Venus Stewart Never Found -- Douglas Stewart Convicted of Murder

Doug Stewart bought shovel, tarp, hat, gloves from Walmart on day before Venus Stewart went missing, witnesses say

Published: Thursday, March 03, 2011, 5:42 PM

CENTREVILLE — The man entered the Walmart store in rural Van Wert, Ohio, last April dressed in a striped polo shirt and caught the eye of several employees because of the flowered swimming trunks he was wearing.

He trolled the store's aisles for about 10 minutes before leaving with his items he purchased — a hat, gloves, tarp and shovel.

On Thursday, three employees from the store took the stand and identified the man as Doug Stewart during the eighth day of testimony in the Venus Stewart murder trial. The items Doug Stewart bought, according to testimony, were purchased the day before Venus Stewart, 32, disappeared outside her parents' Colon Township home.

Read more:
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/03/doug_stewart_bought_shovel_tar.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+grpress+%28The+Grand+Rapids+Press+Latest+News+%7C+MLive.com%29

A big DUH for Doug......between this and then talking with neighbors sporting very visible scratches and bruises while telling them what a bad person Venus is.

Blood, DNA introduced in Stewart trial

Forensic scientists testify through the day

Updated: Saturday, 05 Mar 2011, 8:38 AM EST



~Snipped~

Computer analysis was a topic of testimony, as well.

MSP computer analyst Rebecca MacArthur testified she looked at activity on an HP laptop that she was told belonged to Doug.

On April 26, 2010, that laptop went to MySpace, Facebook and the Delaware Technical Community College, among other places, she testified. That is the day Venus disappeared, and the day Ricky Spencer testified he was in Virginia impersonating Doug. Spencer is from Delaware, and attended the Delaware Technical Community College.

Read more: http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/sw_mich/Doug-Stewart-murder-trial-March-4-2011

Testimony continues in Stewart trial

March 04, 2011 6:32 PM



ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – On Friday, forensic experts took the stand in Doug Stewart's murder trial.

They analyzed evidence looking for anything that could be connected to Stewart or his missing wife, Venus. Stewart is accused of murdering Venus.

Investigators were looking for blood, DNA and fingerprints.

The bottom line is that from all the samples taken into evidence, nothing shows a blood or DNA connection to Venus Stewart.

Read more: http://www.wwmt.com/articles/newschannel-1388120-stewart-continues.html

Based on what I've seen, I would convict Doug even without a body or DNA evidence. Ricky Spencer is a huge problem for the defense, and I haven't seen anything that would discredit his testimony.

It would also be a huge stretch to believe that Doug drove all the way to an Ohio Walmart the evening before Venus disappeared, asked for lime, and bought a hat, gloves, shovel, and a tarp, but had nothing to do with her disappearance.

I totally agree with you, J4A. It's certainly evident why they didn't need to find Venus' body to bring him to trial for her murder. This man is truly arrogant and completely ignorant to think he could commit the perfect crime, even with his "perfect" alibi that backfired on him. I hope one day that she will be found so her parents and family can give her a proper burial.

Before Venus Stewart vanished, 'soaking wet' man spotted near her parents' home, witnesses say

Published: Monday, March 07, 2011, 12:08 PM

Lena Powell testified that she saw a man on the Sunday before Venus Stewart went missing who was “soaking wet from head to toe” and wearing an Army coat walking down the dirt road by her home in Colon where she had lived with Mark Thomason.

The man didn't say his name but asked for directions and then for a ride.

At first, the stranger seemed friendly, but his demeanor changed and he acted “shaky” after Powell went to get Thomason, she testified.

“He was really nervous, wet, scared like he did something wrong,” testified Thomason, who now lives in Battle Creek.

Thomason said the man was in his 30s, about 5-foot-6 or 5-foot-8, with a thick mustache.


“Do you remember the person you saw in April of last year?” Kymberly Schroder, one of Doug Stewart's attorneys, asked Thomason during cross-examination.


