I wasn't going to shoot him. He didn't have to go for the gun. I don't even know why I did it. This is 41-year-old Susan Armen Trout, responsible for the mysterious murder of her husband. And no matter how much she lies and begs. He wasn't supposed to die. I just wanted to scare him. It will not change the fact that her life is over. The day prior, he had contacted a deputy. He thought you were going to kill him. Oh, soon. I'm so sorry. It was an accident. On December 15th, 2018, dispatch in St. Genevieve County, Missouri, received a call from a concerned father. 36-year-old Aaron Armen Trout, a truck driver, animal lover, and car enthusiast. Hadn't showed up to a family event the previous night. His father knew things weren't going well with his son's wife, 41-year-old Susan Armen Trout. So immediately he wanted a welfare check done. When police arrived at the residence that Aaron and Susan shared, they were met with the overwhelming stench of bleach. Susan was absolutely nowhere to be found, and every contact they tried to make with both her and Aaron went unanswered. Finally, after speaking with Susan's mother, son, and friends, the police were able to locate Susan in a neighboring county. By then, they had already started to put the pieces together, and they were certain that Aaron was no longer alive. The following footage was provided to us by St. Genevieve County Sheriff's Office in Missouri. All right. If you'd like to have a seat, yeah, right there, that'd be fine. I'll be right out here. We'll wait the guy that's going to come talk to you, and he's right here, Susan. This is Lieutenant White. Hi, Susan. I'm Lance White. I'm a lieutenant here at the sheriff's office. I've been looking for you for a little bit. Before Before we begin, I got a few preliminary information I'd like to clarify. Make sure it's right. Is your name uh Susan? Is that right? Yes. And I know you've got a few different names. Armen tri. I never changed it. So when we got married Skaggs Scaggs. Okay. So you prefer Skaggs. And uh were you previously married? Did you have another marital name at one time? What was it? Skats. That was my last name. All right. Okay. So, what's your maternal name? [Music] L. I think I met your mom yesterday or day before. Susan has a good reason to be unhappy about police speaking with her mother because unlike her, her mother's an honest woman. And she wasn't shy about admitting the kind of person Susan is. Let me ask you this really tough question. Do you think she might have done something to uh Is it Aaron? With that look on your face, I'm I'm I'm guessing that's a yes. It's not a yes, but it's not a no. I understand, man. I mean, I've heard her over and over say, "I'm going to kill that son. I'll stab him in his sleep." And I've heard that, okay, like quite a bit. Your own mother telling police that she believes you may have killed your husband doesn't exactly bode well for your innocence. Heading into the interrogation, officers know they have their culprit. But there's one thing they desperately need to put her behind bars. Aaron's body. So obviously the reason we were looking for you, the reason you're here right now is we received information and we receive information about some things that's happened between you and Aaron and Aaron's no longer here. Um, that's the reason I we'd like to talk to you. Before I begin to talk to you, I'd like to advise you of your rights. Okay? I'm not saying nothing without an attorney. Without an attorney. All right. I'm going to advise you of your rights anyway, just to make sure. Okay? You have the right to you have the right to attorney. If you cannot afford afford hire an attorney, you want to be appointed by the courts to represent you. You can remain silent. And you can use those rights at any time. And you're telling me now that you're invoking your right foot and turning. Well, that being said, we have uh I am going to do some talking now. Um I'm actually going to be You know what? I really don't need to say anything further. if you will, just hold still and uh we'll be back. One thing I will say before I leave though, if you change your mind and you want to talk to us, feel free to reach out and talk to us and tell us cuz that's the only way your story is going to get out. All right? And you have the right to call and ask for me to talk to me. Um otherwise, you're going to be labeled whatever people are labeled without your side coming out. All right. And uh meantime, we'll talk to Angel and other people um and try to get to the the bottom of it and bring them into all this as well. All right. Go pee. What's that? You have to use the restroom. All right. All right. Well, I'll get you back in the jail and uh they'll make sure you're able to do that. Just one quick question. Do you know a girl by the name of Josephine? Okay. Susan doesn't take long to take the officer up on his offer. The very next morning, without even seeing the attorney she previously asked for, she's ready to talk. And boy, does she. The question is how much of what she's saying is actually true. Thank you. I don't have my stuff as I was getting ready to go out and go to the PA's office. I understand you need to talk to me. That did that deputy that just brought you here is the one that told me. Is that right? Yeah. Thank I don't know who I told. I just busted the button. Okay. Oh, seriously, I'm so sorry. It was an [Music] accident. Was coming at me and I I right and I had it like I had a guy I said go grab the last. Oh, Suzie. Suzy. Scared. It was scary because I was just numb. I just wanted him to leave for the night. That's all I wanted. And and I and I panicked and I tried to get my friend Angel out there, you know, and I'm like, I'm just going to go stay the night and I she said okay. Well, she kept