In a quiet neighborhood in Willard, Missouri, the lives of 28-year-old Alex Chute and his fiancée, Brianna Sproul, were tragically cut short on November 14, 2020. The couple was found shot to death on the front porch of their home. This violent act was not random but rather the culmination of a bitter custody dispute and a meticulously planned murder plot orchestrated by Alex's ex-wife.
The male victim was a former military police officer with the Missouri Army National Guard and was in the process of becoming a licensed police officer.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly revealed a sinister plot masterminded by Theresa Cox, Alex Chute's ex-wife. At the heart of their conflict was a contentious custody battle for their young daughter. Driven by a desire for revenge after losing custody, Cox enlisted the help of her new boyfriend, Duncan Bogle, and a coworker, Matthew Plumb, to carry out the murder of her ex-husband and his fiancée. The couple's daughter was present in the home at the time of the murders but was physically unharmed.
Theresa Cox, the architect of the deadly plan, convinced her boyfriend, Duncan Bogle, to be the triggerman. On the night of the murders, Bogle went to Alex Chute's home and fatally shot both him and Brianna Sproul. To cover their tracks, Cox had enlisted the help of Matthew Plumb to create an alibi for her and Bogle and to dispose of the murder weapon. Plumb's son, Therin Plumb, was also initially implicated in helping to hide the weapon. However, he later cooperated with investigators.
The extensive investigation led to the arrests of all four individuals involved. Theresa Cox and Duncan Bogle were apprehended in California after fleeing Missouri. Eventually, the perpetrators were brought to justice. In October 2022, Theresa Cox pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Duncan Bogle also pleaded guilty to the same charges, as well as one count of child endangerment, and received the same sentence of two consecutive life terms. Matthew Plumb, in a plea agreement, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense and tampering with evidence, receiving an eight-year prison sentence for his role in the crime. The charges against Therin Plumb were dismissed in exchange for his full cooperation with the prosecution.
