For nearly three decades, the gruesome double murder of a couple returning home after a night out in Greenville, Ohio, has haunted the tight-knit community. Kimberly Stephan, 38, and Dennis Young, 55, had been dating for only six months when they were fatally shot in Dennis's home on February 23, 1997.
The Crime Scene
According to police, the killer cut the phone lines, attempted to decapitate Dennis, and turned the thermostat up to 90°F to obscure the time of death. Mother-of-two Kimberly was in the midst of her fourth divorce, while Dennis was a widower. Family members described the couple as happy together.
Detective Jackie Hawes of the Greenville Police Department, now assigned to the case, told the Daily Mail that the attempted decapitation indicated a crime of "anger" and "passion." She declined to specify whether the decapitation attempt occurred before or after the shooting, as that detail is known only to police and the killer.
The Timeline
Around midnight on Saturday, February 22, the couple was seen at a local bar called Bumpers. They were last seen alive leaving around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. Their bodies were discovered the next day at 7:45 a.m. by Kimberly's 15-year-old and 12-year-old sons, who went to check on her after friends and family could not reach her and Dennis failed to show up for work.
The boys entered through an unlocked back door and found the horrific scene. Police arrived at 8 a.m. and pronounced the couple dead. Investigators believe the killer entered through a sliding glass door after lying in wait and cutting the phone lines. Signs of a struggle were evident, and the bodies were found next to each other in the living room, still wearing their coats from the bar.
The Suspect
Kimberly's brother, Tony Dunevant, told WHIO he is "100 percent" convinced the murders were committed by Kimberly's estranged husband, Robert Stephan. Early in the case, Greenville Police named him as the prime suspect, but he was never charged. Kimberly had filed a restraining order against him during the divorce proceedings.
Police Lieutenant Eric Roberts noted that Robert stood to gain half of their farmland property and was the sole beneficiary of her life insurance. A hearing to finalize the divorce was scheduled just six days before the murder. Robert also lacked an alibi. However, police could not directly tie him to the crime.
Detective Hawes acknowledged circumstantial evidence but said nothing definitively links Robert Stephan to the murders. She declined to name him as a person of interest but confirmed he is still alive and living in the area, though planning to move out of state.
Advances in DNA Technology
Hawes and Detective Mike Dickmann have been working the case for three years, reviewing old evidence and following up on new tips. They have resubmitted evidence for DNA testing multiple times, as technology continues to advance. Recently, they resubmitted a knife found in the kitchen sink, which was used in the attempted decapitation, along with other items never previously examined.
Detectives are also pursuing a recent tip suggesting the murder weapon—a .22 rifle taken from Dennis's gun cabinet—may have been discarded in a body of water. While they do not expect to recover DNA from the rusted weapon, finding it could corroborate old statements and link someone to the crime.
Increased Reward
On Monday, the Greenville Police Department announced an increased reward of $42,500 for information leading to an arrest, up from $5,000. Police Chief Ryan Benge stated that the department remains committed to solving this tragic crime, which is the only unsolved murder in the city's history.
