Wendy L. Rhodes, a 48-year-old White woman, was killed during the early morning hours of December 4, 2022, inside her home in Qulin, Missouri. The shooting occurred at a residence in the 300 block of New Hampshire Street shortly before 1 a.m. Margaret E. Delcour, 36, of Broseley, was also killed in the home. When Butler County sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found both victims dead from gunshot wounds. Evidence later presented at trial established that each victim had been shot three times, while early court records reported that both had sustained gunshot wounds to the head.
Stephen T. Scott was at the Rhodes residence that night with his then-girlfriend, Candace Gurley. Investigators said Scott had stolen a firearm from his grandmother in St. Charles County before the visit. According to the probable cause evidence, an argument developed between Scott and the two victims. One account in the court records stated that the violence began after one of the victims noticed Scott had a gun. A seven-year-old child in the home told investigators that he heard Scott arguing with Rhodes and Delcour and then saw him shoot them. The child’s four-year-old brother was also inside the residence when the killings occurred.
Scott left the residence before deputies arrived. Investigators later reported recovering a Glock. 380-caliber handgun along with six spent. 380-caliber cartridge casings. An investigator also reported that the scene appeared to have been cleaned before law enforcement arrived, although available reports did not establish who was responsible for that apparent cleanup. Scott’s vehicle was subsequently found in a ditch along Highway 60 west of Dexter. Authorities also learned that he had changed clothes after leaving the Qulin residence and discarded clothing in a trash can.
At about 5 a.m., several hours after the killings, the manager of a Walmart in Dexter contacted police about a suspicious person attempting to enter the store before it opened. According to the probable cause statement, the individual told the manager that he had just killed two people. Dexter police responded and located Scott at the store, taking him into custody. During subsequent interviews, Scott admitted stealing the handgun from his grandmother. Court records also stated that he told investigators he had been using methamphetamine and claimed he shot the victims because he believed his life was in danger. Authorities noted that Scott had prior felony convictions that prohibited him from legally possessing a firearm.
Scott was arraigned on December 5, 2022. The original prosecution included two counts of first-degree murder, multiple counts of armed criminal action, child-related charges, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon. He was initially held in the Butler County Justice Center without bond while the case moved through the courts. The Butler County Sheriff’s Department led the homicide investigation with assistance from the Dexter Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office was later appointed as conflict prosecutor.
Nearly four years after the killings, the case went to trial. On August 28, 2026, a Phelps County jury found Scott guilty of eight criminal charges connected to the deaths of Rhodes and Delcour. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action tied to the murders, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, another count of armed criminal action connected to the child-endangerment offense, unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Prosecutors established at trial that the stolen firearm Scott brought to the Rhodes residence was the weapon he used to kill both victims while two children were present inside the home.
Scott’s conviction resolved the central question of who was responsible for the December 2022 double homicide. As of September 29, 2026, sentencing had not yet taken place; local reporting stated that his sentencing was scheduled for November 3, 2026.
