70-year-old man convicted of wife’s murder denied parole

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAFF) - A 70-year-old man convicted of murdering his wife in 1984 was denied parole on Wednesday.

William Stewart murdered his wife, Debbie, in their Decatur home. After the murder, Stewart dismembered his wife’s body and buried her in the backyard of the residence.

Stewart later installed a fish pond where his wife was buried to further conceal her body.

In 1987, Stewart filed for bankruptcy and lost possession of the residence. Decatur Police Department officers approached the new owners of the home, asking to excavate the fish pond.

When officers dug up the pond, multiple plastic bags were found containing Debbie’s remains. Stewart was arrested and charged with his wife’s murder.

Stewart was convicted in 1988 and sentenced to life in prison. On several occasions, Stewart has come up for parole.

On Wednesday, members of the parole board in Montgomery voted unanimously to deny Stewart’s request for parole.

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