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Paul Gruber, a retired teacher, went missing in January 1994 from his home in Sandpoint, Idaho. His daughter Shellie first noticed his disappearance after receiving a birthday card for her child from the 53-year-old. She observed that the handwriting didn't match the ones sent previously. Paul was reported missing on February 28 of that year.
Detectives solved the case more than a year later when Paul's decomposed remains were found buried in the crawl space of his house. He died of four gunshot wounds. A suspect named Darryl Kuehl, who had been posing as the victim and siphoning money from his account, was identified as the possible killer. He also stole most of his belongings from the house.
An upcoming episode of A Body in the Basement is slated to chronicle Paul Gruber's decades-old murder this Wednesday, August 16, 2023. The episode, titled Missing Means Murder, airs on ID at 9 pm ET.
Here's an official synopsis:
"A man vanishes from a small town, leaving behind a trail of strange clues that stumps detectives and leads his neighbors to believe that a deadly imposter is living among them; when his body is found, the truth is more shocking than anyone imagined."
Paul Gruber's disappearance was first noticed by his daughter after she received suspicious cards on her child's birthday
According to The Spokesman-Review, Paul Gruber, a retired teacher who had also worked as a card dealer, spent the Christmas of 1993 with his daughter Shellie Kepley, in Reno, Nevada, before returning to his home on January 5, 1994. He was never heard from again.
Shellie received a birthday card for her child from Paul but realized that the handwriting was different after comparing it to the ones sent before, as per The Cinemaholic. She got even more concerned for his well-being and suspicious of the situation after failing to contact the 53-year-old in the following weeks. He was reported missing on February 28, 1994.
The outlet reported that officers from the Bonner County Sheriff's Department executed a welfare check at Paul's house. While they failed to find any signs of a break-in, it was evident that most of his belongings were missing. His Ford pickup truck was later found abandoned about an hour's drive from his house.
While Paul remained missing for about eight months, massive transactions were being made from his account, which seemed suspicious because, according to Shellie, he did not use ATMs. Bank records showed that over $22,000 was taken out within two weeks from multiple ATMs.
Officers soon realized that someone was siphoning money from Paul's account, paying his bills, and even picking up his mail from the Post Office. During the lengthy investigation, they also came across a man named Darryl Kuehl, who claimed he and Paul were involved in some business together and that he last saw him on February 18, 1994.
Who was arrested in Paul Gruber's murder case?
The investigation into Paul Gruber's disappearance continued for over a year until his decomposed remains were found in the crawl space beneath his house on August 23, 1995. The discovery was made when Detective Harvey Thompson and a contractor noticed an unusual depression on the floor of his house. He died of four gunshot wounds.
Darryl Kuehl was eventually identified as a possible suspect after his DNA matched the sample taken from the stamps on the letter sent to Shellie on her child's birthday, and so did his handwriting. Inside the suspect's home, officers found most of Paul's stolen belongings, including his truck, boat, and money.
According to reports, Darryl Kuehl was charged with first-degree murder and accused of committing the crime for financial gain. Prosecutors alleged that the imposter went to great lengths to cover up the crime. In 1997, he was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Learn more about Paul Gruber's murder case on ID's A Body in the Basement this Wednesday.
