A California fertility doctor who fatally strangled his wife and attempted to cover it up received a sentence of 15 years to life in prison Friday.
E. Scott Sills, 58, was sentenced to 15 years in prison following his December 2023 conviction for second-degree murder by a jury, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Sills was accused of strangling his wife, Susann Sills, 45, then reporting to emergency services she had fallen down the stairs at their San Clemente residence, according to the DA’s office.
Despite defense claims suggesting Susann’s possible disorientation due to migraines and pain medication, the prosecution presented evidence of a violent struggle, including blood stains in the bedroom and a clump of Susann’s hair.
A Southern California doctor who was convicted of strangling his wife and then calling 911 and saying she’d fallen down the stairs was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said. https://t.co/0SB9ILaEQo
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 16, 2024
The call to 911 the morning of Nov. 13, 2016 by Sills himself initiated the investigation; however, evidence later revealed Susann was strangled, leading to Sills’ arrest in 2019, the news release stated. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer condemned Sills’ actions. (RELATED: ‘I’m F*cking Done’: Texas Man Gets 10 Years For Shooting Wife In Head)
“Mr. Sills not only killed his wife but he went one step further and tried to cover up his horrific crime,” Spitzer said in a statement. “His actions have irreparably torn apart his family as his children have to grapple with the immeasurable pain of losing their mother at the hands of their father. This was the ultimate betrayal by their father and now he will spend his remaining days in state prison.”