In 2016, noted fertility doctor Dr. Eric Scott Sills, 58, was convicted guilty of second-degree murder for killing his wife, Susann, in their San Clemente home.
Wager Fallout: Fertility Doctor Convicted in Wife’s ‘Staged Accident’ Murder
After losing a wager on Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, Susann posted a nude photo online, causing problems between the pair and leading to her imprisonment in April 2019. The doctor said Susann fell down the stairs, but prosecutors said the injuries contradicted that. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office called the murder a “staged accident” after trial evidence proved strangling and a violent struggle between the pair.
On November 16, 2016, 45-year-old Susann Sills was found on the steps. After sticking to his first account, Dr. Sills was convicted and could face 15 to life in prison. In their daughter’s bedroom, where Susann was sleeping due to a migraine, the prosecution found bloodstains and a clump of her hair, indicating a struggle.
The jury found the contradictions crucial to conviction. Authorities called the murder a staged accident, indicating Dr. Sills tried to cover it up following a series of lover’s quarrels.
Text Messages Reveal Turmoil: Fertility Doctor’s ‘Diabolical’ Murder Conviction
Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker provided text messages showing the couple’s conflicts, including Susann’s topless Instagram post that sparked disagreements. One text from Walker reinforced Susann’s plea: ‘You are killing me, don’t you see?’ The prosecutor claimed Dr. Sills was murdered as a doctor and husband. The murder of Dr. Sills, a father of four and reproductive medicine expert, was called “diabolical.”
The couple had two daughters and initially thrived but subsequently struggled. Dr. Sills began judicial proceedings last month after posting $1 million bail. March 15 is sentence day. Jack Earley, the disbarred doctor’s attorney, has not responded to demands for comment. The prosecutor thanked the jury for holding Dr. Sills accountable for his terrible act, underlining the crime’s planned planning and its impact on the couple’s children, who are now without parents.