that Kim's sons committed the murders. However, there's no evidence to support this rumor. And the crime scene was too methodical to have been planned by young children. I mean, Kim's oldest son was only 15 at the time of the murder. So a lot of people who kind of have looked at this case just think there's no way two kids that young, the oldest being 15, could have really planned this out and carried it out right in the methodical way.

[B]

It was not really that believable.

[C]

On February 26, police acted on a tip and searched Greenville Creek in hopes of finding the murder weapon. This area was just a mile from Bob's home. During the search, a passing motorist stopped on the bridge and told officers, if you're looking for the weapon down there, you might as well stop. If you want the gun, you'd better go look on down the road.

[B]

Well, that's interesting.

[C]

That's so strange. Hey, officers, if you're looking for the weapon, you're looking in the wrong place. Go down this way.

[B]

Yeah, you might find it down there.

[C]

How in the world would you know that?

[B]

I mean, I would have been like, hey, buddy, jump in my cruiser. Let's go down. And you kind of point out where you think I should be looking at,

[C]

or at the very least let me in on this insight that you have. How you know it. So police were searching for this man who drove off in a maroon Ford F150 truck. I get that. I could see how they would want to talk to him a little bit more. Between March 8 and March 14, 1997, someone broke into Kim's home. Her son reported the burglary and indicated that someone went through her drawers and took two birth certificates and miscellaneous papers.

[B]

Okay. Seems strange.

[C]

Very strange, right? For a burglar to target birth certificates and miscellaneous papers. Not gold, silver, antiques, televisions, DVD players, things like that. Birth certificates.

[B]

Maybe the miscellaneous papers were related to the life insurance.

[C]

Yeah. I didn't find a lot more about what the miscellaneous papers actually were, but I think for me, the point is what? Burglar breaks into a home to steal a bunch of papers? Not many. That kind of skews towards the perpetrator, knowing the victim and being there for very specific items for very specific reasons. In early November 1997, Bob Stefan was charged with phone harassment of Kim's family. He remained silent on the other end of the line when they answered the phone and put a block on his line so it wouldn't show up on caller id but obviously, they must have figured out it was him. Right? The authorities, they charged him. But, you know, the question I would ask is why?

[B]

Yeah, why? Why would you do something like that?

[C]

You know, regardless of whether Bob had anything to do with these murders, why would you call and harass her family? Is that more along the lines of control? Right. You are making people feel a certain way.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And is that giving him a sense of control?

[B]

It must have.

[C]

On November 30, deputies responded to the Fort Jefferson Cemetery on a reporter. Shots fired. When they arrived, they found Bob Stephan in his truck unloading bullets from his handgun. Kim's family was visiting her grave when Bob arrived, threatened them, and pointed a loaded gun at them.

[B]

Yeah, this guy's not okay.

[C]

Nothing he's doing is making sense. First of all, if you didn't have anything to do with the murders, you're really making it look to other people like you did.

[B]

Absolutely, you are.

[C]

And if you did have something to do, why would you even want to draw attention to yourself?

[B]

Is he trying to say, hey, nobody should be able to come visit her because she still belongs to me?

[C]

I don't know. I'm almost getting this feeling like, you know, he can no longer control Kim, so he's going to try to start controlling her family.

[B]

Yeah, it seems like it.

[C]

According to Kim's brother in law, Shane Murray, he and Kim's brother Tony Donovan, came to the cemetery to visit her grave. They were kneeling at the graveside when they saw Bob's truck pass by the cemetery, turn around and block their truck in. Every time they tried to back out, Bob would move his truck to block them. He held them at gunpoint for 30 minutes. According to Shane Murray, he'd put the gun up to the window, point it to the side so we could see it was a gun, and then he would cock it. He kept waving it at us off and on for a good half hour before we got out of there. I mean, either this guy is experiencing some mental health issues, because that's one possibility, or like I said, he is. So he's just trying to control her family in any way possible. Scaring them. Right. By calling and not saying anything. Is he driving by her grave just to see if any of her family are out there and then he. If so, he pulls in.

[B]

It sounds like it.

[C]

Because let's not forget, he did drive by her house a lot after she left him.

