Margaret E. Delcour, a 36-year-old White woman from Broseley, Missouri, was killed during a double shooting in Qulin in the early morning hours of December 4, 2022. Delcour was at a residence in the 300 block of New Hampshire Street with 48-year-old Wendy L. Rhodes when the violence erupted shortly before 1 a.m. Both women were shot multiple times and were dead when Butler County sheriff's deputies arrived at the home.
Investigators quickly identified Stephen T. Scott of O'Fallon, Missouri, as the man responsible for the shootings. Evidence later presented in court established that Scott had come to Rhodes' residence with his then-girlfriend, Candace Gurley. Before making the trip, Scott had stolen a firearm from his grandmother in St. Charles County. According to the probable-cause allegations, a witness saw Scott arguing with Delcour and Rhodes immediately before the gunfire. Prosecutors ultimately established that Scott used the stolen firearm to shoot Delcour and Rhodes three times each.
The killings occurred while two young children were inside the residence. Court records reported that a seven-year-old boy witnessed the shootings, while his four-year-old brother was also in the home. Early reports stated that both victims suffered gunshot wounds to the head. The presence of the children became an important part of the criminal prosecution and resulted in additional charges against Scott beyond the murder counts.
Scott fled the residence after the shootings. Several hours later, at approximately 5 a.m., Dexter police were called to a Walmart after receiving a report about a suspicious man attempting to enter the store before it opened. Officers found Scott there and took him into custody. Investigators said Scott subsequently admitted that he had shot the two women after using methamphetamine, claiming that he believed his life was in danger. He also reportedly acknowledged stealing the handgun from his grandmother.
Scott appeared in Butler County court the following day, December 5, and was arraigned. The initial case included two counts of first-degree murder along with armed criminal action and several firearm- and child-related charges. He was held without bond as investigators from the Butler County Sheriff's Department continued the case with assistance from the Dexter Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The prosecution eventually proceeded to trial, with the Missouri Attorney General's Office serving as conflict prosecutor. On August 28, 2026, a Phelps County jury found Stephen T. Scott guilty of eight criminal charges arising from the murders. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action connected to those murders, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, another count of armed criminal action associated with the child-endangerment offense, unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a weapon. The verdict formally established Scott's criminal responsibility for killing both Delcour and Rhodes.
Scott's sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 3, 2026. As of the latest available reporting, sentencing had not yet taken place. The case that began with Delcour and Rhodes being found shot to death inside the Qulin residence therefore ended in convictions on both first-degree murder counts and six additional offenses, with Scott awaiting the court's final sentence.
