Aspen is usually about champagne, fresh powder, and high-dollar real estate. It's not the kind of place where you expect to find a legendary socialite beaten to death and stuffed into her own walk-in closet. But that is exactly what happened to Nancy Pfister in 2014. For a while, the world was transfixed by the suspects: Trey and Nancy Styler.
They weren't your typical killers. Trey was a retired anesthesiologist; Nancy was a world-renowned lily expert. They looked like the couple you’d meet at a botanical garden fundraiser, not the faces of a grisly homicide. Yet, the case remains one of the most polarizing true crime stories in Colorado history. Even now, years after the dust has settled, people still argue over who actually held the hammer.
The Fall of the House of Styler
Before the handcuffs, Trey and Nancy Styler were living a life most would envy. They were elite horticulturists. Trey had been a successful doctor. But things started to rot from the inside out. Trey developed a debilitating neurological condition—something akin to ALS—that destroyed his career and his mobility.
Money vanished. Lawsuits piled up.
By the time they met Nancy Pfister, the Stylers were desperate. They needed a win. They rented Pfister’s mountain home while she was off in Australia, hoping to turn a new leaf. Instead, they walked into a nightmare of personality clashes and financial disputes. Pfister was a force of nature—brash, wealthy, and demanding. The Stylers? They were broke and physically failing.
The arrangement ended in a bitter eviction. Pfister reportedly treated them with open contempt, and the Stylers felt humiliated. Honestly, it was a pressure cooker. When Pfister returned from her trip, she was dead within days.
The Closet and the Confession
On February 26, 2014, Nancy Pfister’s body was found by her friend, Kathy Carpenter. It was brutal. She had been bludgeoned in her sleep with a hammer and an axe. Her body was wrapped in a sleeping bag and plastic, then shoved into a closet.
The police didn't have to look far for suspects. The Stylers were staying at a nearby motel, and investigators found a trash bag in a public bin that contained a bloody hammer and a vehicle registration in the Stylers’ name. Basically, it was a trail of breadcrumbs leading straight to their door.
Trey, Nancy, and Kathy Carpenter were all arrested. For months, they sat in jail. Then, in a move that shocked the court, Trey Styler confessed.
He claimed he acted alone. He said he "snapped" because of how Pfister had treated his wife. In exchange for his guilty plea to second-degree murder, the charges against Nancy Styler and Kathy Carpenter were dropped.
Why the Public Still Doubts the Story
Here’s where it gets weird. Trey Styler was a man who could barely walk. At the time of the murder, he was often seen using a wheelchair or a walker.
The logistics of the crime are... difficult.
- The killer had to flip a heavy queen-sized mattress to hide the blood.
- They had to haul a body into a closet.
- They had to clean a massive crime scene.
Could a man with a degenerative brain disease really do that solo? Many investigators and locals didn't think so. They suspected Trey took the fall to save his wife from a life behind bars. He was dying anyway. Why not give Nancy a chance at freedom?
Life After the Scandal
Trey Styler never finished his twenty-year sentence. In August 2015, he committed suicide in his cell at the Arrowhead Correctional Facility. He was 67. His death effectively closed the legal chapter of the case, but the social fallout was just beginning for his wife.
Nancy Styler didn't stay quiet. She moved to Massachusetts, changed her name back to Nancy Masson, and wrote a book titled Guilt by Matrimony. She’s always maintained she had no idea what Trey was doing that night. She painted herself as a victim of a "crazy" landlord and a husband who lost his mind.
People didn't buy it. When she collected a $1 million life insurance policy after Trey’s death, the Pfister family was livid. They filed a wrongful death lawsuit, which eventually settled out of court.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that the case was "solved" by the confession. Legally? Yes. Factually? It’s complicated.
If you talk to anyone who followed the case closely, the names Kathy Carpenter and Nancy Styler still come up in hushed tones. There was no DNA evidence linking the women to the physical act of the murder, but the circumstantial evidence—the sheer physical effort required—keeps the "accomplice" theory alive in true crime forums and Aspen bars alike.
Trey Styler was a brilliant man whose brain was failing him. Whether he was a protector or a pawn depends entirely on which version of the story you believe.
Practical Next Steps for True Crime Enthusiasts:
If you want to look deeper into the nuances of this case, here is how to navigate the available info:
- Read the Affidavits: Look for the unsealed arrest affidavits from June 2014. They contain the specific details about the trash bag found at the Basalt city maintenance building.
- Compare the Narratives: Read Nancy Styler's Guilt by Matrimony alongside the Dateline NBC episode "The Mystery of the Blueblood Heiress." The contrast between her self-portrayal and the police evidence is stark.
- Study the Medical Context: Research the specific effects of the neurological condition Trey suffered from (often reported as a form of "stiff-man syndrome" or similar). Understanding his physical limitations is key to deciding if the "lone killer" theory holds water.