[B]

But this sounded like something that could have really escalated.

[C]

Well, anytime you have a gun, things can escalate quickly. First of all, you don't know if one of these two guys has a gun in the truck.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

I can tell you if right now in rural Ohio, there's a very good chance that someone will.

[B]

Yep, you're right for sure. This could have went sideways really quick.

[C]

And at the very least, it's criminal. Right. What he's doing is a criminal act.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You cannot threaten people. You can't point a gun at a person for no reason.

[B]

And you can't let them not leave.

[C]

Right. There's all there's A bevy of charges, I think that. That you can be looking at for that.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

When Murray was able to get away, he drove to the home of Kim's stepfather, Bud Penny, who lived less than a mile from the cemetery and called 911. Murray told the Daily Advocate, I truly thought he was going to kill us. I still don't know why he didn't pull the trigger. Penny and his son Buddy then drove down to the cemetery and they got into a verbal confrontation with Bob. Shortly after, Murray and Donovant returned and found Bob parked beside Kim's grave. He pointed the gun at Bud Penny and said it was their last warning and the next time he was going to pull the trigger. The police arrived shortly after. Can we talk about this guy Bud Penny for a moment? He and his son go down to confront Bob after they've already been told he's got a loaded gun and he's waving it around. All right, that takes some. A little bit of stones.

[B]

It does. But there's some people, you know are going to say, hey, I don't like what you're doing. If. If I got people want to visit this grave site, they should be able to visit this grave site without you coming in here harassing them. What are you going to do, shoot me?

[C]

No, but the other thing that jumped out at me is, does Bob Stefan not realize that the police are going to be headed his way? It's almost like he wasn't phased by it.

[B]

I kind of wonder if he was okay.

[C]

And. Yeah, me too, mentally. Yeah. I'm wondering that as well. Bob was charged with improper handling of a firearm, aggravated menacing, drug paraphernalia, and drug abuse. Officers found marijuana under the seat of his truck.

[B]

I mean, it sounds like they could have probably charged him with a few more things, too, but.

[C]

Yeah, something. I don't know if it's kidnapping, but there is a charge about not letting someone leave. Kim's stepsister Theresa Murray said about the charges and the fact that Bob made bond hours after he was arrested. At first I thought this was a step in the right direction, but with just misdemeanor charges for pointing a loaded gun at someone and saying you plan to kill them. I don't know. I can't believe someone can get out of jail for doing something like this. Well, I can believe that someone can get out of jail, but I am kind of surprised that this only resulted in misdemeanor charges because like you said, I feel like they really could have thrown the book at him as far as charging him but maybe they didn't have the evidence. Maybe they didn't believe the word of these two people. I really don't know.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, at least they were able to witness some of the things when they got there, but they weren't able to witness what happened to the two other guys because they weren't there when all that happened.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Maybe this part about him not letting them leave the cemetery, maybe they just couldn't corroborate that. I don't know. Greenville police were also investigating other reports of phone harassment and alleged stalking of family members. Kim's son Jamie was chased by Bob late on November 28th. According to Jamie, he was forced out of a bowling alley and chased by Bob in his truck for four blocks until he got to his aunt's house. Dennis's sister, Sherry Vance, also said she saw Bob drive by her home at 2.30am on November 30. So for me, you know, if all these accounts are correct, it's like this guy is obsessed. Maybe he was obsessed with the victims. Again, this is. If he had anything to do with the murders.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

But he obviously was obsessed with their families. Yeah, clearly, if these things are true. Because after the murders, he's doing all kinds of things to family members. It's like he can't leave them alone.

[B]

Is it just because he's trying to hang on to any piece of her through these family members?

[C]

I don't know. I do think control is such a big deal with some of these individuals, and they get control or that feeling of control from all kinds of different things. A year after the murders, it was reported that Bob Stephan remained the prime suspect. By this time, both families had offered rewards, hired PIs, and questioned police as to why no arrest had been made yet. On May 12, 1998, Bob Stephan pleaded no contest to possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle and drug abuse. He opted to take a plea deal. Minutes before his trial was supposed to start, the prosecution agreed to dismiss the aggravated menacing and drug paraphernalia charge and recommended the maximum penalties on the drug abuse and possession charges. He received a $1,000 fine for carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle and a $100 fine for the drug abuse charge. He was ordered to spend 180 days in jail with all but three days suspended on the condition he have no similar violations for a year. So from all of that, he did three days in jail and paid $1,100 in fine.

