Crime Library: Criminal Minds and Methods

Eva Schoen: Tragedy in Telluride

The Two Detectives

Bill Masters had been the San Miguel County sheriff for 10 years, and Eva's death was his first murder case. The city that enjoyed its low profile suddenly became the focus of news reports around the world. This story was too good to pass up: a member of the U-Haul family is murdered in her bed by an unknown assailant who could even have been a hired assassin. As reporters dug deeper and uncovered the bitter family drama, the story assumed a more sinister cast.

San Miguel County sheriff Bill Masters
San Miguel County sheriff Bill Masters

Masters told the London Independent that no obvious motive existed and that the murder may "have been committed by a contract killer."

Joe and Mark adamantly denied having anything to do with the murder, protesting that they had no motive for wanting Eva dead. But L.S. wanted answers, and he posted a $250,000 reward for anyone who could provide information leading to a conviction. He also knew that the case would severely tax the resources of the small county and so donated $50,000 to help defray costs.

Masters didn't want the $50,000, saying it would give the impression that L.S. was controlling the investigation. But county lawmakers disagreed, and the money was placed in the county general fund. When Joe and Mark found out about the $50,000, they feared that some sort of fix might be in and hired their own detective to help the investigation. They picked former police detective Jon Sellers, a throwback to the lawmen of the Old West: he wore black python-skin cowboy boots, carried a handgun and worked as a sometime county music singer. Sellers started digging for clues and interviewing all the family members, an exercise unwelcomed by Masters, who was doing the same.

To L.S., the case was clear. Sam had been the intended victim, and Eva had been accidentally killed, he wrote in a letter to Amerco's board of directors insinuating that Joe and Mark were to blame. "...This murder had its impetus from the environment created by those in control of Americo who held the belief that if Sam were out of the picture all would be well," he wrote.

 

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