calling me and I'm just like my truck stuck in four low, you know, and I it don't look like it does on TV. That's funny. and gave up. Walk out a house and he wasn't supposed to die. He wasn't supposed to die. I just wanted to scare him. I'm so I just want to have to leave you. Susie, I'm so sorry. Why can't you leave me? Well, since you told me that it was an accident, everything, I'd like to help you get along there. Right. Um, you did just tell me it was an accident, right? Yeah. I I just wanted to scare him. I wanted to skip him. I wanted him to leave. That's all I wanted. I just wanted him to leave for the night. He didn't hit me. I understand. And I have to ask you some questions about it. You understand? You know, and I have to advise you your rights before I can ask you questions. So, like I tried to do last night, I'm going to let you know that you have the right to remain silent and then you say, "Can we be used against you in the court of law?" You have a right to an attorney and have one present with you. Why be in question? cannot afford to hire a lawyer, want to be appointed by the courts to represent you. You understand those? And do you want to tell me where he's at? Yeah. Where go home and get buried? I agree. Storage 164. 164 in Possi. 8 NU storage Possi, Missouri. Eight and U. Storage. You storage. No. A U. Just U. Not Y. O U. U. U.................... A. N. And u. Yeah. Storage of toast. How did you get there? Just go straight down eight highway. All right. It's literally That's why it's eight and you. I know. But you had two vehicles. Who took you? Huh? Who took him there? You had two. I drove the car. You drove the car. Who picked you up? I had a friend take me to get the car. Was that Angel? Yeah, but I lied to Angel though. Please don't hold it. No. No. Tell me the truth about Angel so I can help her out. What I told her is that I was I was hiding the car from him. I'm like, I just want to piss him off, so I'm going to hide the car from him. Okay. And so she just thought it was a joke. All right. Susan is making an effort to protect her friends, but not a particularly good one. Especially because just hours earlier, police pulled Angel out of bed and questioned her about her involvement in and knowledge of Aaron's murder. As you're about to see, she didn't handle the pressure well. So, did she tell you everything that she did and you didn't want to tell us? She she did come by here like Saturday before she left. I mean, hey, Angel, tell us everything. She told me that she killed Aaron, but I didn't believe her because she she talks out of red sometimes. That's just the way she Well, she did. So, now we need your help. Angel, you need to tell us everything she told you and help us find Aaron. That's all she told me. Did she kill Aaron? Did you discuss anything about burning the body? No. Are you sure about that? Yes. She came by here and told me that she did that she burned the body. No, that she killed Aaron. But like said, I didn't believe her. The way she was acting, I didn't, like I said, sometimes she talks out of her head. We both say stuff that we don't Well, you guys are both former domestic victims. Her current domestic victim. I understand why you might No, why you might have sympathy toward that. I mean, I do, but I would never do anything, you know, like that. That's okay. I have kids and grandb babies. All right. I completely changed my life around in the last year. All right. You see how you have information? Is there a particular reason you didn't tell us about that? Because I didn't think it I didn't I didn't think she would act that she actually did it. Like I said, she's talked out of her head before, but I never thought that she'd actually do it. I mean, people say things they don't mean all the time. People saying things they don't mean is usually reserved for things like your outfit's cute or this is the best meal I've ever had. Murder, well, not so much. Susie, is is the gun still with him or in the car? Yeah, in the car. Is that gun the same as your gun? Is it a revolver or 380? 380. Okay. The uh gun you took from um Angel, did she give you that gun? No. I I don't even have that gun on me. Like I didn't even have it on me when I got Okay. The only reason I took her gun, I'm not going to lie. I was just gonna, you know, I understand. And she was she told me that she was scared that's what you were going to do. All right. You're doing the right thing. You got to feel a lot better. Okay. Still need another one. Susie, um, tell me what happened. Okay. Well, here a couple weeks ago, we got into an argument and of course he messed my neck up, decided he was going to, you know, teach people. Well, it's on. He goes out in the garage and I throw him out there and I'm like, what is going on with you? you know, cuz I mean like he's just been different. He was seeing that another girl with a girl named Well, his ex Angie anyway. But um Oh, he was seeing another girl named Angie. That's what I was told. Yeah. Okay. Back what he told my mom. Oh, yeah. My mom just told me yesterday. And that was his ex, right? Yeah. Okay. But um anyways, he said he wanted a divorce. Well, the thing about it is, and you can ask a couple of my friends. I'd already been talking about that anyways, you know, but the the way he did it just it was so mean. It was so mean. You know what I mean? Cuz he goes, "I want a divorce." And I just I go, "Why didn't you marry me then?" He goes, "I didn't even want to marry you. I only did it because you wanted to. Why would you say that to somebody?" And I was just like scing my head. And you know, we had a few more words back and forth like nothing really. Oh, I I looked at him and I said, "That's fine." I said, "File for a divorce." I said, "I'll take half. I don't mean half this