Stephen Grant was born in 1970 and resided in Washington Township, Michigan. He was married to Tara Lynn Grant, a successful business consultant. While Tara's career required frequent travel, Stephen managed the household and cared for their two young children. The couple also employed a 19-year-old German au pair, Verena Dierkes.

Prior to the crime, there were no public records indicating Stephen had a criminal history or significant mental health issues. However, tensions reportedly existed in the marriage, particularly concerning Tara's work-related absences.

On February 9, 2007, Stephen and Tara Grant engaged in a heated argument at their home. During the altercation, Stephen strangled Tara to death. In an attempt to conceal the crime, he dismembered her body using saw blades at his workplace and stored her torso in a plastic container in the family's garage.

Five days later, on Valentine's Day, Stephen reported Tara missing, claiming she had left after an argument. He engaged with the media, portraying himself as a concerned husband. However, inconsistencies in his statements raised suspicions.

On March 2, 2007, police executed a search warrant at the Grant residence and discovered Tara's torso in the garage. Stephen fled the scene, leading authorities on a manhunt. He was located two days later in Wilderness State Park, suffering from hypothermia and frostbite.

While hospitalized, Stephen confessed to the murder in a recorded three-hour statement. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and mutilation of a dead body.

In December 2007, a jury convicted Stephen of second-degree murder. He was sentenced on February 21, 2008, to 50–80 years in prison for the murder and an additional 6–10 years for mutilation. His appeals were denied, with the Michigan Supreme Court upholding the conviction and sentence in March 2010.