A Jefferson County deputy sent to check on a resident in the 3100 block of U.S. Highway 61 near Festus on Thursday instead found 56-year-old Dawn M. Capstick suffering from multiple apparent gunshot wounds. Her husband, 55-year-old Todd M. Capstick, now faces first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges in her death, and investigators say they tracked him down and took him into custody in under an hour, three counties away.
A Welfare Check Turns Into a Crime Scene
According to a news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, a deputy was dispatched at 9 a.m. Thursday to the home for a well-being check. Based on reports of a possible shooting at the address, the deputy entered and discovered Dawn Capstick with the gunshot wounds at approximately 9:15 a.m., then alerted Jefferson County 911 Dispatch and began lifesaving measures until paramedics arrived, per the sheriff's office.
A separate account reported by Yahoo News states that the person who requested the wellness check was a member of Dawn's family who happened to be on a video call with her at the time. During that call, the report says Dawn mentioned a shooting before her phone appeared to end up on the floor and Todd appeared on screen. The same account cites security-camera footage showing Todd leaving the home through the garage roughly 22 minutes after entering, holding a black and silver handgun before putting it in his pocket and driving off in a black Ford truck.
Flock Cameras Help Narrow Down Suspect's Route
Once investigators learned from the 911 caller that the alleged shooter had driven away, they began gathering information about vehicles connected to the couple, the sheriff's office said. At 9:26 a.m., a Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau analyst used the Flock Safety camera network to spot the suspect vehicle heading southbound on Interstate 55 in Ste. Genevieve County, according to the release carried by the Daily Journal.
Investigators then notified surrounding agencies to watch for the vehicle, and a Jefferson County Sheriff's Office detective reached out to a counterpart with the U.S. Marshals Service in Cape Girardeau County. The Marshals mobilized, located the vehicle within minutes, performed a traffic stop, and took Todd Capstick into custody at 10:01 a.m., the sheriff's office said. He was first transported to and held at the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office before Jefferson County detectives brought him back to the Jefferson County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Sheriff Credits Interagency Coordination
Sheriff Dave Marshak credited coordination among multiple law enforcement agencies for the swift arrest, saying the Flock Safety camera network proved invaluable given how little information investigators initially had to work with. Marshak and the sheriff's office thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for detaining Capstick and the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office for holding him at their facility, according to the release. The sheriff's office also credited Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Trisha Stefanski and her staff with quickly obtaining an in-custody warrant.
Identifying, locating and arresting the suspect in less than an hour across three counties reflected strong coordination, communication and cooperation among agencies, the sheriff's office said. The homicide investigation remains ongoing, and no additional details about a court hearing schedule have been released.
