Richard Pierce was convicted in 2022 of killing his first wife Carol Jean Pierce in 1975 when they lived in Sturgeon Bay. NBC 26 contacted his stepdaughter from his marriage to Rose Marlene Box. Gwen Schutte explains how the whereabouts of Carol Jean Pierce were discussed in her family Rene Zimmer recalls seeing the Pierce's and describes their relationship Dodge County Medical Examiner's office says cause of death is pending(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)Pierce was serving a life sentence in Dodge Correctional Institute when he died late last month.Gwen Schutte says that her mother Rose Marlene Box told them that Carol Jean had fled to a different state."At first my mom told us that she met another guy up there and she ran away with him she said that for years," Schutte said.But when her mother asked Pierce where Carol Jean was, he never was exactly sure."What happened to your wife? Oh, she's out in Montana or someplace I don't know where she's at," Schutte said.Originally from Michigan, Pierce was a Coast Guard sailor stationed in Sturgeon Bay when Carol Jean disappeared.Rene Zimmer a crew member with Pierce on the USCGC Mesquite said he remembered seeing the couple around town back in the 1970s."They had a volatile relationship," Zimmer said.Zimmer also told me that Pierce thought he was, "The smartest guy around."Schutte says her mother was aware of Pierce's past and why he was in court before she passed away."She knew but she wouldn't admit it and she never talked about it to her sisters or anything."Pierce maintained his innocence throughout his trial.Pierce was serving a life sentence in Waupun Correctional Institute when he died on October 24.The Dodge County Medical Examiner's office says his cause of death is pending.Carol Jean's body has never been found.We reached out to multiple family members of Carol Jean Pierce but have not been able to get in touch.