In the quiet community of Saint-Joseph, Michigan, the life of 45-year-old Denise Bohn-Stewart, a female, came to a tragic end on April 19, 2016. A well-known and beloved local radio personality, her death was the result of a violent act that unfolded within the walls of her own home. The incident, which stunned the community, was a murder-suicide perpetrated by her husband, Eric Stewart.
The grim discovery was made by the couple's three young children, ages 8, 9, and 10, who were home at the time. One of the children placed a chilling 911 call after finding their father. When police arrived at the Royalton Township residence, they found the children waiting at the front door. Inside, they located Denise Bohn-Stewart's body in an upstairs bedroom and her husband's body in the basement.
An investigation by the Michigan State Police concluded that Eric Stewart, 51, shot his wife multiple times before turning the gun on himself. The preliminary autopsy confirmed that Bohn-Stewart's death was a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds, while her husband's death was ruled a suicide from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators found a handgun near Eric Stewart's body.
Authorities noted there was evidence of marital problems between the couple, suggesting a possible motive for the tragic events. Friends and colleagues of Denise Bohn-Stewart indicated that she had recently made it clear she was planning to move on and a divorce was likely, although nothing had been formally filed. Eric Stewart had reportedly quit his longtime job at the Cook Nuclear Plant just a day before the murder-suicide. No suicide note was found at the scene. The investigation did not lead to any outside suspects, as all evidence pointed to a murder-suicide. Consequently, there were no arrests to be made, and the case was closed with the identification of Eric Stewart as the sole perpetrator.
