Rhoni Reuter was the girlfriend of renowned Chicago Bears safety Shaun Gayle. Thirteen years ago, the long-term couple was expecting their first child together when Reuter was shot and died in her home on the morning of October 4, 2007.
Marni Yang was found guilty of the murder of Rhoni Reuter, 42, in 2011. She was also convicted of killing Reuter’s unborn child and sentenced to two life sentences for the 2007 murder.
Here’s everything you should know about Reuter, her relationship with Gayle, and her untimely demise and many other aspects of her life. So without further ado let’s dive into the following paragraphs.
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Rhoni Reuter and Shaune Gayle’s Relationship
Rhoni Reuter and Shaun Gayle have been together for about 20 years, meeting at a Bears charity event in Wisconsin. They had relocated to the Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Illinois, and were expecting their first child together, a baby girl, when Reuter was slain. Thad, Reuter’s brother, told ABC News that he isn’t sure why they never married.
“I know Rhoni wanted to be married. I think probably it was because Shaun wasn’t ready,I wouldn’t think that my sister would have put up with [an open] relationship, knowing her as well as I do. Rhoni was strong-willed. Just don’t believe that she would have put up with that sort of relationship.”
However, Gayle told ABC News that their relationship was open, and monogamy was not anticipated.
Rhoni Reuter Death
Rhoni Reuter was getting ready for work when he received a tap on the door. A law enforcement official told 20/20, “Rhoni was in her kitchen, on her way out to work, opened her door and from the shadows gets hit with several bullets.”
The police discovered her body on the kitchen floor, shot multiple times with a 9mm pistol. Two of the shots were fired into her stomach, leading detectives to suspect the shooting was intended for the unborn baby.
In many murder cases, particularly those that occur within the victim’s home, authorities first look to individuals closest to the victim. There was no evidence of forced entry in this case, thus the police suspected Reuter knew her killer. They knew they needed to speak with Gayle after seeing images of him at Reuter’s apartment, but the police didn’t have to go hunting for him since he called them before they could.
Gayle instantly suspected it was Monika Kurowska, a Polish fitness model with whom he had a romantic relationship around a year before Reuter’s murder. He informed the cops that their breakup was violent, and she has been stalking him ever since. Gayle showed the authorities frightening letters that his friends and family had received anonymously. The letters claimed Gayle had up to 18 different girlfriends at the same time.
Reuter and her mother also got one of the letters, and Gayle said it hurt Rhoni, but she supported him in court when he sought a restraining order against Kurowska. When police investigated Reuter’s apartment on the day of her murder, they discovered one of Kurowska’s letters in her handbag.
Rhoni Reuter Murderer Marni Yang
Marni Yang, a divorced mother of three, was convicted of Reuter’s murder after pretending as a real estate agent to Gayle. As investigators looked into her more, they discovered that Gayle was her sole customer, that she tracked him online, and that she had hacked Reuter’s computer.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the prosecutors claimed she was Gayle’s casual sexual companion who had become fascinated with him, and that when she discovered Reuter was expecting his child, she murdered her to eliminate her competitor for Gayle’s attention.
Investigators were initially unable to obtain any evidence against Yang, but her friend Christi Paschen volunteered to covertly record conversations with her, one of which can be heard in the 20/20 episode, in which Yang discussed disposing of the pistol.
After a lengthy trial, Yang was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, with the judge mentioning the “methodical, meticulous, and maniacal manner in which [she] committed this crime” during her hearing.
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