Viswa Vanapalli
When Stacey Castor was arrested in September 2007, the authorities suspected her of some shocking crimes that included killing her two husbands and trying to kill her daughter. The newest episode of ABC News’ ‘Fatal Flaw’ chronicles how the police arrived at that conclusion and what happened to Stacey in the aftermath. So, if you’re wondering whether she was brought to justice, we’ve got you covered.
Who was Stacey Castor?
Stacey Castor was only a teenager when she first met Michael Wallace in 1985. They hit it off quite well, having their first child, Ashley, in 1987 and another daughter, Bree, about three years later. Stacey and Michael married in April 1990, but over time, the relationship crumbled. Stacey later said that Michael had issues with alcohol and drugs, adding, “He had a problem with both for a long time in his life.”
Furthermore, they barely spent time together because of their varying work schedule. In December 1999, Michael fell sick, dying weeks later of what the doctors thought was a heart attack. While Michael’s sister wasn’t convinced and wanted an autopsy, Stacey disagreed. She said, “When the doctors told me that they believed he’d died of a heart attack, I believed that. There was no reason for me to question that.” At the time, Stacey collected life insurance worth $55,000.
Sometime in 2001, Stacey met David Castor, and the couple married in August 2003. One afternoon in August 2005, a frantic Stacey called 911 after not hearing from her husband. She told the police that they argued regarding an upcoming vacation, leading him to lock himself in the bedroom. Stacey added, “Friday night, when we were arguing, he told me to get out. Take my kids and get out. I could leave. And then 5 minutes later, he said if I left, he would make me sorry. I would be sorry if I ever left him.”
The authorities found David dead inside the bedroom with a glass of antifreeze liquid beside him. Furthermore, there was a brandy bottle and cranberry juice in addition to another glass. Stacey then told the police that David had been depressed since recently losing his father, which could have led him to kill himself. However, the evidence didn’t line up with that story. Apart from finding Stacey’s fingerprints on the glass, the police found a turkey baster in the trash can with David’s DNA on its tip.
The authorities felt that Stacey poisoned David. During questioning, Detective Dominick Spinelli of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s department asked her about the glasses in the bedroom. He said, “I asked Stacey, ‘Do you remember which glass it was that you poured the cranberry juice in?’ and she looked at it and said, ‘Well, when I poured the anti-free– I—’ and then she stopped and said, ‘I mean– I mean, the cranberry juice.'”
The police then exhumed Michael’s body and learned that even he had been poisoned by antifreeze. This, in conjunction with David’s suspicious will, led the investigators to suspect Stacey of two murders. Then, just days after Michael’s body was exhumed, Stacey invited Ashley over to have a drink together. That night, she passed out in her bedroom. The mother and daughter did the same thing the next day, with Stacey making a drink for Ashley, who went and slept after that.
The following day, Ashley was found barely alive in her room and was rushed to the hospital. While she survived, tests showed she had several drugs in her system. The authorities also found a typewritten suicide note that appeared to be written by Ashley. The letter has her confessing to Michael and David’s murders. However, computer evidence led the police to believe that Stacey was the one who typed the letter, even having two drafts on the computer.
How Did Stacey Castor Die?
Stacey Castor was arrested in September 2007 and stood trial in January 2009. The prosecution produced evidence of Michael’s death during the trial. At the time, Stacey took the stand to claim that Ashley was responsible for the two deaths. In February 2009, Stacey was convicted of second-degree murder, attempted murder, and forging David’s will. She received 25 years to life for the murder, 25 years for the attempted murder, and 1 1/3-4 years for the forgery.
Stacey always maintained her innocence, saying in an earlier interview, “I would die for my kids. I could never hurt them like that. Ever. My kids were my life. I could never do that to Ashley.” On June 11, 2016, Stacey was found dead in her cell at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Westchester County, New York. Further testing revealed that the 48-year-old died of natural causes from a heart attack.
Read More: Where Are Ashley and Bree Wallace Now?
