Mark Todd Murder: How Did William Pagano Die? – Police officer Mark Todd was shot to death with a shotgun inside the home of former Festus police chief William Pagano, shocking residents of Jefferson County, Missouri. While the crime was violent, the initial investigation was difficult due to a lack of leads until a surprising discovery exposed the entire conspiracy.
‘I Went Undercover: No Turning Back,’ a documentary on Investigation Discovery, examines Todd’s death and demonstrates how some outstanding police work helped authorities zero in on the criminal. Let’s go into the case’s specifics and see where Mark Todd’s killer is right now, shall we?
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Who was Mark Todd and How Did He Die?
Mark Todd was recognised by many who knew him as an upright citizen who always followed the rules and was well-liked in his neighbourhood. The father of two had been married for sixteen years, and his relationship with his wife appeared to be in good shape. However, it was revealed on the show that Todd was having an adulterous affair with the daughter of former Festus police chief William Pagano.
Nonetheless, as a member of the police force, Mark was extremely dedicated to his work. He also served as Vice President of Scientific Security, Inc., which he co-founded with William Pagano. Mark Todd was shot and killed in the garage of William Pagano’s house on March 26, 1990. However, given that Todd was William’s sheriff’s department protege and business partner, such a visit did not seem out of the norm.
When first responders arrived on the scene, they saw Mark Todd sprawled on the garage floor, blood pooling all around him. At first glance, police could tell the deceased was no longer alive, and an autopsy later revealed that the death was caused by a close-range shotgun discharge. Surprisingly, the murder weapon was also discovered on the spot and was taken into custody without incident.
Who Killed Mark Todd and Why?
On March 26, 1990, when first responders and detectives arrived at the crime scene, they were confronted by William Pagano, who claimed he had shot Todd in self-defense. According to the episode, Todd regarded William as a close buddy with whom he shared his wish to murder his wife. Todd, according to reports, thought he was in a loveless marriage at the time of his murder but was not ready to file for divorce. On the other hand, he was in a serious extramarital relationship with his business partner’s daughter and wanted to start a family with her.
Todd approached William and stated he intended to hire a hitman to murder his wife, according to the episode. While William was taken aback by the notion, he went along with it and even told Todd that he had contacted a hired killer who was eager to complete the job. Todd was actually under the impression that he had already paid $500 and was about to meet the hitman on the day of his death.
On March 26, 1990, when Todd went over to William’s house, the former Festus police chief claimed he attempted to arrest his friend. However, because Todd was in the garage at the time, he allegedly began crouching towards the back and hiding behind a car, giving William the impression that he was about to fire.
As a result, he did not give the victim a chance and shot Todd with a shotgun at close range, killing him on the spot. To everyone’s amazement, investigators were unable to locate a weapon on Todd’s body, leading them to conclude that William was mistaken about being attacked or feeling endangered. As a result, the police chose to disregard William’s claim of self-defense and instead arrested him before charging him with first-degree murder.
How Did Mark Todd’s Killer William Pagano Die?
When William Pagano was finally brought to trial, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, and was sentenced to 20 and 3 years in prison, respectively, in 1994. The accused, however, was never imprisoned since he committed suicide shortly after the police arrived to take him into custody. William died with a single shot to the head on August 23, 1994, according to the episode, after pledging that he would never enter prison as an inmate.
