San Clemente Doctor Charged In Wife's Homicide

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — In 2016, an Orange County doctor reported finding his wife dead at the bottom of the stairs in their San Clemente home. Three years later, he was arrested and charged with homicide.

Dr. Eric Scott Sills, 53, San Clemente, was arrested on Thursday, April 25 by homicide investigators with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Orange County District Attorney's Office reported.

"Dr. Sills was on his way to work when he was arrested on Friday, April 25, on suspicion of murder," they said. He was booked into the Orange County Jail and posted a $1 million bail on April 29.

The scene of the crime...

In November of 2016, Orange County Sheriff's Department deputies were called to a residence on the 10 block of Via Cancion, in the early morning hours.

"Dr. Sills told deputies that he woke up to find his wife, Susann Sills, 45, of San Clemente, deceased at the bottom of the stairs after an apparent fall," OCDA's office spokesperson Melanie Eustice reported.

Deputies secured the scene, and due to the unknown nature of the death, the OCSD Homicide unit was called to investigate.

Ongoing investigations...

In November 2017, after an extensive investigation including an autopsy, the OCSD Coroner division determined that the death was a homicide.

Since that time, OCSD Homicide investigators in conjunction with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office have continued to investigate the death of Susann Sills.

Dr. Eric Scott Sills was scheduled to be arraigned on May 23.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Elisabeth Hatcher is prosecuting this case.