Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Missouri man convicted of killing pregnant wife in 2019

A jury has convicted a Missouri man of first-degree murder in the death of his pregnant wife whose battered body was found about a week after she was reported missing in 2019

Via AP news wire
Friday 29 April 2022 11:00 EDT
Missing St Louis Area Woman Conviction
Missing St Louis Area Woman Conviction (St. Louis County Police Department)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A jury has convicted a Missouri man of first-degree murder in the death of his pregnant wife whose battered body was found about a week after she was reported missing in 2019.

In addition to the murder count, Beau Rothwell, 31, Creve Coeur, was found guilty Thursday of tampering with physical evidence and abandonment of a corpse, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Rothwell admitted killing his wife during his trial, but denied the killing was premeditated and sought conviction on a lesser manslaughter count. He testified during the trial that he bludgeoned 28-year-old Jennifer Rothwell to death with a mallet at their home on Nov. 11, 2019, during a heated argument over his affair with another woman.

Beau Rothwell testified that he hit his wife in the head from behind with a mallet, followed her as she stumbled toward the garage door and hit her again.

He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole when he’s sentenced July 8.

Prosecutors painted Beau Rothwell as a meticulous planner and showed the jury his texts with the other woman, as well as a list of pros and cons he made for leaving his wife. He had reported his wife missing, and police later found bottles of bleach in the home and a wet, blood-stained carpet. Investigators said the blood was his wife's.

Jennifer Rothwell also had looked up “what to do if your husband is upset you are pregnant” on her cellphone before she went missing, police said. Her body was found about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of her home and authorities said she was about six weeks pregnant when she died.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in