Stephanie Roller, Dale Bruner: ‘Dateline NBC’ Tackles The Blue River Murder Of A Colorado Mother Of Three

The Stephanie Roller, Dale Bruner case will be discussed on the next episode of Dateline NBC Friday. Stephanie Roller was a mother of three who vanished from her home in, Silverthorne, Colorado, five years ago. Her dead body was found in the Blue River. Roller’s husband, Dale Bruner, was found guilty and sentenced to over 100 years for her murder. The Blue River murder case was also the subject of a CBS 48 Hours episode. In tonight’s Dateline NBC, viewers will hear from members of the police force in Summit County who worked the case, as well as others close to the case.

Stephanie Roller’s murder case made headlines in 2010, after she was reported missing by her husband. According to him, the mother of his three children vanished after leaving the residence on foot to clear her head after the couple had engaged in a heated argument. Friends and family members were sure that Dale’s story about Stephanie leaving at 10 p.m. to go for a walk on an icy cold night that November couldn’t be possible. They also say that Stephanie loved her kids, and would never leave them without explanation.

Police learned that the couple had been having marital difficulties and were on the verge of a divorce. In the days after the Colorado mom’s disappearance, search parties were organize to find her. Four days later, the body of Stephanie Roller was found in the Blue River, just a stone’s throw from her home.

An autopsy report concluded that the woman died from a bevy of unfortunate circumstances, including “blunt force trauma, strangulation, hypothermia, and drowning,” according to Summit Daily. In a word, the well-known 41-year-old former dancer was murdered. There were several possibilities and several suspects that could have led to her demise. The most promising suspect was her lover, Ron Holthaus, whom police say had just decided to end the relationship after reconciling with his wife while on a vacation.

At the time of Stephanie’s disappearance, she was planning to make a life with her married lover, and even took out a restraining order and filed for divorce from her husband, Dale. Ron and his wife, who were both implicated — at first, were eventually ruled out as suspects.

Stephanie Roller’s soon-to-be ex, Dale, rose to the top of the list as the prime suspect. Investigators say Dale had a violent temper that often led to physical abuse in his marriage and in his previous relationships with other women. And since Dale had threatened to kill her once before, Stephanie Roller had become deeply afraid.

Dale was arrested and charged with the death of his wife. A Summit County jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced him to 112 years in prison. Some believe that Dale was railroaded, and that there was not enough evidence against him to convict. The controversial ruling is still the subject among many of Dale and Stephanie’s friends and family today.

Be sure to watch Dateline NBC Friday at 10/9 central to see how law enforcement officials finally brought him to justice. After the show, indicate whether you believe Dale is innocent or a man wrongly convicted.

Dateline NBC’s tease

“When Stephanie Bruner goes missing in the Colorado mountains, three suspects and a love triangle complicate the investigation.”

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