[B]

Pretty much a slap on the wrist.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, again, how much could they corroborate. Right. Was it just these guys word against his? I mean, there's a lot of factors here, and we don't really know the answers to some of that. Bob also agreed to forfeit the gun he possessed at the time of the incident and to have no contact with the victim's family. That's a big one there.

[B]

That is a big one.

[C]

If he can honor it, because I do believe he was in stalking, harassment mode. For what reasons, we don't really know. The murder of Kim Stephan and Dennis Young remains a cold case. In 2015, the show Cold justice covered the case, and investigators re interviewed witnesses. As part of the episode, A confidential informant who knew Bob's friend Patty Burton came forward a few years prior to filming and claimed Patty admitted to committing the murders. The informant claimed they were with Patty and her nephew, Scott Myers. The witness was warned about Patty prior to meeting her and was told to avoid her because she allegedly committed the murders. They were all sitting around smoking marijuana, and the conversation shifted to murders. When Patty allegedly said she was involved, the witness thought she was joking, but Patty reportedly said, no, I did it, and that bitch got what she deserved. Wow. According to the witness, Patty was adamant about having committed the murders. Now police spoke to Patty's nephew, Scott Myers, who told a different story. Myers alleged that Patty insinuated she did it but never confessed outright. All she said was, you know how it is, Scott. If you want something done, do it yourself. So, you know, for me, coming out and admitting to people that you committed the murders, that's. That's pretty dumb. But even insinuating that you had something to do with these murders, it's not the smartest thing to do.

[B]

No, it's not. Maybe she was just trying to make her sound tough.

[C]

Yeah, people do that sometimes. Investigators found Patty and spoke to her again. She was asked if she recalled making a comment that she got what she deserved. Patty denied saying this. She also denied going on the blind date with Bob and Dana Williams on the night of the murders. Investigators believe that although Patty might have made certain claims, her state of mind and the lack of evidence against her most likely ruled her out as a suspect. The Cold justice team also received new information from Kim's former landlord, Forrest Pittman. Bob worked for Pittman as a handyman. One day, Kim came to Pittman's office and said she needed a rental because she was leaving. Bob Pittman put her and the kids in the home she was living in at the time of the murder. After the murders, when he was Getting ready to put the house back up for rent, he noticed that the outside vent for the furnace was disconnected, meaning the gas was not going outside like it should. He said it didn't look accidental. He suspected Bob had tampered with it to try to kill Kim and the kid.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

Again, some of this stuff, you know, these people who come forward, even though some of them might be well meaning, I don't really think there's a lot of evidence here, if any. But it's interesting what they have to say. Yeah. It's theories, and it's based on things they claim they saw or heard. The cold justice team went to the D. A. With their information. He said he felt encouraged and was going to review the case thoroughly. Bob Stephan has never been charged with the murders, but he remains the only confirmed suspect. Unfortunately, in this case, the physical evidence of. Is of limited value because there was no biological material left behind by the shooter.

[B]

That makes it tough.

[C]

Yeah. So it doesn't sound like, you know, they have any DNA or really any type of. Or much physical evidence, according to the Cincinnati inquirer, Because the physical evidence they do have has already been tested multiple times. There is nothing left. And that is, you know, the problem that you run into in. In many cold cases, unsolved cases, you know, they used the physical evidence, they tested it back when DNA wasn't as good, and now that it is so much better, a lot of times they don't have any left to. To test.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And that's obviously a real problem because, you know, without new evidence, it may be really hard, if not impossible, to solve this crime.

[B]

That's what I was just thinking. You know, this is one that might remain technically unsolved.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, as we wrap this thing up, like I said in the beginning, the fact that the police even come out and say Bob Stefan is the prime suspect to me says a lot, because normally police are really careful about who they call a suspect versus a person of interest and all that. I will say, obviously, between what he would have lost in the divorce and what he would have gained from Kim's life insurance, there is probably a good. There was probably a good deal of financial motive.

