Autopsies Performed Monday on Miller County Couple

According to Miller County authorities, the results of autopsies performed yesterday in Columbia on 64-year old Pam and 74-year old Dan Stephan of Kaiser, who were found dead in their home last Wednesday, won’t be available for a couple of weeks.

The man suspected of killing them, J.T. McLean, is also accused of killing 43-year-old Allison Abitz and her 11-year-old daughter in their home south of Columbia last month.

A search warrant returned by Miller County investigators yesterday said a welfare check by police found the couple after they hadn’t been heard from in several days. After entering the home, the investigating officer found the couple deceased, with at least one of them shot in the head.

Items taken as evidence from the home included two bullet fragments, a .45 casing, a bullet casing, a cell phone, a tablet, and some of the victim’s hair.

McLean escaped custody for several weeks. U.S. Marshals said McLean stole a vehicle from one of the victims in Miller County. Investigators used OnStar to track it to the area in South Dakota where McClean was found. In addition, McLean had family in the Dakota Dunes area. McLean’s vehicle was eventually located at the motel where he was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot.