'Love each other through eternity': Couple diagnosed with cancer kill themselves days after 21st anniversary
DETROIT LAKES, MINNESOTA: A couple in Minnesota's Detroit Lakes were found dead in what appears to be a case of murder-suicide. Steven Alton Stearns, 45, and Stacy Lynn Stearns, 49, had both been diagnosed with cancer.
On Tuesday, September 27, their bodies were found by authorities inside their rural home, along with the bodies of their two dogs, Baby and Goliath, after deputies from Becker's County Sheriff's Office were called. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Stacy's death a homicide and Steven's a suicide, reports People.
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Having recently celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary on September 21, the couple's joint Facebook account reveals images of the two clearly in love. Their most recent picture showed them dancing in matching colored clothes. Other pictures posted by them feature the two spending time with each other, or adorable snapshots of their pet dogs.
A close friend, speaking to Forum, revealed that Steven had been diagnosed with lung cancer very recently. The disease had advanced to such an extent that there was no hope of recovery through treatment. At the same time, his wife of 21 years, Stacy, was suffering from cancer of the stomach.
The outlet reports that merely hours before their death, Stacy and Steven had posted a message on Facebook which read, "To our loved ones. We chose to leave this world as we lived in it." The heartbreaking final message from the couple, continued, "In love and together. Our only regret is the sorrow to our loved ones. Remember the laughter and happiness We love you. Goodbye."
According to Tammy Lawrence, a good friend of the couple who described them as "lovable people", Steven had shared his plans with her much to the dismay of Stacy. "He made me promise not to say anything to anybody," she was recorded saying, "Stacy did not want him to tell me, but he said I can't look in your eyes and lie to you anymore, and somebody has to be able to tell people why we are going to do what we were going to do." This indicated that the plan to end their lives was something the two had been mulling on for some time. Eventually, the couple decided to "go together with their dogs."
In fact, they uploaded a brief will on the joint Facebook account and Steven dialed 911 before taking the final step. "They've always had a pact that, 'We will go together'," said Tammy, who also mentioned that there was "no set date." However, Steven's condition deteriorated in the last 48 hours and their sick dog Goliath had trouble walking. "They were in love, and they will love each other through eternity," said Tammy.