Man charged in deaths of pregnant estranged wife and their son

A Missouri man charged with the murders of his estranged pregnant wife and their child has pleaded not guilty, and is requesting a change of judge and venue.

Key Takeaways:

• Sidney Wilson V is facing two counts of first-degree murder in relation to the deaths of his estranged wife and their child.

• The baby boy survived for a week after his mother was killed, but Wilson never once asked how the baby was doing.

• Wilson has pleaded not guilty and has requested a change in venue and judge.

• His trial is scheduled to begin on December 15.

The Details:

On July 31, 25-year-old Sidney Wilson V of Stoutland, Missouri, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and a count of armed criminal action in relation to the death of his pregnant estranged wife. Reagan Lynn Wilson, 21, was pregnant with her son Silas when Wilson killed her on June 5. After a thorough investigation, Wilson was arrested on the basis of probable cause.

The statement of probable cause includes several pieces of evidence that led to Wilson's arrest. The Lebanon Police Department's statement of probable cause explained, "Through my training and experience, I know that whenever that many shots are fired towards one person, the suspect typically knows the victim personally and is considered 'overkill'."

Wilson and Reagan had been estranged since December, and Wilson had recently received a message telling him to stay away from Reagan and her family, which angered him. The killer’s face was covered in the footage from a security camera, but a deputy who knew Wilson was confident it was him.

Study: Pregnant women more likely to die by homicide than by maternal illness

The statement also noted that Wilson did not seem to be concerned about the state of his wife and preborn child. Although she passed away immediately, Silas was delivered and survived for about a week.

“lt should also be noted that during the time S. Wilson was at the hospital… family never heard him ask about the status… during the entire investigation S. Wilson has never once asked about the status of the investigation and where we were on locating a suspect in the investigation; he only asked about when he could get his vehicle back.”

On October 20, Wilson pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial is scheduled for December 15. However, he also requested a change of judge and venue, and it remains unclear as to how these requests will affect the trial.

Why It Matters:

Homicide is a leading cause of death among pregnant women. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine-National Institutes of Health, pregnancy-associated homicide accounts for more deaths than hemorrhage, embolisms, or preeclampsia.