Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Murder in the Heartland‘s upcoming episode, titled “Summer’s Deadly Fling,” will air on ID on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET. The episode will follow the disappearance of Beth Kutz and the search led by a small-town community that helped solve the case.
Elizabeth Kutz, aka Beth, disappeared on July 27, 2000, after she was last seen at 3:15 p.m. when she left work. She worked at Demco in DeForest and did not return to her mother’s house after she left. As per the court documents, Beth was married to Daniel Kutz, and the couple had two children when she disappeared. However, in the weeks preceding her disappearance, Daniel and Beth were reportedly experiencing trouble in their marriage.
A week before she was reported missing, Beth Kutz moved out of the home she shared with Daniel in Poynette, Wisconsin, along with their two children. The children and Beth then started staying at her mother’s place. After she was reported missing by her family members, the Village of DeForest Police Department reportedly began the investigation by searching for Beth and Daniel’s whereabouts. They also attempted to trace down the cars each had been driving.
When Daniel Kutz was called in for questioning by the DeForest police department, he was arrested and asked to hand in any possessions he had on him. Among those was his wristwatch, which authorities found out had traces of Beth Kutz’s blood. Greg Stahl, who alleged to be having an affair with Beth, showed up at the police station. He told authorities that Beth complained about Daniel following her on multiple occasions. She was reportedly tired of his “controlling behavior.”
Who killed Beth Kutz?
WKOW reported that according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Daniel Kutz, who was married to Beth Kutz for 12 years, admitted to killing his wife. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. Court documents stated that Daniel was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse, stalking, and obstructing an officer. He was convicted in January 2001 and was sentenced to life in prison. However, he refused to reveal details of where Kutz’s remains were buried.
Before his arrest, police noticed a small sore on his hand and some scratches on his wrist. There was reportedly dried-up blood on one of the sores. Authorities also found Daniel’s fingerprint on a Jeep that Beth Kutz had been driving for five days preceding her disappearance. Her blood was found in the cargo of the Jeep. His lone fingerprint on the door handle of the Jeep’s driver seat was the most conclusive evidence that tied Daniel to the murder. He also admitted to being in the Jeep with Beth.
There was no physical evidence of a murder weapon. This made it all the more difficult to reconstruct the crime. Even Beth’s remains haven’t been found to determine the cause of death. However, court documents suggest that Daniel carried a knife in the trunk of his car. The knife wasn’t there when the police searched his car. A five-tine fork and a shovel were also missing from the farm where Daniel continued living after Beth Kutz moved out.
Murder in the Heartland will air on ID on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
