Festus, Missouri: Man Charged With First-Degree Murder in Shooting Death of His Wife

A Festus man is in the Jefferson County Jail without bond, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife on Thursday morning, Nov. 5. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said Todd M. Capstick, 55, was arrested by U.S. marshals in Cape Girardeau County about an hour after a deputy found Dawn M. Capstick, 56, dead inside the couple's home south of Festus. Sheriff Dave Marshak announced the charges on Thursday.

A video call and a welfare check

The case began with a family member's 911 call. According to a probable cause statement signed by Detective A. Ball, a female relative called for help after a troubling video call with Dawn Capstick. The caller told investigators that something had been said about shooting, that the phone appeared to be lying on the floor, and that Todd Capstick briefly appeared on screen before the call was muted and paused.

A deputy was dispatched to the home in the 3100 block of U.S. Highway 61 shortly after 9 a.m. for a welfare check on a report of a possible shooting. At about 9:15 a.m., the deputy entered the home and found Dawn Capstick in a bedroom with multiple apparent gunshot wounds. The deputy began lifesaving measures while waiting for medical crews. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cameras, casings and a handgun

Investigators said security cameras at the home recorded Dawn Capstick entering through the garage, followed by her husband. About 22 minutes later, the probable cause statement says, the footage showed Todd Capstick leaving through the garage holding a black and silver handgun, putting the gun in his pants pocket and driving away in a black Ford truck.

Deputies reported finding multiple .45-caliber shell casings in the bedroom. After the arrest, investigators said, a black and silver .45-caliber handgun was recovered from inside the truck. The sheriff's office stressed that these are allegations in a probable cause statement. They have not been proven in court, and Capstick is presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted.

Spotted on I-55 and arrested within the hour

The search moved fast. At 9:26 a.m., an analyst in the sheriff's detective bureau used the Flock Safety camera network to spot the suspect vehicle traveling south on Interstate 55 in Ste. Genevieve County, according to the sheriff's release. Investigators alerted agencies along the route, including the U.S. Marshals Service in the Cape Girardeau area.

Marshals located the truck, stopped it and took Capstick into custody at about 10:01 a.m. He was first held at the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office and then transported to the Jefferson County Jail, where he remains held without bond.

Charges and what comes next

Marshak said Capstick is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. The sheriff thanked Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Trisha Stefanski and her staff for quickly obtaining an in-custody warrant, and called the arrest an example of agencies working together. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive. The sheriff's office said the investigation is ongoing.