Jury convicts St. Clair County woman in shooting death of husband in 2018

OSCEOLA, Mo. (KY3) - A jury convicted a St. Clair County woman for murder in the shooting death of her husband.

The jury found Elizabeth Kilgore guilty in the death of Lance Kilgore in September of 2018. The jury also found her guilty of possession of a weapon in a jail and possession of a controlled substance. A judge will sentence her in April.

Investigators say she never pulled the trigger. Instead, investigators say her father did. Investigators say the two were in the middle of contentious divorce and custody dispute. Elizabeth Kilgore’s father, Charles Sander, killed Lance outside a convenience store. Sander then turned the gun on himself. Police say Lance Kilgore was talking to Sander’s ex-wife when he was shot.

Investigators linked Elizabeth Kilgore to the crime through an inmate in the St. Clair County Jail. Kilgore had just taken a job as a jailer. Investigators say she then began a relationship with an inmate. During one conversation, the inmate told authorities she said, “My dad came up tonight. I wasn’t really expecting that. And he’s wanting to handle my problem for me.” Investigators say the inmate also claims Elizabeth Kilgore solicited him to establish contacts with outside people to arrange Lance’s death.

Investigators say a second inmate also came forward saying Elizabeth Kilgore wanted his assistance to kill Lance. The inmate claimed Kilgore smuggled contraband to him to build a positive relationship.

Investigators say Sander had known to be in poor health and described as ‘terminal.’

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