Shraman Mitra
911 operators in Winona, Missouri, received an alarming call on May 4, 2014, from Jason McClurg, who claimed that he found his wife, Stephanie McClurg, unresponsive in their home. By the time first responders reached the scene, Stephanie was pronounced dead due to a drug overdose, and Jason seemed extremely shaken at the proceedings. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Till Death Do Us Part: Love Sick’ portrays the sudden death and charts out the police investigation that uncovered evidence pointing at deliberate homicide. Let’s take a closer look at this case and find out where the murderer is at present, shall we?
How Did Stephanie McClurg Die?
Stephanie McClurg was recovering from a difficult divorce when she met single father, Jason. She and Jason soon struck up a close relationship, and it did not take long for them to get close to each other’s kids. After moving into a house in Winona, Missouri, the couple welcomed their first child in July 2012. Unfortunately, the show mentioned that their daughter, who came into this world in 2013, had a premature birth and passed away just a month later. However, the pair tied the knot in October of the same year and had their second son in March 2014.
On May 4, 2014, 911 operators received a call from Jason, who sounded pretty anxious and claimed that his wife was unresponsive. Officers and medical personnel raced to the scene, but by then, Stephanie had already breathed her last. An autopsy revealed that she had overdosed on drugs, and officers found a bottle of prescription drugs beside her body. However, there were no immediate signs of foul play, and the police initially believed that the death was natural.
Who Killed Stephanie McClurg?
Although Jason McClurg seemed highly shaken by the death of his wife, his statements made the police quite suspicious. He initially insisted that Stephanie had been unresponsive for quite a long time, but the victim’s mother claimed she was speaking to Stephanie just 30 minutes before the 911 call. The police managed to recover Stephanie’s phone and realized her mother was right. Still, it wasn’t enough evidence to warrant an arrest, so they had to keep investigating.
The police gathered even more information from Stephanie’s family as they were with her and Jason on the day prior to her death. According to the show, the victim’s loved ones mentioned that Jason had offered his wife some kool-aid on March 3, claiming that their 2-year-old child made it. However, Stephanie felt quite sick when she drank it, and Jason washed the bottle out before putting it away. On the other hand, Stephanie’s workplace contacted authorities and revealed that Jason had called to inquire about his wife’s life insurance shortly before her death.
Nonetheless, authorities received the most significant breakthrough when they discovered Jason’s affair. The show even mentioned that the girl Jason was having an affair with came forward and stated that Jason was planning on killing his wife with a drug overdose disguised in Kool-Aid. Determined to cement their case against Jason, authorities then searched his trailer and recovered the used bottle of Kool-Aid as well as bottles of muscle relaxers. A quick toxicology report revealed the cause of death to be an overdose from the muscle relaxers, and the bottle too tested positive for traces of the same drug. Thus, convinced of Jason’s involvement, law enforcement officials wasted no time arresting him and charging him with murder.
Where Is Jason McClurg Now?
In 2014, While awaiting his trial in a southeast Missouri jail, Jason escaped captivity during the July 4 celebrations. However, authorities were hot on his trail and recaptured him from a camper trailer near his hometown two days later. Once Jason was produced in court, he pleaded not guilty but was convicted of first-degree murder. Based on his conviction, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Thus, at present, Jason remains incarcerated at the Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston, Missouri.
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