Bill, aka William Pagano, shot himself because he did not want to go to prison as a convict. He was charged with murdering his friend Tim Todd.
In one of the episodes of Investigation Discovery’s- I Went Undercover: No Turning Back, the case of Tim Todd’s murder is discussed. The investigation of his death was quite challenging, but the investigators made shocking discoveries that solved the case and brought them to the preparator.
What Happened To Bill aka William Pagano From Festus Missouri?
A former Festus police chief, Bill aka William Pagano, was charged with murdering Tim Todd. In 1994, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
The story build-up in a dramatic way as his good friend Tim also named Mark, a police officer who had visited him before the murder to talk about the plan of the alleged killing of his wife.
It was late revealed that Mark was in a relationship with William’s daughter and wanted to start life with her. But, he had a wife and did not want to file for divorce either. Thus, he went to William to ask for his advice and request him to hire a hitman.
At that time, William was shocked but did not say anything and complied with his friend’s request. He said that he had hired the hitman and asked Mark to come to visit him at his home.
Thus, on the day of the murder, the victim visited Pagano’s house to meet the hitman. However, he was found lying in a pool of blood in the garage. And Pagano said that he shot his friend in self-defense. He claimed that he was trying to arrest him for his plan to murder his wife.
However, Mark, who was at the garage then, was quick to take cover behind a vehicle, making William think he would fire his gun at him. Thus, without giving him any chance to fire the gun, William shot his friend, and the victim died on the spot.
Tim Todd Murder Update On Investigation Discovery
But the authorities could never imprison him since he committed suicide shortly after the police arrived to take him into custody. He died with a single shot to the head on August 23, 1994, after pledging that he would never enter prison as an inmate.
The court had sentenced them to 20 and 3 years in jail despite his plea of not guilty and claim of self-defense. The police ignored his self-defense claims because they found the victim unarmed. Thus, according to news sources, William’s claim of feeling threatened was not considered.
Who Is Stephanie Pagano and Where Is She?
Stephanie Pagano is the daughter of William Pagano. She was the one who was allegedly having an affair with Tim. However, during the trial, she claimed that the victim was infatuated with her since childhood.
They also had a relationship for two years, but she broke up with him because he was too possessive. However, Tim’s friends said the opposite was the case, and Stephanie was the possessive one. Her whereabouts at present are not known.