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In 2008, Sabine Buehler's life took an unexpected turn when her then-boyfriend William "Bill" Cumber brutally hit her and then choked her to death during a heated argument. It was November 4 right ahead of the US Presidential elections, and Sabine was expected to be at a campaign party. The Anna Maria Island resident never made it to the celebratory party.
Cumber was convicted for the murder of the 49-year-old victim after her car was discovered and forensics revealed blood in the backseat, which the perpetrator had tried his best to get rid of, but failed. Moreover, the DNA matched the blood found in the former couple's apartment. This circumstantial evidence led to an arrest. Authorities also noted the accused's strange behavior and pushed him until he finally confessed.
But one thing was still missing - Sabine Buehler's body. Read ahead to learn some chilling facts about the 2008 seaside murder case that shocked the peaceful and ideal community on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Furthermore, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is expected to revisit Buehler's tragic story and untimely death on July 27, 2022, at 8 pm ET.
Five terrifying but crucial facts about Sabine Buehler's murder case
1) Sabine moved in with Cumber after he was released from prison
Reports state that Sabine Buehler and Bill Cumber first met in 2006 when he started working as a handyman at Haley's motel, which was co-owned by Buehler and her husband Tom. The two immediately hit it off. But Cumber was arrested in connection with an arson case weeks after he started his new job at the motel.
Two years later, Bill was released and returned to his old job at Haley's, where a new romance blossomed between him and Sabine, giving way to an affair. The 49-year-old left her husband, rented a separate apartment on Magnolia Avenue, and asked the boyfriend to move in with her. About a month later, she mysteriously disappeared, and the investigation commenced.
2) Her car was found two days after the disappearance
Sabine Buehler's stolen car was discovered in the possession of Robert Corona, a 38-year-old man with a long history of auto-theft, in Bradenton. This discovery led to the filing of a missing persons report.
Retired Manatee County Detective John Kenney reportedly stated in an interview that,
"Nobody had filed a missing person report until Corona got caught in the stolen car. So we had no idea that anybody was missing up until that point."
3) The investigation revealed the truth behind the Buehlers' marriage
During the investigation, authorities were privy to a few aspects of Sabine and Tom Buehler's marriage. The latter disclosed that their marriage was one of convenience as the two had fallen out of love after having spent about a decade together. Their marriage was loveless, and the two remained together only for the sake of Haley's Motel as mere business partners and friends.
4) Sabine Buehler's killer tried to get rid of essential evidence
Although there was no physical evidence, Sabine Buehler's car gave authorities the push they needed to solve the case and get to the culprit. Part of the car's backseat was roughly cut-out, digging a deep hole into the padding. Later, a forensic report revealed that there was blood in that area of the backseat.
According to reports, Detective Kenney said,
"Whoever did it used a knife and cut it around, and then took out the padding and the leather. We surmised that they tried to clean up the car the best they could and cut that part out."
5) A perfect DNA match found at Sabine and Bill's apartment
When evidence started pointing towards Bill Cumber, authorities kept him at arm's length, keeping a close eye on his every move. A while after the disappearance, Cumber moved out of the Magnolia Avenue apartment and decided to leave town considering his falling financial status without Sabine's assistance.
In an interview, Assistant State Attorney Art Brown stated:
"Sabine was footing the entire bill, and really, was paying for his life. So when Sabine went missing, she was no longer there to provide for his needs; he had to leave town."
Investigators took advantage of Cumber's departure to examine the flat he and Sabine once inhabited. The victim's blood was discovered by a forensics team on the sofa and on the wall. DNA discovered in Sabine's vehicle matched the blood. Reportedly, his fingerprints were also discovered inside the car.
An arrest was made soon after and years later, in 2015, Bill Cumber pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of Sabine Buehler. He then led authorities to her dead body or what was left of it, which was buried beneath a rain pavilion on the beach.
Tune in to Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen this Wednesday, July 27, at 8 pm ET to find out more about the 2008 murder case.
