Published: May 13, 2006 01:11 pm      

Stoess charged in wife’s shooting

Edward Stoess was charged with attempted murder Friday in the shooting of his wife and could face 20 to 50 years in prison if convicted.

Judge Susan Orth set double-shooting defendant Edward Stoess’ bond at $2 million Friday afternoon. Stoess is also charged with murder in Oldham County in the shooting death of Deena Stoess’ boyfriend, James Shuttler III. Both shootings took place Tuesday.

Stoess shot his wife three times in their home, according to a police affidavit. One bullet through her back penetrated Deena Stoess’ lungs, liver and spinal cord. She was also struck in her left breast, right clavicle, and in the face on her left cheek. Dr. Eric Guerrant, a trauma doctor at University of Louisville Hospital, reported the injuries to police.

At the beginning of the arraignment, a handcuffed Stoess strode down the aisle with his head bowed slightly and sat at the defendant’s table.

Wearing glasses, a yellow Floyd County Jail jumpsuit and orange flip-flops, Stoess, 36, responded in a low, even voice, when Orth asked him to say his date of birth, Social Security number and home address for the record. When asked if he understood the charge, Stoess replied in the same voice, “Yes, your honor.”

Afterward, Stoess was taken back to the jail. Orth set a trial date for Oct. 16, with a pretrial conference June 15.

Orth entered a preliminary innocent plea for Stoess, telling the defendant it would remain his plea unless he chooses to plead guilty.

Public defender Tom Lowe represented Stoess strictly for the arraignment and told Orth that Stoess would seek to have a public defender appointed to his case in the long term.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Steve Owen met with several of Deena Stoess’s family members after the hearing, which lasted about five minutes. He said they told him she “seems to be doing fine.” He did not know who is attending to the Stoesses’ children.

“She’s a strong young girl, desperately wanting to live,” Owen said. “There may be some (medical) conditions that result from the shooting. It’s very difficult to go through life with those injuries.”

Owen said the prosecutor’s office wants to “to deal with our situation here first” before Oldham County tries Stoess.

According to the police affidavit:

• Deena Stoess stepfather Gary Reynolds was in the couple’s home Tuesday and said he saw her walk down a hallway, then heard her scream, “Oh my God,” followed by gunshots. She ran toward the living room and Reynolds heard two more shots, then he left the home and called for help.

• Stoess told police he had gone to his father’s home and gotten a .22-caliber handgun, then bought two boxes of ammunition at Kiesler’s Police Supply on Tuesday. Stoess went to Kentucky, he said, then returned and parked several blocks away from his home so his wife wouldn’t see his vehicle. He waited for Deena Stoess to come home, then shot her three times and hid under the pool deck.