Inmate Doug Stewart, Convicted Of Murdering Wife, Reveals Location Of Her Body In Exchange For An Xbox

A Michigan man serving life in prison for murdering his wife agreed to show authorities where he buried her body in exchange for an Xbox for his housing unit. According to Time, the 29-year-old inmate took authorities to a forest in Kalamazoo County where he buried the body of Venus Stewart, his estranged wife. In exchange, Doug Stewart will get access to some prison programs and an Xbox gaming console.

Stewart was convicted in 2011 of killing his wife, but her remains were never located. On Monday, Stewart guided detectives to a site where he had left two tree stumps as grave markers over his wife’s body.

“I knew I couldn’t forget where she was,” he told local station WWMT-TV.

After being guided to Venus Stewart’s remains, police located the body in a 5-foot-deep hole, along with a blue tarp that was used as a piece of evidence during the case. Stewart buried his wife about 15 minutes from her parent’s house in an area where Stewart spent time with his father as a teenager.

“He really showed no emotion, he was pretty matter-of-fact. He walked the detectives right to where it was and there it was,” said prosecutor John McDonough.

Venus Stewart’s remains were identified using dental tests by anthropologists at Western Michigan University.

Venus Stewart vanished in April 2010 after going out to check the mail and never returning. According to testimony from a witness, Ricky Spencer, Doug Stewart asked Spencer to impersonate him driving from his home in Virginia. He then claimed he ambushed his wife and grabbed her by the neck. Venus Stewart passed out when Doug Stewart drove her to the woods and admits killing her after she regained consciousness. He then buried her in the wooded area.

During testimony, Stewart claimed he didn’t have a plan, though he did say he went to the woods where he ultimately buried Venus Stewart the night before the murder took place.

“I don’t know how I did it,” he said. “I just can’t believe I did it.”

Friends and family formed the Venus Foundation to help locate missing people after Venus Stewart’s murder. According to their Facebook post, the location of Stewart’s remains brings closure for those who knew her.

https://www.facebook.com/VenusFoundation/posts/2170213839858606

Authorities say that the Xbox will be a specific model that does not have an internet connection and will be available to the inmates in Stewart’s housing unit during free time. The Michigan Department of Corrections says that those privileges are only available as long as the inmates exhibit good behavior.