The Pastor, The Poison, And The Prison: What Happened To William "Bill" Guthrie After His Wife's Murder

The name William "Bill" Guthrie is forever etched in the annals of true crime, not for his decades of service as a respected Presbyterian minister, but for the shocking and calculated murder of his wife, Sharon Guthrie. On May 14, 1999, the seemingly perfect life of the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Wolsey, South Dakota, shattered under the weight of a secret life involving adultery, financial fraud, and ultimately, homicide. The case, which captivated the nation and was featured on *Forensic Files*, remains a chilling example of a wolf in sheep's clothing, revealing how a man of God could orchestrate the death of his partner to escape a web of deceit.

This article provides an in-depth, up-to-date look at the entire William Boyd Guthrie saga, from his life in the ministry and the details of his wife's murder to the conviction that sent him to prison for life and the ultimate, definitive conclusion of his story, which occurred on July 16, 2011. The enduring question of how a beloved community figure could commit such a heinous act continues to fuel morbid curiosity, making the details of the *State v. Guthrie* case a timeless, cautionary tale.

William "Bill" Guthrie: A Complete Biography and Case Profile

The life of William Boyd Guthrie was one of public piety and private transgression. His story is a complex narrative of a man who successfully maintained a façade of religious leadership while secretly engaging in actions that violated every tenet of his faith and his marriage. The following is a detailed profile of the disgraced minister and the case that defined his later years.

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• Full Name: William Boyd Guthrie (Dr. William B. Guthrie)
• Born: December 29, 1944
• Spouse: Sharon Guthrie (married for 33 years)
• Primary Ministry Location: First Presbyterian Church in Wolsey, South Dakota (beginning July 1996)
• Other Ministry Location: Orleans, Nebraska
• Victim: Sharon Guthrie (Wife)
• Date of Crime: May 14, 1999
• Location of Crime: Wolsey, South Dakota
• Manner of Death: Drowning, with prescription medication (poison) contributing to incapacitation
• Conviction Date: January 21, 2000
• Charge: First-Degree Murder
• Sentence: Life in prison (no chance of parole)
• Appeal Case Name: State v. Guthrie, 2001 SD 61 (South Dakota Supreme Court)
• Death Date: July 16, 2011 (Age 66)
• Death Location: South Dakota State Penitentiary, Sioux Falls

The Perfect Facade: Adultery, Fraud, and the Murder of Sharon Guthrie

Bill Guthrie's life in the ministry was, for decades, characterized by respect and community leadership. He was a Presbyterian minister who had served in various locations, including a church in Orleans, Nebraska, before taking the pulpit at the First Presbyterian Church in Wolsey, South Dakota, in 1996. The reality, however, was far darker than his public persona suggested. Guthrie was secretly drowning in debt and entangled in a long-term affair, a situation that led him to plot the murder of his wife, Sharon Guthrie, to collect on her life insurance policies and pursue his mistress.

The crime occurred on May 14, 1999. Bill Guthrie called 911, claiming he found his wife of 33 years, Sharon, unresponsive in the bathtub of their home in Wolsey. He initially suggested her death was a tragic overdose-suicide, citing a history of depression and her use of prescription medication.

However, investigators from the Beadle County Sheriff's Office and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation quickly became suspicious. Sharon's body showed no signs of a struggle, but the circumstances surrounding her death—particularly the presence of a lethal combination of prescription drugs in her system—did not align with a simple suicide. The autopsy revealed that Sharon had been incapacitated by the drugs, but the ultimate cause of death was drowning.

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The investigation soon uncovered Guthrie's secret life. Detectives found evidence of financial fraud and a significant life insurance payout that would benefit the pastor. More damningly, computer forensics—the key element highlighted in the *Forensic Files* episode "Ghost in the Machine"—revealed deleted files that detailed Guthrie's plans to kill his wife. These files, recovered from his personal computer, showed searches and notes related to poisons and methods of killing a spouse, painting a clear picture of premeditation. The subsequent revelation of his affair with a woman from his former parish in Orleans provided the final piece of the motive: a desire for a new life, free from his wife and his financial burdens.

The Trial and Conviction: State v. William Boyd Guthrie

The trial of William Boyd Guthrie was a high-profile media event in South Dakota, marking the first murder trial in Beadle County in six years. The prosecution, relying heavily on the forensic evidence and the testimony regarding the recovered computer files, argued that Guthrie had meticulously planned the murder, using his wife's own prescription medication to sedate her before drowning her in the bathtub to simulate a suicide.

Despite the defense's attempts to maintain the suicide narrative, the jury was ultimately swayed by the compelling forensic and circumstantial evidence. On January 21, 2000, William Boyd Guthrie was convicted of first-degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The conviction was later upheld by the South Dakota Supreme Court in 2001, solidifying the legal conclusion of the case.

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The case is frequently revisited in true-crime circles and on television, notably in the *Forensic Files* episode "Ghost in the Machine," because of the unique nature of the evidence—a digital trail of murder planning—and the shocking betrayal by a spiritual leader. The contrast between his position as a respected pastor and his actions as an adulterous killer who sought to gain financially from his wife's death made the story particularly sensational and memorable.

The Final Chapter: Bill Guthrie's Death in Prison

For over a decade, William Boyd Guthrie served his life sentence at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. His appeal was denied, and his fate was sealed: he would spend the remainder of his life incarcerated for the murder of Sharon Guthrie.

The final, definitive chapter of the William Boyd Guthrie story came on July 16, 2011. At the age of 66, the former pastor died while in the custody of the South Dakota Department of Corrections. Officials confirmed that 66-year-old William Guthrie passed away at the South Dakota State Penitentiary. While prison officials did not immediately release the cause of death, his passing marked the end of one of South Dakota's most notorious true-crime cases.

The death of William Boyd Guthrie in prison closed the book on the man who had traded his pulpit for a prison cell. His legacy remains a stark reminder of the dark possibilities that can lurk beneath a polished, respectable public image. The tragedy of Sharon Guthrie's murder, orchestrated by the man who vowed to cherish her, continues to serve as a powerful narrative in the genre of true crime, emphasizing the role of forensic science and digital evidence in uncovering the truth behind a seemingly perfect facade.