place." Yeah. Like not trying to be me. It was just more Aaron is a very materialistic person. Like he it's however much money and items he has is how he basically. You know what I mean? So I would always tell him mom that's going to take cat you know more or less to break his heart because it hurts him if he doesn't have his money or his material things and he's like and I this is why it was all a big shock you know like the way he went he goes well I've already been talking to attorneys and you can't get half don't care about half but you've been talking to attorneys on my back you know that's kind of pretty rude I think and and then I just and oh different for the last two weeks. Like whenever he said that to me about the whole marriage thing, something in me just didn't care. Like I just I didn't care. I've just basically been sitting around waiting for somebody to knock on the door and give me divorce papers. You know what I mean? Mhm. Like I just didn't even care. I just wanted done. You know what's more rude than talking to an attorney behind your spouse's back? Murdering them. That, however, seems lost on Susan, who is eager to portray herself as an innocent victim who was lounging around, waiting patiently for her unfaithful husband to divorce her. Though she claimed she was blindsided and shocked by her husband's desire to divorce, she also mentioned that she had threatened multiple times that she would take half of everything if he did. That doesn't exactly paint a picture of a happy, healthy relationship where things were hunky dory. And what she's about to casually disclose to detectives doesn't at all paint a picture of a happy, healthy woman. Been staying at age cuz I had even been staying night at my house. I during the day was gone. I tried to be out. The only reason the only reason I didn't stay Friday was because I was I was mad at him and I got home Friday morning and I don't bump like half of his clothes. I didn't really burn anything he wears but you know like all the stuff he wears is hanging in the closet. It was still there. I just took a bunch of shoes like the bottom two cousins or something taller and I burnt them just to piss him off cuz we was arguing you know on Facebook and I'm just on messenger and I'm just like I said yeah we're going to have a surprise for you when you get home and he didn't even notice I like right right before he had fight and that's when he come at me. How did he come at you? Huh? What do you mean when he came at you? You said he came at you. I was walking around the bed, okay? Like wear your mask, okay? I was getting like all my stuff ready, which is one of the reasons I had a gun in my hand because like I literally like would shove everything in a bag. Always carry a bag with me. Well, when I get home, I'd set up by my bed, you know? I'd empty it out, put what I had chew on my dresser, put everything else on top of my dresser, whatever. Well, I'm walking around. I got out I think it was my candy cuz I always carry the Starburst minis. Starburst minis with me. I think I'm thinking I have some of them on me. I might I don't know why so many of them. I can't honestly tell you why. But I know I took a few things out of the bed and I had the gun and he starts going off and I I just start walking around the bed cuz I was going to leave the you know cuz I'm maybe cuz I'm a woman. I thought it was funny. Mhm. You know, I mean, it's the first time I'd ever done that to a dude. I've never actually I've seen it done and I've heard of women doing it, but I've never actually like burnt their clothes, you know what I mean? Like, I've never done it. So, I just I thought it was stuff that he didn't even wear. Like, it was just [ __ ] that have literally been piled that dresser. I've known him for years. That stuff hasn't been unfolded in new for years. You know what I mean? Like, but whatever. But apparently, it pissed him off. And as I'm walking around, he grabs me and he starts on the, you know, just starts going off. Did he close fist you? Hit you? No, no, no. He he does he never does this. Okay. What he does, he takes his hand and hits me or he'll demonstrate. He'll Okay. Like he'll go ahead. I won't but like that. And he'll hit me like that. And then what he does is he grabs me real hard like usually around the shoulders and he'll like because he's picks you up. Yeah. And he'll throw me. Got you. Yeah. See, which he like broke my Yeah, that just hurts right now from sitting on all that concrete. But I think like when he broke it, like I can't hardly sit down. He did that about 2 years ago. Oh, okay. Oh, he's broke my picking up throwing me. That was uh much if I didn't only cuz at that time we had security set up, but I didn't know that the cameras only lasted a week, I would have recorded that because it was on video. But he picked me up in like it was in the dining room by the sliding door and he threw me and I landed in the living room cuz at the time the coffee table was sitting up the other couch. Okay. But he threw me from there to the coffee table but that's normally his main thing is just like and then just like picking me up cuz I mean I'm not a very big girl, you know. There is no evidence we could find to corroborate Susan's claims of suffering violence at the hands of Aaron. In fact, the only evidence of any physical violence between them came from Aaron himself just hours before he was murdered. He called St. Genevieve County Sheriff's Department to report that Susan had been making death threats against him. A sheriff encouraged Aaron to press charges, but he refused. And it doesn't seem like the incidents he was talking about were just limited to verbal threats. Susan's mother disclosed to deputies that the previous fall Susan had attempted to shoot Aaron while the family was on