Who was Sarah Sweeney? Investigation underway as two Missouri women found dead years apart in firefighter's home

On January 13, 2024, 39-year-old Sarah Sweeney, a local doctor, was found dead at her fiance, a firefighter's residence on Conway Road in Westwood, as per the NY Post. An online obituary posted by Salem Funeral and Cremation Services mentioned that she had recently opened up her own podiatry practice in St. Louis County, Missouri.

Fox News reported that, as per the Frontenac Police Department, Sarah Sweeney was found dead with no evident indications of trauma on January 13, at 6:39 am local time. Frontenac Police Corporal Tim Duda told the outlet that her death is currently under investigation.

Sarah Sweeney became the second woman to be found dead in the St. Louis firefighter's house in three years. In 2021, a 35-year-old mom-of-four, Grace Holland, who was the former fiance of the firefighter, was discovered in his previous house on Fairway Circle with a single gunshot wound to the head, as per Fox News.

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Sarah Sweeney had degrees in Microbiology and Biological Sciences

The obituary posted via Salem Funeral and Cremation Services stated that in 2007, Sarah graduated from North Carolina State University with degrees in Microbiology and Biological Sciences along with a minor in Biochemistry. In April 2012, she earned her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery in Miami Shores, Florida.

She then finished her surgical residency at multiple hospitals in the Miami area. Later, Sarah shifted to Port Arthur, Texas, where she practiced medicine for many years before moving to Saint Louis, Missouri.

KMOV reported that in order to determine her cause of death, the medical examiner's office had conducted an autopsy and is awaiting toxicology reports, which could take four to six weeks.

Court records filed in November 2022 revealed that Sarah claimed to have been harassed by her former employer. The same records also mentioned serious medical conditions, including a bone disorder, as per KMOV. In 2021, she was also hospitalized and intubated.

Fox News reported that Sarah Sweeney was diagnosed with a rare and painful condition called Perthes disease at the age of 6. Her mother, Teresa Sweeney Light, told the outlet that her daughter was also diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome, which can be life-threatening. However, Teresa mentioned that Sarah had the condition in check and was on medication.

Speaking about her daughter's demise, Teresa Sweeney Light said, as per the NY Post:

"We just wish we could have her back. We just want closure, we want it to be truthful and fair, and as of right now, we're still in shock."

According to a report by Fox News, Robert Daus, the victim's fiance, was identified as the 911 caller in the Frontenac police report. Sarah's mother said that her daughter and the firefighter met when she was working an emergency room shift after she moved to St. Louis.

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Sarah Sweeney's family reportedly told her to get away from the firefighter

Fox News reported that, upon learning about the Grace Holland case, Sarah Sweeney's family sent her some of the news stories. However, by November 2021, she had stopped responding to text messages from her mother and stepfather. As per the NY Post, her mother, Teresa Sweeney Light, said:

"She was a grown adult, a doctor and a woman. We didn’t know what to do."

KMOV reported that in one of the family's last text messages to Sarah, they asked her to get away from the firefighter.

Creve Coeur police reportedly ruled Grace Holland's 2021 death as a suicide, as per KMOV. However, her family expressed concern about the validity of the investigation, as her fiancé is a captain in a neighboring fire department.

Fox News reported that Holland's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Robert Daus, alleging that he was responsible for her death, either by killing her or by pushing her to end her life.

An attorney for Grace Holland's family, Javad Khazaeli, told KMOV:

"We are saddened to learn of another death, especially of such a young person. We hope that the Frontenac Police do what the Creve Coeur Police and the County Medical Examiner didn’t do in the past and fully investigate this tragedy."

As per Fox News, the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Holland family and the investigation into Sarah Sweeney's death are both ongoing. Robert Daus has not been charged in either of the cases as of this writing.