On March 17, 2024, the community of Ballwin, Missouri, was shaken by the violent death of 39-year-old White female Stephanie Erin Bower Childs. A resident of Spring Lee Court, Stephanie was at home when the quiet of the early morning was shattered around 1:00 a.m. Her estranged husband, Zachary Childs, forcibly entered the residence by hurling a bag of concrete through a sliding glass door. Once inside, he confronted Stephanie with a Taurus G3 9mm pistol.
Despite her pleas for her life, he fatally shot her in the head before fleeing the scene. Authorities arriving at the home found Stephanie unresponsive, and she was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The tragedy was compounded by the presence of the couple's young daughter, Sidney Fae, who was inside the home during the incident. Reports indicate that the child witnessed the aftermath of the violence, seeing her father standing over her mother's body before he escaped. Police launched an immediate manhunt for the 45-year-old suspect, alerting the surrounding area. Hours later, a resident on a nearby street spotted a man matching the suspect's description walking without shoes and wearing a shirt stained with blood. Officers responded to the tip and apprehended Zachary Childs near the scene without further incident.
Investigation into the background of the couple revealed a volatile history leading up to the murder. Stephanie had filed for divorce in December of the previous year and had successfully obtained a full order of protection against Zachary just weeks prior to her death. The court order prohibited him from coming within 500 feet of her or communicating with her outside of specific legal channels. Following his arrest, prosecutors charged Zachary Childs with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and first-degree burglary. He was held without bond, with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for June 2024 as the legal process against him commenced.
