Although the exact cause of the argument remained unknown, it escalated into a horrific act of violence.

During the altercation, Dustin punched Stephanie in the face, causing her to fall to the floor. He then used a knife to slash her throat and struck her head multiple times with an axe.

After killing Stephanie, Dustin hid her body in a car-carrier bag and put it in a shed on their property. In an attempt to cover up the crime, he tried to clean up the blood and erase any evidence of his actions.

The following day, Christmas Day, Dustin faced the grim task of hiding the truth from their children.