Murder of Kristine Fitzhugh
{{Short description|2000 murder in California, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
Music teacher Kristine Fitzhugh (born 1947){{cite news| url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Fitzhugh-gets-15-years-to-life-Palo-Alto-man-2869509.php | work=The San Francisco Chronicle | first=Matthew B. | last=Stannard | title=Fitzhugh gets 15 years to life / Palo Alto man lacks remorse in wife's death | date=October 11, 2001 | access-date=December 7, 2013}} was murdered on May 5, 2000 in her home in Palo Alto, California by her husband Kenneth Carroll Fitzhugh Jr. (1943{{ndash}}2012).
After Kenneth Fitzhugh received a call from Kristine's workplace saying that she had failed to meet her classes, he and two coworkers went to the family house, where they found Kristine dead at the bottom of the basement stairs.
Crime
Kenneth suggested Kristine fell on the stairs because she was wearing a pair of dangerously unsteady shoes, but water-diluted blood in the kitchen showed that she had been killed there{{snd}}hit on the head seven times and strangled{{snd}}then placed at the bottom of the stairs.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_24654123/coda-kenneth-fitzhugh-case|title=Herhold: Murder in Palo Alto -- the coda to the Kenneth Fitzhugh case|last=Herhold|first=Scott|website=San Jose Mercury News|date=4 December 2013 |access-date=2016-03-21}}
Kenneth, a real estate agent, claimed he was miles away inspecting property at the time of the murder, but cell phone records showed that he received a call around the time of the murder while in the Fitzhughs' neighborhood.{{Cite web|url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/2001/2001_07_11.fitzhugh.html|title=Prosecution tries to crack Fitzhugh alibi|last=D'Agostino|first=Bill|date=July 11, 2001|website=Palo Alto Weekly News|access-date=2018-04-11}} A search of Kenneth's car found clothing, shoes and other items stained with Kristine's blood.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eVAYCrQGNJoC|title=Blood Will Tell: A Shocking True Story of Marriage, Murder, and Fatal Family Secrets.|last=Smith|first=Carlton|publisher=St. Martin's Paperbacks|year=2003|isbn=0-312-97795-6|location=New York|pages=204|via=Google Books}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ga7ksDpMH-wC|title=When the Husband is the Suspect|last1=Bailey|first1=F. Lee|last2=Rabe|first2=Jean|publisher=Macmillan|date=March 4, 2008|isbn=978-0765316134|pages=179, 184|via=Google Books}}
Sentence
In 2001, Kenneth Fitzhugh was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years to life. The motive for the murder is uncertain. Kenneth may have been angry that Kristine was about to reveal to her eldest son that his biological father was not Kenneth;{{cite news|last1=Walsh|first1=Diana|last2=Finz|first2=Stacy|title=Death betrayed secret life of the 'perfect wife' / Palo Alto teacher raised a love child|url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Death-betrayed-secret-life-of-the-perfect-wife-2906668.php|access-date=7 January 2015|agency=SFGate|date=24 June 2001}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2001-08-03/article/6147|title=Man convicted of killing wife; motive not clear.|date=August 3, 2001|website=The Berkeley Daily Planet|publisher=The Associated Press|language=en|access-date=2018-04-11}} a DNA test conducted after the murder confirmed this. In addition, had he not been convicted, Kenneth would have collected $96,000 from Kristine's life insurance and some or all of her $900,000 estate.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Money-a-Motive-in-Slaying-Fitzhugh-could-2751599.php|title=Money a Motive in Slaying? / Fitzhugh could inherit $900,000 if exonerated|last=Gathright|first=Alan|website=SFGate|date=29 June 2000 |access-date=2016-03-21}}
Aftermath
Fitzhugh was paroled on compassionate grounds in February 2012 due to Parkinson's disease, and died in Palo Alto on October 27, 2012, at age 69.{{cite news |first=Sue |last=Dremann |title=Palo Alto murderer dies after 'compassionate' parole |publisher=Palo Alto Online |date=December 2, 2013 |access-date=December 7, 2013 |url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2013/11/30/palo-alto-murderer-dies-after-compassionate-parole}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news_features/fitzhugh/index.php Kristine Fitzhugh murder story archive], from Palo Alto Weekly News
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzhugh, Kristine}}
Category:People murdered in California
Category:People from Palo Alto, California
Category:American murder victims
Category:Deaths by person in California
Category:2000 murders in the United States