vacation, which only makes the story Susan is about to tell even more unbelievable. So that happens and what happens after after the altercation. So I'm not even I've always heard people talk about like and I always thought they were stupid like, "Oh yeah, how can you not really, you know?" But it really is like and it's like everything just stops. It just stops. You know when I made it I said don't touch the gun cuz you know I knew that I and I don't know why I I hardly even carry a clip in it. I never even know what I mean. Like I don't even know. I don't even know why I did it. Why would I do that? So he was trying to get the gun from you. for the I wasn't going to shoot him. He didn't have to go for the gun. I have to go for it. Where was he shot? Was it in the chest or No, I think uh in the head. It had to have been in the head. cuz all the blood was like up. Okay. Okay. And I'm guessing cuz when you said that like I said, "Don't hit me." No. And then like just the pop and like it was literally just like a flash of light in my eyes. And all I could do and just like standing there like I didn't even know what to say. And he just goes, "Oh, he grabbed his head." And it drops. Yeah. Like So he was able to grab his head. Yeah. Okay. He goes like, but he's just kind of looking at me and then he like All right. All right. Let's move past this where it isn't hurting you this bad. Susie, I'm worried about you. Please sit here. You're reliving this right now. I understand that. Okay, breathe. Don't forget to breathe. So, he collapses, I'm presuming, right there where the bleach is all that. Yeah, that's actually not bleach. It's um I mean, I don't know. Some pool cleaner cuz I had to clear out the house. I didn't know it was that strong. Pool cleaner. Yeah. while the bottle was still sitting in the bathroom. Well, you said he was shot in the head. Did Did you have to clean the walls and stuff too or just just right there? That's the only place that like I mean I wiped the bed off, you know? Like I'm sitting there. I'm trying to This sounds so stupid. God, I sound so I'm just trying to remember this [ __ ] that I seen on TV. You know what I mean? Mhm. And that's what I was thinking. I was watching, you know, I watched a lot of ducks stupid and but I didn't see any. Maybe it's I mean, of course, that's stuff. I'm allergic to bleach and like my eyes are swelling up. Like that's all bleach burns from that pool cleaner. Oh, so you are allergic to all that? Yeah. So you had to get out of there after. Yeah. I had to get my dogs out and I had to get out. So the the whole dog poop thing story about the No, I did clean up dog poop. My dog hate. Okay. It's my my Oh, so you told everybody you were cleaning up dog poop. Dog poop. Yeah. Which I mean I was but I was also doing that too. But I won't go into bleach extremes just for dog poop unless Yeah. because you know especially being allergic to it. I I usually what I do for dog poop is just mixing it with a little bit of laundry detergent. So was it hard to get all that the blood out of the carpet? There's still blood in the carpet. Okay. Where at? It should be down under underneath the carpet, right? Yeah, I get that. But but you you got enough where you couldn't see on top. Clean it up or Yeah. That stuff was that quarter on there just disappeared. Did it? Okay. But see, I'll tell you when I when I just gave up and walked out of the house like the carpet was squish the bloodwood. Okay. Unfortunately for Susan at this point, Angel has already completely contradicted the story she's giving. Aaron didn't lose it when he discovered his clothes were burnt. His reaction wasn't at all what Susan was looking for. According to text she sent Angel. That's Friday at 5:50 p.m. Laugh out loud. It was noticed 5:50. Does that mean he came home and notice his clothes is burnt? Yes. Really? He noticed right off the bat. What did he say? He wants to make me out to be something I'm not. I'll be that person. Hell yeah. He just laughed to himself all stupid like and left the room. Laugh out loud. I am so tired. I hope he got mad enough to leave. I'm going to check real quick. Okay. He's still here, but I wish he would just leave for the night. I am worried. It's Friday 11:00. In Susan's mind, however, she is the victim. And boy, does she continue to play up that role. I'm on the road. I got lost, which I found out why. And it was cuz the stupid GPS was set for Province Washington DC, not Missouri. I ended up in freaking sorry freaking Van Pure, Missouri. Yeah. I think you were seen in Calonia headed down there. Yeah. Well, see I Well, actually, no. I I know all that area. I grew up in PTOI. So, like when I just go out and I need to clear my head and I need to think and I need to drive, that's always the area I go in. Like I mean, I know that area. That's where me and Michelle always went, you know? Before we go to that extent, let me back up. I'm trying to keep it where we were at. Who helped you get him out of the house? I backed the car all the way up to the garage door, the opening door and dragged him out that way. Okay. Did you Was was it bleeding the whole way? You had to clean all that up as well. What? What did you do with all the uh towels and stuff? We're in the shed. They're in the shed as well. All right. How How did nobody hear the shot? Did Did you explain that? The only ones home was my mom and Haley. And they both sit in their rooms with their TV so loud. Your son wasn't home? No. So, he didn't get home till later on that night. But, see, this happened around 6:00 in the evening. Oh, it was early then. Yeah. That's why my son kept saying, "Well, I heard him getting up and down getting hit." How you going to get right? I mean, I couldn't exactly sit and argue with my son at that particular moment, but I