Scott Sills: 48 Hours: The Puzzling Death of Susann Sills - 5 harrowing details about the Scott Sills case, revisited

In CBS's 48 Hours: The Puzzling Death of Susann Sills, the horrifying case of Susan's death in her home in 2016 was recounted. The 45-year-old woman was thought to have died after falling from the stairs.

As the investigations began, more details about the strange injuries on her body, especially on her neck, made the investigators suspect foul play. After learning about an argument between Susan and her husband, Scott Sills, the night before her death due to a topless photo she posted in a forum, they arrested him for allegedly murdering his wife.

In 2023, Scott went on a trial and was convicted by the jury for second-degree murder, sending him behind bars for the death of Susan Sills.

Here are 5 harrowing details about the case that was featured on 48 Hours.

48 Hours: The Puzzling Death of Susann Sills - 5 harrowing details about the Scott Sills case

1) The horrifying death of Susan Sills

As shown in CBS's 48 Hours, it was Scott Sills, an acclaimed fertility doctor, who called 911 on November 13, 2016, and informed the police about his wife, Susan Sills' accidental death. He informed the investigators that Susan was suffering from a migraine and had fallen down the steep stairs of their California home, which resulted in her death.

While the investigators did not believe the same, they also did not have any evidence to prove otherwise. However, her whole body was covered with different types of bruises. Furthermore, after interviewing their 12-year-old kids, it was confirmed that Susan and Scott had a good relationship and that she was suffering from a migraine before her death and used her daughter's room to sleep.

2) Took a year to cite Susan’s death as a homicide

While the initial investigation did not prove anything suspicious, 48 Hours reported that the investigators had found suspicious things around Susan's body, such as a stainless steel pot, pain medications, and a red scarf, which their daughter pulled off her mother's neck to give her room for breathing. She was the one who found her mother wearing it in the early morning.

There was also blood in their daughter, Mary-Katherine's, room, which the investigators sent for DNA testing. The results suggested that both Scott and Susan were in the room, and it was their blood, proving that there might have been a fight between the couple.

A year later, in November 2017, the coroner revealed that Susan Sills' death was a murder, making Scott Sills the prime suspect.

3) A topless photo resulted in Susan’s death

As the investigation progressed, they learned that the couple were having trouble in their marriage, which Susan's texts to Scott proved, as several of them suggested that she was not happy in the marriage and wanted to leave him. Furthermore, they also found the printout of the online exchange between a man and Susan in the Patrick.net forum, where she posted a topless photo of hers.

While Scott denied printing the chat between the two, the investigators found the same photo of the chat on his phone. It was also revealed that Susan did not die from the fall but due to strangulation.

4) Scott Sills arrested

After a long investigation, Scott Sills was arrested for allegedly killing his wife and business partner, with whom he owned the fertility centre, Susan. As per 48 Hours, he was arrested in April 2019 while he was going for surgery.

However, Scott denied killing Susan.

5) Scott Sills was convicted of second-degree murder

In November 2023, Scott finally went to trial. He and his attorney, Jack Earley, maintained that the Doctor had no motive to murder his wife, as he was not angry with the topless photo of Susan.

They maintained that Scott was innocent and did not kill Susan. However, the jury did not think so, and they later convicted him of second-degree murder, resulting in his going to prison.