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Kenneth asserted Kristine had fallen 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 repositioned at the bottom of the stairs in a staged accident.<ref name=":0">{{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|access-date=2016-03-21}}</ref>
Kenneth asserted Kristine had fallen 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 repositioned at the bottom of the stairs in a staged accident.<ref name=":0">{{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|access-date=2016-03-21}}</ref>


Kenneth claimed he was in [[San Mateo, California|San Mateo]], far from home, at the time of the murder, but phone records showed that he received a call at that time while in the Fitzhugh's neighborhood.<ref name=":1">{{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|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-04-11}}</ref> A search of Kenneth's car found clothing, shoes and other items stained with Kristine's blood.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eVAYCrQGNJoC&dq|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}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ga7ksDpMH-wC&dq|title=When the Husband is the Suspect|last=Bailey|first=F. Lee|last2=Rabe|first2=Jean|publisher=Macmillan|year=March 4, 2008|isbn=0765316137|location=|pages=179, 184|via=Google Books}}</ref>
Kenneth, a real estate agent, claimed he was far from home in [[San Mateo, California|San Mateo]] inspecting property at the time of the murder. However, cell phone records showed that he received a call around the time of the murder while in the Fitzhugh's neighborhood.<ref name=":1">{{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|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-04-11}}</ref> A search of Kenneth's car found clothing, shoes and other items stained with Kristine's blood.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eVAYCrQGNJoC&dq|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}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ga7ksDpMH-wC&dq|title=When the Husband is the Suspect|last=Bailey|first=F. Lee|last2=Rabe|first2=Jean|publisher=Macmillan|year=March 4, 2008|isbn=0765316137|location=|pages=179, 184|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Kenneth's alibi had been he was working.<ref name=":3" /> He was a real estate agent, and he was inspecting property in San Mateo at the time of the murder, however his cellphone records showed Kenneth's phone in his Palo Alto neighborhood instead.<ref name=":1" />


==Conviction==
==Conviction==

Revision as of 17:48, 8 March 2019

Music teacher Kristine Fitzhugh (born 1947)[1] was murdered on May 5, 2000 in her home in Palo Alto, California. Her husband Kenneth Carroll Fitzhugh Jr. (1943–2012) was convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life.[1][2]

Investigation

Kenneth Fitzhugh told police he had been away from his home, when he received a call from Kristine's workplace, saying she had failed to meet her classes. He asked two family friends to go with him to the house, where they found Kristine dead at the bottom of the basement stairs.

Kenneth asserted Kristine had fallen 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 – hit on the head seven times and strangled – then repositioned at the bottom of the stairs in a staged accident.[3]

Kenneth, a real estate agent, claimed he was far from home in San Mateo inspecting property at the time of the murder. However, cell phone records showed that he received a call around the time of the murder while in the Fitzhugh's neighborhood.[4] A search of Kenneth's car found clothing, shoes and other items stained with Kristine's blood.[5][6]

Conviction

In 2001 Kenneth Fitzhugh was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years to life.[1] An appeal was rejected in 2006.[3] 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;[7][8] a DNA test conducted after the murder confirmed this.[5] 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.[9]

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.[3][2]

This case had made international news at the time of the trial and inspired the creation of various television shows and books.

References

  1. ^ a b c Stannard, Matthew B. (October 11, 2001). "Fitzhugh gets 15 years to life / Palo Alto man lacks remorse in wife's death". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Dremann, Sue (December 2, 2013). "Palo Alto murderer dies after 'compassionate' parole". Palo Alto Online. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Herhold, Scott. "Herhold: Murder in Palo Alto -- the coda to the Kenneth Fitzhugh case". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  4. ^ D'Agostino, Bill (July 11, 2001). "Prosecution tries to crack Fitzhugh alibi". Palo Alto Weekly News. Retrieved 2018-04-11. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  5. ^ a b Smith, Carlton (2003). Blood Will Tell: A Shocking True Story of Marriage, Murder, and Fatal Family Secrets. New York: St. Martin's Paperbacks. p. 204. ISBN 0-312-97795-6 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Bailey, F. Lee; Rabe, Jean (March 4, 2008). When the Husband is the Suspect. Macmillan. pp. 179, 184. ISBN 0765316137 – via Google Books.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  7. ^ Walsh, Diana; Finz, Stacy (24 June 2001). "Death betrayed secret life of the 'perfect wife' / Palo Alto teacher raised a love child". SFGate. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  8. ^ "Man convicted of killing wife; motive not clear". The Berkeley Daily Planet. The Associated Press. August 3, 2001. Retrieved 2018-04-11. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  9. ^ Gathright, Alan. "Money a Motive in Slaying? / Fitzhugh could inherit $900,000 if exonerated". SFGate. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
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