She asked Thomason if he recognized the mustached man in the courtroom.

“No, but there's a similarity,” Thomason said, looking across the courtroom at Doug Stewart.

~

Brian Wages, who occasionally drives through Colon for work, said a car with Virginia license plates caught his attention because the driver was traveling 15 mph in a 55 mph zone on M-60.

Wages, of Burlington, said he assumed the driver was weary from a long trip.

He also testified he saw a woman in a the passenger seat with her head against the window with what appeared to be a sleeping bag by her. Wages said he assumed the woman was sleeping.

Wages said he saw the car at about 7:20 a.m. on a Monday or Tuesday in April and then alerted police about the car after he realized it might be connected to Venus Stewart's disappearance.

Donna Cratsenburg Scott, who had lived across the street from the Stewart family, said she saw a silver-colored Sedan on April 25 that looked like the one that belonged to Venus and Doug Stewart.

“It caught my attention, driving slowly down the street,” said Scott, of Schoolcraft.

Read more:
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/03/witnesses_say_they_noticed_a_s.html

Kudos to these people paying attention and then reporting this information!

Stewart Found Guilty

March 12, 2011 3 hours, 36 minutes ago


CENTREVILLE (WTVB) - Guilty. That’s the verdict that came down late Friday morning in the Doug Stewart murder trial in Centerville. The jury deliberated for a little less than 3 hours today before convicting Stewart in the premeditated killing of his estranged wife, Bronson high school graduate Venus Stewart. He was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.

Doug Stewart faces a mandatory life prison term without chance of parole when he’s sentenced on April 18th. The conviction concluded a three week long trial which saw closing arguments Thursday after the defense presented no witnesses. Venus went missing from outside her parent’s home in Colon Township at the end of April last year. The disappearance followed a bitter custody dispute. Venus Stewart’s body has not been found.

http://wincountry.com/news/articles/2011/mar/12/steward-found-guilty/

I'm glad justice has been served. The circumstantial evidence from the Walmart puchases tied in nicely with Richard Spencer's testimony, and the fact that a tarp wrapper with Doug's fingerprint was found outside of the home of Venus' parents.

I hope Casey's attorneys are paying attention. Juries will use common sense and convict, even if there isn't a body, or even if there isn't any DNA linking the obvious culprit to the body.

I was thinking the same thing, J4A. In Casey's case, the first thing the jurors will hear is that Caylee was "missing" for 31 days and never reported. Then Cindy's 911 call, the smell of death on record by family members and LE, the trip to Universal to her non existent job........I don't see any jury member getting past the facts of the first 24 hours once LE was involved.

You mentioned in another thread about the death penalty being a leverage for a murderer to tell where they left their victim(s). A state representative is going to introduce a bill banning Ohio's death penalty. I hate to see that happen mainly for that reason. Unfortunately, I doubt that Stewart will ever tell what he did with Venus. Venus' family needs to know where she was left. He's behind bars for life, where he belongs. But her loved ones are suffering more than her being tragically taken from their lives, they still don't know where she is. I imagine that is another form of torture for them.

Douglas Stewart faces life in prison with no parole

By Terry Katz
Sturgis Journal
Posted Apr 16, 2011 @ 10:00 AM

Centreville, Mich. — Douglas Stewart will face a packed courtroom in St. Joseph County Monday morning when he is sentenced for the murder of his estranged wife, Venus Stewart. Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. in the courtroom of Chief Circuit Judge Paul Stutesman. Stewart, who turned 30 on March 20, remains in the St. Joseph County Jail. Stewart faces mandatory life in prison without the chance of parole. St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough said Stewart will have the opportunity to speak at his sentencing.

Read more: http://www.sturgisjournal.com/community/centreville/x2022727348/Douglas-Stewart-faces-life-in-prison-with-no-parole

Newport News man sentenced in killing of wife in Mich.

