Man accused of killing woman, living with body in Idaho Falls for three weeks

IDAHO FALLS – A 42-year-old Spokane man allegedly admitted to killing a missing woman with ties to Bozeman, Montana. He reportedly lived with her body for three weeks.

Chris Foiles, of Spokane, Washington, was charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of Megan Stedman, 34, with an enhancement charge for using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

New details

Newly released court documents state that on Friday, the Idaho Falls Police Department was notified of a “suspicious RV” on the 1000 block of Wardell Avenue.

Officers arrived and saw a 1973 Dodge RV, which was being looked for by Montana law enforcement in connection to Stedman, a missing endangered woman out of Bozeman.

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Court documents say the RV had no license plate or VIN.

According to KHQ, Stedman was originally from Spokane and was the mother of two kids.

Officers knocked on the RV door, but there was no answer.

According to court documents, Montana law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the RV and began traveling to Idaho Falls.

While waiting for the Montana detectives to arrive, IFPD detectives set up unmarked vehicles to conduct surveillance on the RV.

While watching the RV, a sergeant and a detective from IFPD saw a man, later identified by a Washington driver’s license as Foiles, leave the RV.

The sergeant made contact with Foiles, who allegedly said, “I am Chris Foiles. I killed my girlfriend. She is in the RV.”

Officers searched the RV and found a body near the back.

They detained Foiles and interviewed him at the Idaho Falls Police Station. According to police reports, Foiles identified the body as Stedman.

Police said he told them that he and Stedman arrived in Idaho Falls around Dec. 22 and parked the RV on the south side of the Walmart on Utah Avenue in Idaho Falls.

Interviews with Stedman’s family by KHQ, state that Foiles was reportedly Stedman’s “estranged boyfriend.”

Foiles said that about two weeks before his arrest, he had gotten into an argument with Stedman while parked at Walmart.

He said he was afraid that Stedman was going to contact police because of a no-contact order between the two, so he allegedly “grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed (Stedman) in the neck.”

Foiles then allegedly admitted to stabbing Stedman in the chest “with the intent to kill her.” He went to the front of the RV but heard Stedman continuing to move around in the back.

He said he heard Stedman using an object to hit the back window, so he returned to the back of the RV and allegedly “stabbed (Stedman) in her upper back area several times until she stopped moving.”

According to this timeline, Foiles lived in the RV with Stedman’s body for three weeks.

During a second search of the RV, officers reportedly found credit cards with Stedman’s name on them. During an exam of the body, officers also found a tattoo similar to the tattoo described in a bulletin issued by Montana authorities looking for Stedman.

During court

Foiles was stoic in court on Tuesday, appearing from the Bonneville County Jail over Zoom in front of Magistrate Judge John Dewey.

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When discussing Foiles’ bond, he interrupted Dewey, stating, “I don’t have an Idaho bond, nor do I intend to go to trial.”

Dewey ordered that Foiles continue to be held without bond and submitted an order for him to be represented by a public defender.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Foiles on Jan. 26 at 1 p.m. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison or the death penalty.

Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal sent out a news release on Tuesday that urged people to be careful about spreading rumors and theories about ongoing criminal investigations.

“I urge the public in the strongest terms to refrain from publicizing uninformed theories about the crime,” said Neal in the release. “This can promulgate a prejudicial narrative among potential jurors and such stories and posts can also become exhibits in motions to change venue, which denies our community the opportunity to sit in judgment of this case.”

Though Foiles has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.