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56-year-old Gail Dews was out on a hike in March 2013 with her husband Stephen Dews in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains when she met her fate. The incident was initially staged as an accident, but circumstantial evidence had a different story to tell.
Stephen told the police that Gail had accidentally fallen into a ravine, but there was a witness present at the scene who helped authorities come to the conclusion that Stephen pushed Gail into the ravine after strangulating her.
Stephen was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He is currently serving his sentence in SCI Camp Hill in Pennsylvania.
The tragic incident will be uncovered in the latest episode of Investigation Discovery's Fatal Vows, titled Betting on Murder. The episode will air on January 5 at 6 pm ET.
The synopsis of the episode reads as follows:
"Gail and Stephen Dews have it all: a happy marriage, a beautiful house and healthy children, but a family tragedy and a gambling addiction rips their lives to shreds, proving that nothing is what it seems."
Disclaimer: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence that may be disturbing to some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.
A witness saw Gail and Stephen involved in a heated altercation
On the outside, it looked like Gail Dews had a perfect family with a husband and three children. However, things were far from ideal between her and her husband.
On March 10, 2013, Gail and Stephen Dews set out for their hiking trip in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Everything looked fine until, the next day, Stephen was found at a local convenience store with blood on his hand and shirt, telling the storekeeper that his wife was missing.
When the owner of the convenience store enquired, he did not speak for a while. Then he said:
"I want to call the police. I had an accident, I fell on the ice.”
Stephen also gave the correct details about where he saw her last but unfortunately, there were loopholes that were too vivid to overlook.
First of all, the position in which his wife was found inside the ravine did not match Stephen's description.
Secondly, an eye witness heard a woman's voice shriek and saw her being involved in an altercation with a man whose physical appearance matched that of Stephen's.
How was Gail murdered?
According to reports, when Gail's body was retrieved from the ravine, there were wounds that replicated strangulation. The speculation was confirmed when an autopsy report revealed that she had suffered a fractured bone.
Gail also had multiple blunt force injuries all over her body. Her body was found at the base of a gorge which was possibly pushed inside a ravine. The autopsy report termed her death as a homicide.
In an interview with the police, Stephen said that he had accidentally fallen into the ice and was knocked unconscious. However, he did not seek help until the next day. He said that because he fell unconscious, he did not know where his wife had gone.
Stephen had marital problems with his wife
Gail's family revealed that there was a marital dispute between Gail and Stephen. The dispute was so intense that Gail once spoke about separation, even though she eventually decided against it.
One month after Gail's death, Stephen also transferred $135,000 from their joint account to his own.
