Barberio is attempting to convince the jury Jennifer fell down the basement steps during a confrontation with her husband and struck her head on a corner protrusion, causing her to bleed out. Mom Allegedly Strangled and Dismembered Her, Searched 'How to Get Away with Murder', Oahu Man Brutally Murdered Cleaner and Kidnapped Her Daughter in Slaying That Rocked Hawaiian Island, 'Why Did You Kill My Daddy? As Bates answered questions, Smith positioned himself at the edge of the jury stand and inches away from the stands filled with Jennifer Rothwells family. Throw yourself at [Jennifers] mercy for a chance to be in the childs life? In November 2019, police received a call from Rothwell at approximately 9.44pm on 12 November to report his wife missing and told officers that the last time hed seen her was at 6.20am that morning. "In the heat of everything, I hit her again," Rothwell testified, according to the Post-Dispatch. He says he grabbed a tarp and moved Jennifers body to the bed of his truck. Jennifer was found nude and in the fetal position. The couple began dating while studying at the University of Missouri-Columbia and moved to the St. Louis area for work. Beau even said they talked about having kids early on in their relationship and always wanted to be parents. Rothwell, on trial for the 2019 murder of 28-year-old Jennifer Rothwell, explained that after struggles trying to conceive, sex with his wife became a "chore" and they grew apart. I believe I cracked her skull, she fell unconscious and fell down the stairs.. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced in July. When Beau found out the baby was his, he said he was devastated. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. Whiteside also testified police found the Rothwells basement smelled of cleaning products and the carpet was still damp when they arrived at the home to conduct a search of the property. Husband charged with killing Jennifer Rothwell appears in court; second date set Jan 27, 2020 In a rare move, the judge in Rothwell's case approved having a camera in the courtroom for the Monday morning hearing. He said he drove until he was lost.. As part of their investigation, cops scoured phone records and found an unknown number which belonged to a woman Rothwell was having an affair with. During Wednesdays trial, the medical examiner testified the fatal wound to Jennifer Rothwells head was the result of a single blow with a weapon sturdier than a mallet such as a baseball bat. Beau repeatedly clicked his pen in court as he listened to the messages being read. A jury has convicted a Missouri man of murdering his pregnant wife after cheating on her and writing a list of reasons to leave her. But this was strongly denied by the defense. Beau Rothwell, 28, reported the disappearance of his six-weeks-pregnant wife, Jennifer Rothwell, on Nov. 12, after she failed to show up for work at a chemical engineering firm. Beau Rothwell, 31, was found guilty in April of first-degree murder in the death of his 28-year-old wife Jennifer Rothwell, . Rothwell also told the jury how hed driven and abandoned his wifes car along a route that would make it appear as though shed had car difficulties on her way to work and had even sent staged texts to her phone throughout the day, hours after hed killed and discarded her body, to make it appear that he was worried about her wellbeing. Jennifer Rothwell. After putting her body in grass and covering it with shrubs and tree branches, he says he drove to a business without cameras and tossed the cleaning supplies and clothes into a dumpster. (A paternity test later confirmed Rothwell as the father.). Beau Rothwell was found guilty on Thursday of first-degree. This is apparent from court files containing police documents that led to his arrest. He also sent her three 'options' for the future - one was they stop talking to each other, another that he tells his wife about the affair and they divorce, while the third was to wait and see if she miscarriages or something else happened. The latter message is one of three options Beau and the woman came up with for their relationship going forward. Beau Rothwell turned red and cried while explaining how excited they were to make one of their own. Smith called St. Louis County Homicide Detective Robert Bates to the stand. By Jeff Truesdell. Learn More. battered Jennifer Rothwell and searched for advice on how to deal with a spouse upset by a . On Friday, he was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of his wife, Jennifer Rothwell. (A paternity test later confirmed Beau Rothwell as the father.). The stains were so severe they appeared on the concrete beneath the padding and the tack strips. As the jury listened to the details of the romance, Beau fiddled with his tie before staring straight at the wall. During the trials proceedings, the jury heard testimony from Rothwell himself, who described having an argument with his wife, who was six weeks pregnant at the time, about an extramarital affair. Then the writing on the list said Is the cost too high? It was dated 7/31/2019 and Jennifer Rothwell died on November 11, 2019. He deliberated when he drew it back. Woman Searched 'What to Do If Your Husband Is Upset You Are Pregnant', Before He Murdered Pregnant Wife, Mo. Beau said as the news sank in, he and Jennifer began talking about a nursery and putting the baby on their insurance plan. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Prosecutors argued that the "something" could indicate he was thinking of murdering her. For three days, 12 jurors were presented with evidence and testimony covering the events before and after that cold November night Jennifer Rothwell was kill. Beau Rothwell, 28, is jailed without bond on charges of second-degree murder and evidence tampering in his wife's death. On Monday, he was charged with first-degree murder, tampering with physical . Rothwell told cops that her body had been dumped along Highway 61. Rothwell tells police he last saw Jennifer Rothwell, 28, that morning as she left for work. He told the courtroom that hed struck Jennifer from behind with a mallet in a fit of rage, and then continued to follow her staggering body to the garage where he delivered a second, and what the coroner later determined was fatal, blow to the head. Embracing the accidental death theory, Rothwell's defense team had asked jurors to acquit him of first-degree murder, but find him guilty only of abandoning her corpse, evidence tampering and voluntary manslaughter. An autopsy stated LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. Authorities said the blood and bleach is "evidence associated with a crime of murder." Beau Rothwell, 28, was initially charged with only felony tampering with evidence. The list was discovered in a notebook found at Rothwell's workplace by his boss, which was introduced as evidence at the trial. He testified he came home at 3 p.m. and Jennifer Rothwell two hours later. Missouri husband Beau Rothwell, 29, reports his pregnant wife missing. Barberio enlarged a photo of the Rothwells dining room on a projector. Soon after, Rothwell led authorities to where hed dumped her battered body, which was found in a wooded area located about an hour away from the couples home. Barberio then points out that during the pairs conversation on Oct. 30, Beau Rothwell types he will turn onto option #1 if everything goes well with the pregnancy. