Twitter Dr. Eric Scott Sills of San Clemente, California, was arrested for the 2016 murder of wife Susann. Susann was discovered dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home.
Prominent Southern California fertility specialist Eric Scott Sills, 54, was arrested on one felony count of murder involving the 2016 death of his wife Susann Arsuaga Sills. Sills, who goes by “Scott,” was taken into custody April 25, 2019 on his way to work. It was originally believed that Susann had died at home after accidentally falling down a staircase. No reason has been given as to why police suspect Sills nor has a possible motive been revealed.
Here’s what you need to know about Scott Sills and the death of his wife, Susann.
1. Susann Was Found Dead at the Bottom of a Staircase in the Family’s Home
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department was called to the Sills’ San Clemente home in the early morning of November 13. Scott Sills told investigators that when he got up, he discovered Susann, 45, dead at the bottom of the staircase. Eric Sills’ father, James, told the Orange County Register that his son took Susann’s death “pretty hard.”
An April 30, 2019 press release issued by the Orange County District Attorney and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), briefly described what transpired when law enforcement arrived at the Sills’ home. “Deputies secured the scene and due to the unknown nature of the death, the OCSD Homicide Unit was called to investigate.” The case was under investigation for a year-and-a-half, according to the Los Angeles Times. The arrest warrant, filed in Orange County Superior Court, has been sealed.
The Daily Beast reported Susann was posting about a variety of issues on the website patrick.net under the pseudonym “Turtledove.” One member of the site says Scott Sills shared that Susann had died from a fall and said that she often got up at night because she suffered from migraines. Another person on the site claims to have been contacted by investigators who were looking into Susann’s death.
Sills’ bail was set at $1 million. Inmate records show he spent four days in jail before being released on April 29. Sills is scheduled for arraignment on May 23. “We are happy there has finally been movement in Susann’s case. Obviously, we are shocked that Eric has been arrested in her murder,” Susann’s stepmother Cynthia Arsuaga told The Daily Beast.
2. Susann and Scott Sills Were Partners in His Fertility Practice
Married for more than ten years, Susann and Scott Sills started the Center for Advanced Genetics (CAG) in Carlsbad, California. Susann’s Facebook page describes her role as CAG’s co-founder and managing partner. The center, which opened in 2015, specialized in helping to diagnose infertility issues. The CAG’s website describes their office as “a boutique practice with an emphasis on those with a difficult and/or complex prognosis.” CAG boasted a 70.4% success rate in treating infertility and recurrent miscarriage.
CAG announced in a November 30, 2018 press release that it had acquired the fertility treatment and research center Gen5 Fertility (G5F), in La Jolla, California. The Center’s website says its “focus is solely on one goal: Making sure that every patient, no matter the reason for their infertility, has the greatest possible chance to succeed.”
Susann was born in Philadelphia but graduated from high school in Hobe Sound, a community approximately 20 miles north of West Palm Beach, Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree from George Mason University in Virginia and was awarded an MBA in International Studies by the University of Miami in 2000.
3. Neighbors Thought Susann’s Death was Suspicious
Neighbors shared their thoughts with local media after discovering Scott Sills had been arrested. “We were starting to think us, neighbors, ‘how could that be an accident?’” Sills’ neighbor John Clifton told CBS LA, adding that the situation makes him feel scared. Clifton did not elaborate as to why neighbors doubted that Susann had taken a fall.
“It’s just terrible,” neighbor Janet Doughty said. She recalled how neighbors pulled together to support the family after Susann’s death. “‘Cause I know there’s two kids there.” Doughty had seen the family together and thought everyone looked happy. “Obviously whatever was going on in (the house) was hidden to all of us, I guess,” the worried neighbor added.
The Sills’ million-dollar home is located in the California coastal community of San Clemente. The city is midway between San Diego and Los Angeles. The neighborhood borders Rancho Mission Viejo, a 23,000-acre habitat reserve.
4. Scott Sills Is an Expert in Several Specialized Fertility Treatments, Including Ovarian Rejuvenation
Scott Sills’ biography details his extensive medical training. He received his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University, an advanced degree in molecular biology from London’s Univesity of Westminster and a medical degree from the University of Tennessee. He has medical credentials in California, New York, and the United Kingdom. He completed his sub-specialty fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Cornell University-New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Sills’ current work involves a treatment known as “ovarian rejuvenation.” The procedure claims to reverse menopause, allowing older women to become fertile. The procedure requires platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which Sills said “make the ovary kind of perk up and grow what it was unable to provide before – after menopause.” The PRP is injected directly into the ovary.
5. Scott Sills Has Been Featured as a Guest on the Daytime Talk show The Doctors
Sills made several appearances on the popular daytime talk show, The Doctors. In the episode “Trying to Get Pregnant for 14 Years,” Sills offered his services to help guests Lilia and Miguel become pregnant.
Sills was also a guest on the segment “Birth Control is Making Me Sick.” During the segment, a guest named Sabrina shared her story of becoming ill after having a tiny, nonhormonal birth control device called Essure implanted in her fallopian tubes. Sills is an outspoken critic of the Essure device and spoke about his concerns for Sabrina and other women who’d had Essure implants, which manufacturer Bayer stopped selling in the U.S. in December 2018. In 2017, Sills published the book, Essureal Journey, which discussed Essure’s problems. The book’s forward was written by famed legal activist Erin Brockovich.
The episode shares how Sabrina met with Dr. Sills for a medical evaluation. “It’s been a very rocky road for Sabrina,” Sills explained. She’s gone time after time to doctors who told her it’s all in her head,” he added. Sabrina had seen six doctors prior to consulting with Sills. Upon examination, Sills discovered that pieces of the Essure device had broken off inside Sabrina’s body and suspected this was causing her medical problems. During the show, Sills announced that he would surgically remove Sabrina’s Essure device at no charge.