On Saturday, May 18, 2024, CBS will broadcast “The Puzzling Death of Susann Sills,” a brand new episode of the long-running true-crime series 48 Hours. The episode examines the mysterious death of Susann Sills, the wife of a prominent California fertility doctor, Dr. Eric Scott Sills.
On November 13, 2016, Dr. Sills placed a frantic 911 call, reporting that he had found his wife, Susann, unresponsive at the bottom of their staircase. Initially, the incident appeared to be a tragic accident, with Dr. Sills attributing it to his wife’s history of migraines. However, a more intricate story began to unfold as Orange County Sheriff’s Homicide detectives Eric Hatch and Dave Holloway initiated their investigation.
Detectives Hatch and Holloway quickly discovered discrepancies in the case. While Dr. Sills attributed his wife’s death to a fall down the stairs, the deputy coroner’s examination revealed a different story. Susann Sills’ neck displayed signs of ligature strangulation, indicating that her scarf may have played a role in her death. The investigation intensified as detectives sought to unravel the truth behind her untimely demise.
Susann Sills’ death was ultimately ruled a homicide, and the focus shifted to identifying the perpetrator. Dr. Sills emerged as the prime suspect, but defense attorney Jack Earley proposed an alternative theory involving the family dogs. Earley suggested that Susann may have fallen due to her scarf getting caught on the banister, and the dogs then pulled on the scarf, contributing to her death. However, this theory was questioned, and attention turned to another significant finding in Susann’s autopsy—a fractured vertebra in her neck, suggesting a fall.
The episode, reported by correspondent Tracy Smith, takes us behind the scenes of the intricate investigation and subsequent trial, piecing together the puzzle of Susann Sills’ tragic death.
48 Hours: “The Puzzling Death of Susann Sills” on CBS, airing Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 10:00 PM ET/PT, with streaming available on Paramount+.