By Cindy Clayton
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 19, 2011

A Newport News man convicted last month of killing of his wife in Michigan has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Doug Stewart was convicted of killing his wife, Venus Rose Stewart, 32, who disappeared April 26 after she went outside to the mailbox at her parents’ home in Colon Township in Michigan, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Read more: http://hamptonroads.com/2011/04/newport-news-man-sentenced-killing-wife-mich

Stewart sent to prison for wife’s murder

By Terry Katz katz@sturgisjournal.com
Sturgis Journal
Posted Apr 19, 2011 @ 02:23 AM

Centreville, Mich. —

“A real man is supposed to protect his wife and kids. You victimized your child, then murdered your wife.”

That is how Dustin Jasper of Sturgis described Douglas Stewart minutes before Stewart was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of Venus Stewart, Jasper’s sister.

Jasper spoke on behalf of family members in the courtroom of St. Joseph County Circuit Judge Paul Stutesman.

Jasper read words written by his mother, Therese McComb: “Don’t you miss her? Don’t you realize how much Brook and Rachel need their mother? This just shows how much you didn’t love them and saw them as pawns to hunt Venus. You’re hurting Mom by not telling where she is at to have a proper burial.”

Read more: http://www.sturgisjournal.com/features/x396826217/Stewart-sent-to-prison-for-wife-s-murder

Remains of a woman have been found on vacant property in Comstock Township, MI which is about an hour north of where Venus disappeared. It would be great if Venus has finally been found, but none of the articles I've read have mentioned any possible connection to Venus.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-skeletalremainsfo,0,2340042.story

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/remains-1390329-county-kalamazoo.html

http://www.wsbt.com/news/fox17-skeletal-remains-found-in-kalamazoo,0,4842073.story

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/164106/2/Skeletal-remains-found-in-Kalamazoo-County

I finally found one article that mentions a possible connection to Venus.

Female skeletal remains found

May 01, 2011 12:20 PM

~Snipped~

Sheriff Fuller also said that the Venus Stewart case also fits the profile.

Stewart disappeared in St. Joseph County last year, her husband was convicted of her murder but her body was never found.

Sheriff Fuller has contacted other area law enforcement agencies to make them aware of what they have found.

Read more: http://www.wwmt.com/articles/bones-1390341-sheriff-case.html

'Dateline NBC' to air story about Venus Stewart murder case

Updated: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 7:45 PM
By Rex Hall Jr. | Kalamazoo Gazette

The television program "Dateline NBC" plans to air its story about the Venus Stewart case on Friday, according to a producer with the show.

The program is scheduled to run from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., immediately after a 90-minute finale of the show "Friday Night Lights."

A crew from the program covered the trial earlier this year that ended in the conviction of Stewart's husband, Doug Stewart, for first-degree murder.

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/07/dateline_nbc_to_air_story_abou.html

Man sentenced in abduction, death of Venus Stewart

11:35 a.m. CDT, July 22, 2011

CENTREVILLE, Mich.— A man accused of being the accomplice in the abduction and slaying of a 32-year-old Michigan woman has been sentenced to a year in jail and three years' probation.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reports Friday that St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman announced Ricky Spencer's sentence in Centreville, 72 miles south of Grand Rapids.

Read more:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-missingwife-sente,0,4179611.story

Doug Stewart's parents break silence

Spoke exclusively to 24 Hour News 8

Published : Wednesday, 21 Sep 2011, 5:47 PM EDT
By Dani Carlson

~Snipped~

Though his parents, Doug Stewart Sr. and Karol Stewart, did not want to appear on camera, they spoke with 24 Hour News 8 on Tuesday night.

Among other things, they said they're unhappy with their son's attorneys and still believe he's innocent . Further, they said they haven't seen any proof that Venus Stewart is even dead.

Read more: http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/sw_mich/Doug-Stewarts-parents-break-silence

After listening to Cindy for three years and now reading about this, I wish parents of murderers would remain silent.

Yep, sounds just like the As.