Dateline: Secrets In The Snow - What Happened to Stephanie Roller Bruner? Details of the 2010 murder, explored 

Just before Thanksgiving in November 2010, Stephanie Roller Bruner went for a walk amidst the snowstorm and never returned home. As per the latest episode of Dateline titled Secrets In The Snow, the incident took place in Silverthorne, Colorado, and came to light when Bruner's husband Dale called for help. Three days later, her body was discovered in the Blue River.

The investigation as uncovered in the Dateline episode suggests that the victim was brutally attacked strangled and thrown into the freezing river. Why was Stephanie killed? Who attacked her? Let's explore in detail as shown in the Peacock series.

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Dateline: Secrets In The Snow - What Happened to Stephanie Roller Bruner?

The investigation revealed that when Stephanie was thrown into the river, she was still alive and her death was an accumulated result of assault and hypothermia. She had three children with her husband Dale who was building a photography business.

According to Dale's statement as shown in the Dateline episode, the couple argued the night before and she left around 10-10:30 pm to clear her head. However, the entire night Stephanie was not home and Dale informed the police the morning around 8:45 am after sending the kids to school.

Authorities found that her marriage was deeply troubled; she had filed a restraining order against Dale but later allowed him back into their home. Stephanie was also emotionally involved with another man. Therefore the prosecutors had three main suspects in the situation- Dale, the man she is involved with, and the man's wife.

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Dale Bruner was arrested in 2011 according to the Dateline episode

Even after three days of searching under minus-20-degree temperatures and heavy snowfall, there was no sign of Stephanie.

Prosecutor Mark Hurlbert said, "This was a very brutal, brutal murder. She was hit over the head, which caused her skull to break … She was strangled so hard that a bone in her neck broke. And then while still alive thrown into the Blue River and left to drown and die of- hypothermia."

A week into Stephanie's murder, her loved ones gathered for a memorial that was the time when a CBI Agent Greg Sadar pointed out Dale's strange behavior.

Sadar said, "He would look around the room, comfortable and calm. Then when somebody would walk up to him he would break down crying. No tears. And then when that person filed away, he'd snap back into just a normal demeanor again."

The investigation turned towards Dale completely after the suspects over the other man Stephanie was involved with ruled out. and within 11 months they had substantial evidence against him with his statements consistently changing during the investigation.

Eventually, Dale Bruner was arrested in 2011, charged with second-degree murder and assault, and later sentenced to 112 years in prison. The case was a testament to the tragic cases of domestic violence and the love triangle that led to Stephanie's death.

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The Dateline episode unfolding the tale of this horrific murder can be streamed on Peacock.