Shivangi Sinha
Susann Sills‘ sudden and shocking death in November 2016 was especially devastating for her family. Her mother, Theresa Linda Neubauer, struggled to believe that the daughter she had lovingly raised had died in her home. Susann’s children, twins Mary-Katherine Estelle Sills and Eric Scott Sills II, were just beginning to understand the magnitude of their loss when their father was arrested in connection with Susann’s death in April 2019. CBS’ ’48 Hours’ episode ‘The Puzzling Death of Susann Sills’ delves into this case’s profound impact on those closest to Susann.
Susann Sills’ Unexpected Death Shocked Her Family
On November 13, 2016, Susann Sills’ 12-year-old twins, Mary-Katherine Estelle Sills and Eric Scott Sills II, were fast asleep. They knew their mother had been suffering from headaches, and since Mary-Katherine’s room was the quietest, she had cleaned it up and given it to her mother to rest in while she slept in her parents’ bedroom. The twins were woken up when their father, Eric Scott Sills, called the police to report that Susann had slipped down the stairs and was not breathing.
When Theresa Linda Neubauer received the call informing her that her daughter had passed away after falling down the stairs, it sounded very odd to her. Her first thought was that her daughter had never fallen. Reflecting on the little girl who had grown into her best friend, Theresa remembered the long phone conversations they had, which she called “marathon calls.” She shared that Susann had always been a cheerful, loving child, a member of the cheerleading team, and someone who could mesmerize everyone around her.
Theresa knew that Susann and her husband were working hard to build his independent practice, believing that their hard work would secure a prosperous future for themselves. Susann was an extraordinary mother who provided for her children and supported them in every capacity. Losing her changed the twins’ lives dramatically, and when their father was arrested on April 25, 2019, they knew that a mountain of sorrows had just avalanched into their lives.
Where is Susann Sills’ Family Today?
At the sentencing hearing of Eric Scott Sills in February 2024, Theresa Neubauer gave a victim impact statement detailing her relationship with her daughter and how it had been taken away from her. Theresa’s son and Susann Sills’ half-brother, Frank Gaulden, also took the stand and shared how he had recently started reconnecting with his sister. Theresa could not hold back her tears as she talked about how her daughter loved everyone, including animals, and how that caring nature had been passed on to her daughter. She currently lives in The Villages, a census-designated place in Florida, and is married to Larry William Neubauer.
After Eric’s arrest, Mary-Katherine and Eric II were placed in foster care in 2019. Mary-Katherine also took the stand and shared how the years after her father’s arrest had been complicated for her, as she also lost her foster mother. She asked the judge to show some leniency, expressing her hope that her father would one day walk her down the aisle and that she could have a relationship with him.
As of today, Mary-Katherine and Eric II are 20 years old and have started college. Mary-Katherine is beginning to regain some normalcy and has returned to volunteer work at animal centers. She also thrives academically, having made the Dean’s List in one of her college semesters. The journey for the twins has been difficult, but with each other’s support and their mother’s blessings, they are determined to move forward and achieve great things.