[B]

Yeah, that makes sense if you want

[C]

to look at it that way. And then there's this control aspect.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That we keep talking about. You know, from the things that we've heard from Kim's friends and other people, family and friends, he did seem like a pretty controlling person. Now I don't know what to make of what he did after the Murders, kind of harassing or stalking her family, and maybe even some of his, you know, Denny's family members.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

If all of that stuff that people said was correct, why. What would be the point of that? Yeah.

[B]

Why put your spotlight back on you again? Right.

[C]

Well, could a person possibly be thumbing their nose at the police and the family? Basically like, hey, I'm right here, but you can't do anything to me. Now, I'm not going to come out and say I did it, but I'm going to keep messing with you. I don't understand the reasoning behind it, but I'm just trying to come up with different theories as to why someone would do that if that's the way it really went down.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, it just sounds like to me he was somewhat unstable.

[C]

Yeah, I kind of thought that way, too. And then, you know, back to this theory some people had that Kim's sons were involved. You know, the oldest was 15, so obviously the younger one was even younger than that. The way that this crime occurred, with little, very little physical evidence being left behind, it doesn't seem like a young, very young person committed these murders. Yeah, it just doesn't.

[B]

What would have been the motive?

[C]

What? Right.

[B]

And then some rumors that say Patty did it. But then Patty didn't really come out and say that she did it. So again, what was the motive there? Just because according to the one rumor, she said the got what she deserved.

[C]

Yeah, I don't know. Police, having looked into it, have said they don't think she did it. So. Yeah, I. I don't know if she. They just thought she was running her mouth or didn't really say it. I don't know. I mean, it's easy to see, though, right, with everything that we talked about, why, at the very least, Bob would be a person of interest. He has to be a person of interest.

[B]

Absolutely.

[C]

And with everything. He doesn't have a strong alibi. There's really probably no way that they could clear him. So are they coming out and saying he's the prime suspect because they just really have nobody else now? It doesn't prove that he did it.

[B]

No, it doesn't. Doesn't look great.

[C]

No, he doesn't look good at all. But that doesn't mean much in a court of law.

[B]

Does not.

[C]

So it could stay that way forever.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, he could die with this kind of hanging over his head as people think he's a killer. He may be. He may not be. I have no idea.

[B]

Yeah. And we may never know.

[C]

Yeah, we may never know. But that's it for our episode on the murders of Kimberly Steffen and Dennis Young. We got a voicemail. You want to check that out?

[B]

Let's hear it.

[D]

Hi, Mike and Gibby. My name is MacKenzie. I'm a longtime listener of your guys's podcast, and I really enjoy all the podcasts that you guys have put out. And I recently just listened to the Don Henry and Kevin Ives case, and you were talking about Fahmi Malik, and I'm not sure if you guys are aware, but he is in a ton. A ton of podcasts where he has very, very questionable practice. And I'm not really sure what podcast it's been, but in the 10 years that I've listened, he's been brought up on so many cases as being very, very crooked. Not a very great medical investigator or whatever I guess he is called. But, yeah, so I would look into him. Maybe you guys could come up with your own podcast just about him in general, because he's done a lot of crooked things with other cases and. Yeah, so it was great to talk to you guys. I hope that you have a good day and keep your own time ticking. Bye.

[C]

Yeah, I. I'm not aware of that. Gibby and I, and we've said this before, we don't listen to other true crime podcasts anymore just because we. We don't want to be tainted and say something that somebody else said and be accused of that. But it wouldn't surprise me because, I mean, the things that this guy came up with were strange.

[B]

Sure was.

[C]

I mean, go back to the 20 joints. Yeah, I mean, who spoke 20 joints? Even between two people, it just didn't seem right. And. And so, yeah, it wouldn't surprise me at all, but thanks for the voicemail very much.

[B]

Absolutely.

[C]

All right, buddy. That is it for another episode of True Crime, all the time unsolved. So for Mikey, stay safe and keep your own time. Ticking.

[B]

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