Ailing Couple Use Exhaust Fumes to Commit Suicide

An elderly couple in failing health were found dead in their garage in the Westlake section of Thousand Oaks on Wednesday morning after intentionally asphyxiating themselves with carbon monoxide.

The bodies of Eugene William Stout, 78, and his wife, Sara, 72, were discovered by an in-home nurse in their garage on Northlake Circle about 8:30 a.m. holding hands in the back seat of their automobile.

They had committed suicide together by starting their car in the closed garage and inhaling exhaust fumes, authorities said.

Sheriff’s Department officials said there was no evidence of foul play.

The in-home nurse, who wished to remain anonymous, said she noticed nothing unusual about the couple’s behavior when she left the home at 9 p.m. Tuesday after putting Sara Stout to bed.

The couple’s son, who arrived at the scene immediately after the two were discovered, declined to be interviewed.

Neighbors in the close-knit community on the northwest shore of Westlake Lake said Eugene Stout had been depressed after recently being diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. Sara Stout had been paralyzed after suffering a severe stroke more than a year ago and required constant attention.

“He just didn’t want to go and leave her with someone else. He just worshiped her,” said next-door neighbor Katie Urbach. “It was just too much for him. She was his beloved.”

Neighbors said Eugene Stout, a former president of the Northshore Property Owners Assn. and a longtime resident, was deeply involved in community service.

“They were great--they did so much for their community and their church,” said Northshore resident Mary Craig. Craig said she was shocked, but understanding, about the couple’s actions.

“Gene was absolutely devoted to his wife,” Craig said. “The recent bad news he received must have caused him to think, ‘This is the way to go,’ and we understand.”

A neighbor living several doors down from the Stouts’ well-kept townhome, who declined to be identified, said he noticed Eugene Stout’s health appeared to have declined in the past month.

“When I last saw him he’d lost a lot of weight,” the neighbor said.

He added, “They were the nicest couple I ever knew.”