just didn't understand how he heard him, but he wasn't, you know, I think what he was hearing was probably the cat. Cuz when I got back that morning, cuz I come back from age 7, 7:30 that morning, my cat, or no, it was my niece's cat cuz it was the gray cat was stuck in the laundry room area. And I think that's what he was hearing was like that cat. Oh, they took that. Okay, now I got to get that. I thought they took it out. That's why it's irritating me. Oh, they the nose ring. Yeah, it's got to be like they're supposed to get the nurse to cuz the way it's put on. Yeah, they'll work on that. Once more, Susan tries to cover for her friends and family. And once more, she sucks at it. Police believe at this point that both Angel and Susan's son, Anthony, helped cover up the murder. Despite the fact that her son may be on the hook for helping her with this heinous crime, Susan has another worry that's much more pressing. Her dogs. I I don't have nobody down here at all about my dogs either. I don't even know how Hank's doing. I don't even know nothing about Hank. Hank has diabetes. He's on a special diet. He needs special care. Angel told me last night that I think uh Hank is okay. He's with her daughter and they were going to try to get it to the vet. No, I don't want him with her daughter. Okay, her daughter. No, I need him somewhere safe where he cannot get it. He's almost blind, right? Susie, she said just just for a minute and then she was not even just for a minute. Okay. The last dog they had there got attacked by three pet bulls that live by them. All right. Well, last I heard this was last night. The dog's fine and she was coming back to Angel's house today. Okay. What about my Elmo? She's still there. Elmo, is it he? Yeah. Okay. He's uh he's had almost 12 and a half years. He's kennled. He was kennled last night. No. No. He's going No, he's got to go somewhere else then. Okay. He's got to go somewhere else. He does not get kennled. Elmo is not No. Okay. He is almost 13. Well, I think it was just because all the other dogs are I'll find someone else. He can go to Michelle. He needs to go to Michelle and cook. Okay. Okay. Okay. He's got to go to her. All right. That dog cannot be kindled. Michelle knows everything about him. She knows everything. All the ins and outs. How he likes his food, how he likes to sleep, his potty. She knows everything. He can't know. Who else knows the truth about all this? Was there somebody in Bond you told all about? H. Did you tell somebody in Bonire about all this stuff? Did I tell somebody in Bonire? Well, I guess if she already said that, I said, but I mean, I just didn't want to drag her. You know what I mean? She's in it. Okay. So, how did why did you tell her everything was going on? Because she's my best friend and I just needed someone. I miss someone. I just needed to get it out. Every store I stopped at yesterday. I know. Like I just needed a cashier. I just wanted to be like, you know, like, did you get to talk to your son any at all? It's Anthony, right? it like No, I don't think I need honestly. No, cuz my mom cuz my son doesn't have a cell phone. So, it was my my mom called. It was from my mom's, you know, and I answered it and I heard Anthony. So that's who I thought I was going to be talking to cuz I heard Anthony and it sounded like he was on the phone and I'm like bub cuz I'm like bub. And then my mom gets on the phone and starts talking. So you didn't get a chance to tell this to him where he could hear from you instead of from the media and all that stuff. Okay. When Angel when Angel came and got you guys I mean you she followed you in your truck or her vehicle to pick you up. You took the car to 8 and you storage. Did she follow you in her car? Okay. When she left I was okay. She was at my house and I get you know I'm like okay I got to go. Anyways we left we went to her house. Okay. Okay. And then I'm sitting there and I'm just like, I should go hide the car. It's like, you know, she and but she drove my truck. Okay. Yeah. So, how did she get to you? She she you were she was with So, okay. When I told her we should go hide the car, we got in my truck, drove over to the house, I got in the car. Oh. And then she followed me. In your truck? Yeah. Yeah. Now that makes sense. See, I was I was confused. I couldn't figure out how that worked. Yeah. No, but now you have to pick her car. Like that makes a lot more sense. All right. I was lost. Yeah. We rode over to my house together in my truck. Okay. And then I let her drive the truck. I'm like, "Well, here you drive the truck." You know, it's already warmed up cuz I guess her car doesn't have heat. My favorite car. When you parked the uh parked it in the storage area, did she help get the bag of trash out or? No, she never even got out of the truck. She stay in the truck. Okay. She's like I am. She stays pulled constantly. She had that lap band surgery, so she doesn't get as many nutrients as she should, I guess. Yeah. Yeah. And so she stays like constantly. Constantly. What else am I missing? Is there something that we need to discuss? You know, if there's something you need to bring up to me, just bring it up because I don't know. I'm trying I'm trying to I didn't I didn't live this. You did. So, you would know the most important thing. Yeah. That we need to know. U we've already discussed most of it is if if there is something else you you've painted the pretty big picture of how it all happened and everything and the the most significant thing in your mind of why and how this happened would be most important to talk about now. I mean wait for the gun. I don't know why like Well, one thing is I don't know if you're aware, and I'm going to make you aware now if you're not. It was the day prior he had contacted a deputy and said that