'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABlAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAEEAQIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBgUSERQhIiRhkQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgQRAAAEBwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgQRISNRc8HC/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwC3zZVddnWmxBm2Ohbpwhu493MPIe71xHRadN2IE+Oz6iKVEjXC+gXR02+Lox//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Investigation Discovery's Murder in the Heartland covered the brutal murder of Ruiz Stone in an episode earlier this year. The heartbreaking story, set in 2003, is about a woman's extramarital affair, which turned deadly when she suddenly went missing. It was later discovered that she was brutally beaten to death by her then-boyfriend, Allen Jason Wooten.
The case allegedly also involved Ruiz being pregnant with Wooten's child.
The episode was titled An Affair with Murder, and is set for a rerun on December 15, 2022. It is also available for streaming on DirectTV. The synopsis for the episode read:
"A woman working for a plant in Camden, Arkansas, goes missing; when a local stumbles upon Ruiz Stone's abandoned van, her family fears the worst, and some speculate Ruiz fled town with a lover, but detectives reveal something far more sinister."
Who was Ruiz Stone and how did she die?
Ruiz Stone seemed to have an ordinary life with a loving husband and two kids, one boy and one girl. She was married to James Stone and worked at the local Coca-Cola plant as an account salesperson. Her peaceful life in Camden, Arkansas, had only one anomaly - the rumors of an affair, which culminated in a sinister turn of events.
On June 23, 2003, James Stone and his kids reached out to the local police station to file a report about Ruiz's disappearance after she failed to return home from work. This began a search that would end in tragedy.
Authorities first found Ruiz Stone's van with the help of locals. The van had clear indications of foul play. The search for Ruiz ended in the tragic discovery of her dead body.
The autopsy report indicated a fractured skull, a crushed larynx, and broken cheekbones, thereby proving that she was violently beaten to death.
Why was Ruiz Stone killed?
Given that Ruiz's affair was the only thing out of place in her life, the police soon decided to follow the lead. It ultimately took them to Allen Jason Wooten, who admitted to having an affair with her. Authorities doubted him for the murder, but he initially claimed to have no connection to the crime.
He revealed that they were involved in the affair for about a year before her death. Wooten was also a married man with kids.
As the authorities pressed down on him, he eventually revealed that he was the one who killed Ruiz Stone in a fit of rage after an argument about her possible pregnancy surfaced. He confessed to beating her to death with a pipe before dumping her body at another location.
He also claimed that Ruiz had allegedly threatened him before he snapped and killed her. Wooten further admitted that during the early days of their affair, he had rejected Ruiz's advances but later gave in.
He confessed this during his trial in 2004. The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. He was sentenced to 40 years for the murder and six years for the abuse charge.