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Her body was found about 45 miles northwest of her home and authorities said she was about six weeks pregnant when she died. She had been hidden beaneath some heavy brush and shrubs. The following day, Beau Rothwell wrote that part of him wants this pregnancy to not work out., But in cross-examination, the defense tried to show that Rothwell wasnt opposed to having children. The detective who found Jennifer described said he noticed a pale object in the brush and went to examine the area closer. They discussed three options regarding the future of their relationship. On 11 November 2019, the day of the fatal argument, Rothwell had told the court that it had all arisen after his wife had confronted him about his affair with another woman, whose identity she had reportedly asked him to confirm. The doctor said she suffered the injuries before she died. I didnt want a miscarriage.. This story has been shared 128,877 times. In late December, Jennifer Rothwell learned she had endometriosis. Together, they watched Netflix before heading upstairs. Her car is found abandoned just a mile from home. Cops recovered blood and hair evidence from the basement of their home. Just a few months before killing Jennifer, Rothwell compiled a list of the apparent pros and cons of ending the couple's marriage. Barberio asked if Beau had ever thought about killing anyone. I cant focus or do anything productive. Beau sighed, and was struggling with the question. Published on April 29, 2022 04:14 PM. The doctor said Jennifer suffered as many as three blows to her head, the worst of which fractured the right side of her skull and knocked her unconscious. Beau Rothwell testified that he was in a "red haze" of anger when the killing occurred, and his attorneys sought conviction on voluntary manslaughter instead of murder . A jury has convicted Beau Rothwell of first-degree murder in the death of his pregnant wife whose battered body was found about a week after she was reported missing in 2019. . It was a confusing time, Beau said. Attorney Charles Barberio says it happened after an argument in which Beau told Jennifer that hed been having an affair. It lost its spark and felt like a chore.. Investigators allegedly identified him on video buying . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Jennifer had been six weeks pregnant. In 2019, 29-year-old Beau Rothwell was accused of killing his six-week pregnant wife Jennifer Rothwell. A St. Louis County grand jury has indicted Beau Rothwell in the death of his pregnant wife. Copyright 2022 KMOV. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 4 Beau Rothwell was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife Jennifer Rothwell Credit: Alamy His voice cracked when he described driving until I got lost.. Beau Rothwell briefly walked the jurors down memory lane by recalling when he met his late wife at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2010 as lab partners, their shared love for games, and joining her family on annual trips to North Carolina. Published on May 2, 2022 04:43 PM. Were you panicking while lying to your mother-in-law and father-in-law? Smith said while pointing at Jennifers parents who were sitting in the front row behind the prosecution. But the jury sided with prosecutors. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Rothwell then reported his wife missing. A woman who was found dead a week after her husband's report that she was missing sought a cure. The survivors did not connect the deaths with the white men; they believed the water had gone bad, as it sometimes did after a dry season. Bates was involved in the beginning stages of the investigation and the missing persons report. They had only been in deliberations a few hours when they returned the verdict that 29-year-old Beau Rothwell is guilty as charged. Mom Found Guilty of Killing Toddler Son, Burning Body and Burying Him in Yard, Scott Peterson Denied a New Trial, Will Remain in Jail for Murdering His Pregnant Wife Laci. "I believe I cracked her skull, she fell unconscious and fell down the stairs.". The court heard that while investigating, police went through phone records and discovered an unknown number belonging to a woman Rothwell was having an affair with. He was arrested after police who searched the home found blood- and bleach-soaked carpeting, and he led police to her body. Under a Facebook account with the name Chef Beaurdee, Beau Rothwell ended things with the unidentified woman on Oct. 27 after learning of Jennifer Rothwells pregnancy. Beau Rothwell worked at Ambitech, now called Zachry Engineering, in the St. Louis area. Thats when he noticed two bare feet sticking out from the brush. 31-year-old Beau Rothwell, [L-R], was was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his pregnant wife Jennifer Rothwell in Nov., 2019. The 29-year-old locked eyes with each witness as they walked through the double doors. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Beau Rothwell, 31, received the life sentence with no chance of parole in the slaying of his wife of four years, Jennifer Rothwell, who was pregnant at the time, KSDK reported Friday. 00:00 / 00:00. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. I believe I cracked her skull, she fell unconscious and fell down the stairs.. Norfleet revealed she was struck at least three times to the head, Fox2 reported. +91-9879950702 Monday - Friday 10:00 - 7:30 Rakhiyal, Ahmedabad, Gujarat . 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