In the summer of 1986, a heated argument over drinking habits tragically cut short the life of 22-year-old Susan Stanley, a Caucasian woman from Cottonwood, Arizona. On the evening of June 19th, Susan's husband, Milo McCormick Stanley, drove her, their 5-year-old daughter Seleste, and their 1-year-old son to a remote area just outside the city. The couple's dispute continued inside their vehicle, escalating until Milo fatally shot Susan three times in the head.
Following the murder of his wife, Milo turned the gun on their young daughter, Seleste, shooting her once in the head. He spared their infant son, believing the child was too young to be a witness. Milo then disposed of the bodies of his wife and daughter by the roadside before returning home with his son. In an attempt to cover his tracks, he later contacted the police to report them as missing.
The search for Susan and Seleste was short-lived. The day after they were reported missing, Milo Stanley confessed to the murders. He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. A trial found him guilty, resulting in a life sentence for the murder of Susan and a death sentence for the murder of his daughter, Seleste. Milo Stanley remained on death row for nearly three decades until he was found deceased in his prison cell on May 10, 2013, from an apparent suicide.
