California fertility doctor convicted of fatally strangling wife during 'violent struggle'
12/20/2023 2:36 pm PST
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (TCD) -- A jury found a 58-year-old fertility doctor guilty of fatally strangling his wife in 2016 and claiming she accidentally fell to her death.
According to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, a jury convicted Eric Sills on Dec. 19 of the second-degree murder of his wife, 45-year-old Susann Sills. He is set to be sentenced on March 15, 2024, and faces a maximum of 15 years to life in state prison.
On Nov. 13, 2016, Sills called 911 and reported that he woke up and found his wife dead after she "apparently fell down the stairs." According to the Orange County Register, Sills told officers the victim was a "patient," and not his wife. Paramedics pronounced Sills' wife deceased at the scene.
Spitzer said prosecutors presented evidence that suggested the victim died of strangulation. Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker reportedly said Susann Sills suffered severe injuries to her face and neck that were not indicative of falling down the stairs.
Sills' attorney argued his wife died because her dogs pulled on a scarf she was wearing, which caused her to fall down the stairs.
According to Spitzer, there was evidence at the home, including bloodstains on the wall and curtains in their daughter's bedroom, as well as a chunk of Susann Sills' hair. Susann Sills reportedly slept in their daughter’s bedroom because she had a migraine that night.
Investigators believe there had been a "violent struggle between the couple" leading up to Susann Sills' strangling death.
Eric Sills wasn’t arrested until nearly three years later, in April 2019, following an extensive investigation and DNA tests, the Orange County Register reports. Investigators concluded Sills had "squeezed the life out of" his wife.
There were allegedly issues in the couple’s marriage. Susann Sills had reportedly lost a bet and posted a topless photo online, and she was worried her husband would get upset. She also allegedly texted her husband that she wanted out of their marriage.
The couple had been married for more than 10 years and shared two 12-year-old children, a twin boy and girl. They both reportedly worked for the Center for Advanced Genetics.
Sills posted $1 million bail following his initial arrest.
Spitzer said in a statement, "Dr. Sills was sworn to care for the sick and injured and his chosen profession as a fertility doctor helped bring so much joy to his patients but the woman he vowed to love in sickness and health was strangled to death by his own hands."
Spitzer continued, "Think of how diabolical you have to be — not only to kill your wife but to make it look like she had fallen down the stairs. It took calculated planning to commit this crime and worst of all, he ruthlessly and selfishly murdered the mother of their children, who now are left without their parents."
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