Dateline: The Mystery on Horse-Shoe Drive - 5 harrowing details about Steven Watkins' murder, revisited

Dateline is no stranger to dark and twisted family sagas but, “The Mystery on Horse-Shoe Drive” is one for the books. Steven Watkins, a devoted father just trying to see his daughter, walked into what he thought would be a simple court-ordered visit.

Instead, he was shot in the back of his head – dead before he could even see his child. The real kicker? The identity of the shooter will knock you off your feat.

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Here are 5 harrowing details about Steven Watkins' murder, revisited via Dateline

1] Shirley Skinner, the grandmother with a gun

As observed on Dateline, 75-year-old Shirley Skinner wasn’t just knitting sweaters or baking cookies. No, she was armed – and allegedly – dangerous.

When Steven Watkins arrived to pick up his daughter Sidney, he was fatally shot in the back of the head. First responders arrived at the crime scene and reported Shirley calmly admitting to the kill.

According to dateline, investigators never bought the self-defense claim that Shirley and Steven’s wife claimed to make. Steven was unharmed. He never made it past the hallway. And Shirley? She lawyered up and stopped talking.

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2] A family so close, it’s creepy

If you thought your in-laws were intense, welcome to the Skinner family. As Dateline puts it, they were practically fused together – multiple generations living in the same house, eating together, every night for years. While this isn’t inherently weird, what follows after is definitely weird.

Steven’s marriage to Jennifer started off sweet, but soon, as shown on Dateline, cracks in the marriage seemed to appear. Her family began to shun Steven’s older daughter from a previous relationship. Steven's mom Penny said:

“It was like Jennifer wanted her family and her to be part of Sidney’s life but didn’t want anybody else to be part of it…”

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3] A 911 call with a suspicious script

According to the NBC show, the 911 call Jennifer made was a masterclass in deflection.

“My grandmother needs help…”

She claimed that Steven pushed Shirley and tried to come after their daughter Sidney. Police weren’t convinced with this story. The story seemed to be rehearsed, and Shirley and Jennifer both refused to give out any statements from that day onwards.

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4] A bribe, a bullet, and no fingerprints

You want sinister? NBC’s true crime show delivers just that. Investigators uncovered a chilling revelation: two employees said Shirley had offered them $10,000 to “cap” Steven just months before the murder could take place.

Though she was ultimately convicted for murder and solicitation and sentenced to 55 years in prison, sloppy early police work left holes big enough to drive a truck through.

No gunshot residue tests, no fingerprint, no DNA evidence, and not even photos of Shirley’s hand injuries. This was a botched investigation.

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5] The aftermath: A child caught in the crossfire

As seen on NBC’s show, Steven’s parents fought for permanent guardianship for Sidney – and won. But Jennifer? She packed up her bags and fled to Florida. She was later arrested in Massachusetts for contempt of court.

Sidney now lives with Steven’s side of the family, safe and sound.

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Dateline laid it bare: this wasn’t just a tragic murder – it was a custody battle turned deadly, driven by a family’s obsessive need for control.

Steven Watkins wanted to be a father. Instead, he became a victim. And though justice caught up to Shirley Skinner, the twisted loyalties inside that house still leave haunting questions behind.

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