he thought you were going to kill him. I [ __ ] you not. I You know what? He sent me a message on Facebook cuz I thought he was taking the guns out of the house, you know, cuz he was he thought I was going to sell them or something because I've threatened to do that before, too. Okay. wallet cuz he wouldn't leave me no money. I'll be like, "Well, I'll just start selling [ __ ] and get money." You know, I just whatever. But and I thought he was taking them out to selling them and and he goes, "No." He goes, "I'm hiding them." He goes, "Because something about everybody knows you're trying to kill me or something." And I was just like laughed my I said, "Are you kidding?" I said, "You need to quint with these lies there." And I said, "You're making these lies the new truth." I said, "These lies are your truth now." And they said, "It's getting ridiculous." And you said something like that on Facebook. Yeah. But in all honesty, I'm not gonna lie, I wouldn't drink the tea he brought me home. He would bring me home tea uh cut my hip like two week two or three weeks ago and it's still not healed. But um he would basically bring me home usually either a tea or Mountain Dew from the truck stop every day and I got to the point I wouldn't even drink it no more because when he started saying that [ __ ] to me it started getting me think you know what I mean like right but I mean not like to that extent I just wouldn't drink the tea. Right. Was there a Your mom told me something about an episode that happened this last fall at Lake Hannah in gunplay and stuff like that. You know what I'm talking about? Um, you guys had an altercation out there in front of some kids and Oh, no. We got into Okay, here's the thing. I and I don't know why this maybe I need to see a freaking mental expert on this but red roses I hate red ro I hate them I don't know why but they send me into like it's when they're given to me like they send me into a period I don't I've never had a bad experience with them so I don't know why I just don't like red roses and I always tell every guy I date do not anything but a red rose I don't care if you go out and pick those freaking you know little daisy things just no red roses he got me a red rose Okay. Well, I was babysitting my uh uh Felicia's kids, my cousin, and then I had my niece with me, and my niece and the oldest of Felicia's four was in the truck. I walk back to the truck to talk to them while he's in at Walmart and I see the red rose. And I go and I look at my niece, Kendall. I said, Kendall, I said, "Do me a favor." I said, "Cuz I don't want to fight with him tonight." And I said, "Tell him just to throw that rose out the window on his way out there." I said, "I'm telling just throw it away." I said, "Good." When he gets out there, he straight up walks up to me and just hands it to me and I just burnt it. We got into a fight later on about that, but I don't see how that had anything to do with the gun. I I was told that a gun was uh taken out of your hand and stuff like that. I don't like guns. Yeah. And at one point in time, I think your son said there was a a gunshot or something went off or during a wrestling match over a gun. I'm not sure. Does that ring a bell with anyone? No. The altercation that officers are referring to here is the same one that Susan's mother claims she saw Susan attempt to shoot Aaron during. Now, obviously, there's no reason to ever shoot anybody, but to shoot someone over giving you a red rose seems like something even Susan should realize is completely insane. So, talking to your mother and your niece and Angel, all three of them told me they had heard you numerous times saying, "I'm going to kill him." Or even plotting jokingly sometimes about killing him and stuff like that. Is that true? I would tell him I'd be like, "Oh, I ought to just kill you." You know what I mean? But then I would look at him and I'd say, "You know what? I'm not gonna do that. I'm going to keep you alive. you're going to suffer with me the rest of your life. One particular thing I can't remember is your mom or Angel told me I think it was your mom about um you look at him square and says I now know I've been plotting for a while about how to kill you and you said it in a joking manner or something like that. This one bullet that you had in your gun. Do you remember anything like that? Okay. No. Well, this I mean that's what was told me. Not even close. Something about the reason you keep that one bullet in in your gun. I don't That one bullet has been in my gun since the last time we shot my gun. Okay. Like I mean it Well, that's why I asked Anthony asked me what was it about a week or two ago? Can we take He goes, "Can we take the 380, the 9, and the AR out in target practice." I go, "Go ask." Cuz I always made a mascaron about the nine and the AR, you know, right? I said, "Go ask down about those." I said, "You're not shooting mine." I said, "I got one damn bullet left unless you're going to go buy some bullets." Gotcha. And never went and bought bullets. So you saved that one. Is that the same bullet that that went into Aaron? So that gun didn't have any other bullets other than that one. No. Like I said, we stood outside and you know, cuz that's the that when when we got it down to that one bullet, that's the first time I've shot that gun since I've had it because ever since, like I said, Luke, I just It's not that I was scared of guns. I just didn't feel comfortable, I guess you could say. I didn't know how I would react, you know what I mean? Mhm. And I just That's what I said. I shot off like three or four and then just handed it back to Aaron and I don't care cuz I don't even think I was close to on target. Is there anything that you think of that I should absolutely know about this whole situation? What