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Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will be back with another murder story, this time revisiting the 2008 tragic case of Sabine Buehler. A favored resident of Anna Maria Island, Buehler was murdered in an act of rage by her then-boyfriend, William J. Cumber III or "Bill" as friends preferred to call him. The murder shocked the once blissful seaside community.
Cumber was arrested and convicted in connection to the murder years later in October 2015 after a series of delays due to a lack of physical evidence. Sabine's body was never found until after the trial. The accused was found guilty strictly based on circumstantial evidence found in the former couple's house and the victim's car. The 39-year-old pleaded guilty and led authorities to her remains.
The upcoming Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode is scheduled to air on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at 8:00 pm ET. Read ahead to learn more about Sabine Buehler's murder case that had authorities distressed for over seven years and the ultimate conviction of Bill Cumber.
Cumber "started choking" Sabine Buehler "‘til she wasn’t moving"
William "Bill" Cumber became a person of interest in Sabine Buehler's 2008 murder case when forensic results of blood found in the victim's car and their Magnolia Avenue apartment straight-up linked him to the homicide. Her stolen car was found two days after her alleged disappearance in the possession of a man named Robert Corona, who confessed to finding it unlocked outside the Gator Lounge.
Another critical aspect of the case was when Cumber fell for the authorities' bluff and accepted the bait. Investigators reportedly faked some information, telling him about video footage of the location where he had dropped off Sabine's car.
Assistant State Attorney Art Brown told The Islander:
"He goes and confronts the bartender or the owner. He asks if that’s true and he asks what they told the cops. No innocent person would have done that. Only Cumber, knowing that he had been there, would have had that concern."
Bill Cumber confessed to the murder in October 2015. In his confession, he revealed the events of the night Sabine Buehler disappeared and how he snapped and killed her.
"She encountered me and smelled the [cigarette] smoke, and we got in a little dispute about it. She said that she couldn’t do this relationship anymore."
He added,
"I lose control. She gets scared, and she covers her face with her hands. And I reached and grabbed her throat and started choking her ‘til she wasn’t moving. I couldn’t believe what I did. I stared down at her, and I couldn’t believe what I had done. I decided I didn’t want to go back to prison. So I thought of a way to dispose of her."
Why did Bill Cumber kill Sabine Buehler?
Authorities believe Bill Cumber murdered Sabine Buehler when she threatened to leave him. The 49-year-old woman was apparently his only source of financial support, and the fact that she was all set to leave him triggered his actions. Since they moved into the apartment together, the two had been having a lot of relationship issues.
According to reports, Sabine even wrote emails to one of her friends describing Bill's problematic behavior. In one of the emails dating back to September 28, 2008, she wrote:
"We might be back in our old spot sooner than expected. Bill lost it last night and went in town to see his old buddies on 14th Street. He came back stinking like cigarettes and beer at 5 in the morning. I know it takes time to find new friends but if he’s going back to his old ways, it is just a matter of time that he will be back in jail."
Where is William "Bill" J. Cumber III now?
Bill Cumber claimed that he tried to set up Sabine's husband, Tom Buehler, for the 49-year-old's murder. But he couldn't get away with it. He confessed and pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Sabine Buehler, receiving a 22.1-year long prison sentence which was later reduced to 20 years in prison. He confessed to burying the body near Haley's motel, owned by the Buehlers.
When asked about his confession and the murder, Cumber reportedly said that the right thing would have been "not to kill her". He then added:
"I believe if I wouldn’t have done the right thing, I would still be out there. Look, I tried to explain to you that what happened, happened. It just happened. I do not condone one iota of what I did. I suffer every day for it."
According to reports, William J. Cumber III is still incarcerated at Lake Correctional Institution prison in Clermont, serving his sentence. He will likely be eligible for release in November 2030 (October 11, 2029 at the earliest).
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered airs on Wednesdays at 8 pm ET.
