Beau Rothwell, 35, from Columbia, Missouri, bludgeoned his pregnant wife Jennifer Rothwell to death with a mallet in November 2019 during an argument about his affair. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, yet has now set up a profile on the companion site Wire of Hope, where he says he wants a “genuine connection” with someone new.
Profile on Wire of Hope
On the site, Rothwell wrote: “If you could distill down the best parts of Jason Mraz, Mr. Spock, and Ross from Friends, then I imagine the results of that experiment would resemble something like me.” He shared pictures of himself and said his biggest passion was music, adding that he was in a prison band where he was the singer-songwriter. “Perhaps I’ll sing for you,” he wrote.
He described himself as a nerd who loved books, movies and boardgames and “all things Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Game of Thrones”. He concluded: “I want genuine connection and companionship. I'm compassionate and feel very deeply for the people I care for, and it would be amazing to find someone like minded.”
Wire of Hope was set up by Sigrid Wade, who was inspired to help inmates find connections after she moved from France to Florida, where she married Alan Wade, who was on death row at the time.
Murder of Jennifer Rothwell
Jennifer was 28 years old and six weeks pregnant when she was killed. The couple, married for four years, both had chemical engineering degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and lived near the suburb of Creve Coeur in St. Louis.
Before she went missing, she used her phone and typed the words “what to do if your husband is upset you are pregnant”, as later revealed by search warrants. Her battered body was found one week after she went missing, and Rothwell had been arrested even before his wife was found.
In court, he admitted to killing Jennifer but said it was not premeditated. He argued that he bludgeoned her with a mallet, first striking her head from behind before following her as she fell towards the garage door, where he struck again.
Investigation and sentencing
After reporting Jennifer missing on November 12, 2019, police found blood on the carpet, later identified as his wife’s, and a bin on the road outside containing various cleaning supplies and rubber gloves. Police also said there was an “overwhelming” smell of bleach inside the home along with “large areas of red stain” at the base of the basement steps.
Jennifer’s corpse was found in a remote area near Troy, 45 miles from her home, a week after her husband called 911 to report her missing. In court, prosecutors argued the killer planned the whole thing, showing his texts to another woman and revealing that he had compiled a pros and cons list for leaving his wife.
Testifying, Rothwell said he was in a “red haze” of anger during the killing and sought a voluntary manslaughter charge. However, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Addressing Jennifer’s family, Rothwell said “words cannot describe how sorry I am”. The victim’s mother, Robin Von Hausen, said: “Jennifer was a bright light in our lives. We thought we would have more than 28 years with her.”
Rothwell was convicted of murder, tampering with evidence and abandonment of a corpse. Prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell said: “We knew with a conviction on murder first degree that this man who killed his pregnant wife would spend the rest of his life in prison without eligibility for parole. That is what we intended to do, and today confirms that is what he is going to do.”