the And you're aware that I have to go talk to the prosecutor about all this? Is there anything you want me to tell the the prosecutor? You tell me, mother. You want to come? I mean, sometimes people want to want me to relay messages. I I've never exactly done this before, so I don't know. Right. I don't know. You need some water or something? Get you a glass of water. I'm going to step out. Okay. Do you need anything while I'm out? Cigarette. I don't smoke. I'm sorry. I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm just going to go consult with some detectives and go get Aaron going on the way to meet the keys are actually in the truck. They took the truck last night with a set of storage locker keys. It was in that blue top. Well, first of all, let me ask you, um, did you give me permission to search that truck and get those keys and everything else? I gave them permission last night to search it. Oh, okay. Well, we're not volunteer. So, yeah. Um, if there's nothing else, I want I got a lot to do today, but you I'll be free probably later this afternoon after about 2:30. Would you want to meet up with me again, talk to me again? All right. And then if there's anything else that you thought thought of or that I think of that we need to cover, we can do at that point in time. All right. Meanwhile, I know that it's lunchtime and I don't want you to miss your lunch because you said your belly was hurting a while ago. So, I'm going to get you back there. You got to feel a little bit better about easing your conscience on what's happened, right? I know you do. You have to. All right. I know I went all about it the wrong way. I was so scared. I understand. That was a shock. It was a shock. Like, okay, I used to be a really bad alcoholic. Like, I used to drink a lot from sun up to sun down. And when I when I actually learned how to shoot guns, believe it or not, I was drunk. And people, they they never believe me, but I could be drunk as [ __ ] and hit a target dead on. But if I was sober, I could go to shoot that, you know what I mean? and I'd hit that chair or you know like and well when I was with Nathan, Nathan, he goes, "Oh, bullshit." Well, I'm sorry. I asked Nathan. Yeah. When we were searching your truck, is there any there anything we're going to find in there? Any drugs at all? No, not in the truck. Okay. No, none. What about the car? Did Did Aaron use drugs of any type? I I think Aaron used aderall, but that was about it. Which I mean, I know ain't much different, but to him it was. Okay. Yeah, but that was about it. But that wasn't even very often. I doubt you even find that anywhere on the vehicle or anywhere. All right. So, drugs didn't pay play any part in any of this. All right. No, I just want to make sure. All right. I really got to get moving. So, I'm going to take you back there and I promise you, um, as long as it's okay with you, I'll I'll get back with you this afternoon. All right. But meanwhile, we got to get Aaron out of that. Yeah, he needs to get I got to get him out of there. We need to conclude this so I can go get that. All right. You agree? Is there anything that you think I need to know before we conclude until 2:30? Okay. Susie did the right thing. I really appreciate you talking with us. want to get some closure for Aaron and his family. Susan sealed her fate. And with it, she sealed the fate of her 20-year-old son, who saw a startling post on Facebook a few days later that prompted him to call the police. Hello, sir. Uh, this is Anthony Scaggs. Hello, Mr. Um, do you got any information on the Armen Trout case right now? I'm sorry. Yes. Yes. Uh that is our case. Well, yeah. When that first went down, I was at the house and I spoke to the cops and everything and my mom was the one that, you know, did everything. Uh, and now there I seen a post on Facebook that you guys were looking for me saying I'm being charged with the [ __ ] Okay. But I've already like I've already I mean they didn't write down my statement or anything the day they came cuz at the point they were saying it was just a missing persons at that point but I already spoke to investigators the investigators I spoke to the cops all that day I called in like I think it was 3 days later uh his uh family was making posts saying that I did something and was having people looking for me. So, I called in to try to talk to the talk to a deputy or anything at that point, try to get everything solved right then and there. And the lady said that a deputy would call me back. And I mean, it's till now and I still haven't heard anything besides this post. Right. What kind of post did you see? It it was by the St. Genevieve Sheriff's Office. Okay. And it was saying that cuz the PR was put the press release was today. So yeah, that makes sense. I guess the major put it out already. Yeah. Well, like I know I see because I seen the post where she got picked up and I seen the post where her friend got picked up and then there was a post it has the picture of her friend on there that got picked up. Well, let let me stop you there, Anthony. Uh you have warrants for your arrest right now. Right now? Yes. For that? Uh yes. Um, basically basically it's the warrants aren't for you actually pulling the trigger but assisting and we got that through uh uh confessions and surveillances and and interviews. So surveillances I was sleeping on a couch. Okay. Well, yeah. Like literally like you guys want me to come in, give you my statement, give you everything like Yes. You know what? Anthony Anthony, I was no involved at all. Anthony, that's why I'm so pissed right now. I'm not going I'm not going in. Okay. For something I didn't do. You know what I'm saying? Well, Anthony, I believe that uh um your family, your grandmother and your Is that your cousin? Yeah, that's