A 67-year-old man sentenced last year to 20 years in prison for killing Aspen socialite Nancy Pfister committed suicide Thursday in a Cañon City prison, his wife says.
William “Trey” Styler III, a former Denver anesthesiologist, was found dead at Arrowhead Correctional Center, said Adrienne Jacobson, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Jacobson said the Fremont County Coroner’s Office will determine the cause of death.
Styler’s widow, Nancy Styler, however, released a statement saying she was told her husband had killed himself and that his body was discovered in his cell Thursday morning.
Styler hanged himself in his cell and was discovered at 5:30 a.m., Styler’s Denver publicist, Michael Wright said. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday, Wright said.
“Trey is now at peace after being tortured for such a long time,” Nancy Styler said in her statement. “He was a successful, brilliant doctor, incredible and loving husband and father, and a gentle man. I hope people will remember him for the man he once was before his physical and mental illness took over his life.”
Nancy Styler recently finished writing her book, “Guilt By Matrimony,” which is scheduled for release by BenBella Books on Nov. 17, Wright’s news release says.
Styler confessed that he used a hammer to strike Pfister’s head while she was sleeping on the night of Feb. 24, 2014, Assistant District Attorney Scott Turner has previously stated in court.
Styler pleaded guilty to second-degree murder/heat of passion
and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Styler attended every court hearing in a wheelchair for an unspecified health condition.
First-degree murder charges against Nancy Styler were dismissed after Styler confessed that he acted alone.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, denverpost.com/coldcases or twitter.com/kirkmitchell