my cousin. The one that was out there with us? Yeah. Yeah. They put you at the house at the time of the shooting. Yeah, we was all at the house. We was all sleeping. That's why like I've literally been questioning how was the shooting because nobody in the house woke up. All right. Well, through a through several lies that you have told along with What lies? Well, there's a few of them. If you like to come in and discuss it, we can do that. Yeah, I I would love to come in and discuss it. Pretty much as soon as Anthony walks into the station, it becomes obvious that love is a strong word there. As the sheriff said, statements from his relatives prove that he was at the house at 6:00 p.m. the time of the shooting. However, he has a completely different claim that he was with friends, not at the house, and it goes over about as well as you're expecting. So, you're going to tell me that you weren't there the whole time? I wasn't there all day. All day. I was literally gone with my friends all day. my friend Bill, my friend Zach, my friend Alex, and I think it was maybe two or three when Becca got off. Bill's girlfriend stops. I'm telling anybody, don't go down this path. You got two other people who put you in the on the couch when they arrived home on Friday. That's what I'm saying. I literally had You told me yourself that day that you watched and seen Aaron in the throughout the night eating. Yeah. When I came in at 3:00, he was in the kitchen eating and I went lay down. I turned on the TV, laid there for a few minutes and this won't this won't hold water because he's already dead at that time. Are you serious? Yes. So, your whole story goes out the window. He's dead. He's dead at 6:00. It doesn't even make no sense, though. He died in that bedroom about 6:00. So your whole story is gone. That don't work. You couldn't at the house. You couldn't have seen him in and out walking into the living room like you told us. See him in the living room. Wasn't dog [ __ ] When I walked in. All right. When I walked in, he Do you understand the gravity here? Yeah. Okay. Well, well, this is what I'm telling you. When I walked in, I seen him in there. I was hoping you wouldn't go down this path. Go down. What path? M more deceit. I'm not deceiving you. I put it on my life, sir. On my soul. When I got in there at 3:00 in the morning, which is when I I got told I left the house, he was in that kitchen making food. I put that on my life. He was dead. That That's He was dead right after work. He was Uh-huh. Like I sir, I put you understand how you see all the lies now. That just doesn't fit. We know it don't fit. This is what I'm telling you. This is science. Not just your mom's confession. This is science. He's dead at 6:00. See, I You're laying on the couch. your niece. I wasn't I was at the house that day. Your cousin and your grandma comes in. You're laying on the couch. You tell them about the dog [ __ ] And that was that morning. That was that morning when they woke up. I was like, "Hey, my mom was told me when she got in here that she had to clean up some dog [ __ ] in the room and she took the angels." Just stop. The 100% truth is the only thing that's going to help you. Now, this is the 100% truth. I even got people at they know I was at Bill's house all night. Let me tell you about friends. When a [ __ ] happens, when [ __ ] hits his fan, they're going to leave you in the dust. So if you're if you're trying to use an alibi with them is once the [ __ ] hits the fan, they're going to leave you stranded. Well, I promise when Okay, I promise that's what it's going to show to be is I was there. If that's what you're banking on, you're you're banking on something that is not reliable. You realize all I've got to do is get one of these people to say something different. Not that not that it matters, you know. I mean, it's the truth. So, are you got your days mixed up? No, I do not get my days mixed up because after that night, that morning when we woke up, when my mom came in and told me the story about the dog [ __ ] on the carpet and all that, not even an hour after she left was when the cops pulled up, when the first sheriff pulled up and knocked on the door and I was going to answer the door and he go and he asked me, "Where's Aaron?" And I'm like, you know, I haven't seen him since last night. Then I'm pretty sure he asked where my mom was. And I told him that she just left. And they came in, got my name. My cousin came out, he got her name. Then my grandma finally, I guess she heard what was going on, so she came outside. You realize that none of that works because he was already dead at 6:00 the day before. That's Dude, I gave you an out. I told you what would save your You're right. Yeah, but I'm not going to tell you a lie. Just No, no, no. I don't want to lie. Ever do I want to lie? Well, I'm telling you the truth and you're calling me a liar, though. You are a liar. I'm not. This is not This is not even possible. The things that you were saying are not even possible. What? For me to be in my friend's house all day? No, it's not even possible. He wasn't alive. And you seen him? He was a ghost. Did you see a ghost? So, you're telling me you seen a ghost? I didn't know he was dead. Your own mom was in that chair right there saying, "I don't know how the hell he's telling everybody he's seen him." Perhaps this goes without saying, but Anthony didn't see a ghost. He did, however, see the inside of a jail cell. Both Anthony and Angel were charged with abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence for helping Susan conceal Aaron's body. Anthony took a plea deal and spent just 253 days behind bars. His mother will never see life outside of bars again. For murdering Aaron, Susan was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.