Stonington — Charles Buck, who was found not guilty of murdering his wife, Leslie, in 2002, has died.

The 69-year-old Buck, who suffered serious injuries in a fall at his Elm Street home on the afternoon of Aug. 31, died Oct. 12 at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. His death certificate was filed Thursday in the New London city clerk’s office.

The mystery surrounding Leslie Buck’s death and her husband’s subsequent trial captivated residents here, as the couple were well known in the community. Interest re-ignited over the past two weeks as rumors of Buck’s death swirled around town but no official confirmation was available.

Buck, who had kept a low profile since his 2010 acquittal, occasionally was seen driving one of his vintage cars around town and running his electrical contracting company.

He had sold his and Leslie’s home on Masons Island Road to his attorneys and moved to a house at 126 Elm St. that served as his office. When the Masons Island home was being torn down last year, Buck went there to retrieve some items he said held sentimental value for him. Police warned him to stay off the property after getting a request from the couple who had bought the home from his attorneys.

“If you lived somewhere for 36½ years with the love of your life, wouldn’t you want to go back?” Buck told The Day at the time.

This past February, Buck made an appearance on the Dr. Phil show in which he confronted Carol Stephens, the downtown Mystic bartender whom he showered with expensive gifts before and after his wife’s death. She was then known as Carol Perez.

After that appearance, Buck contacted producers of the Judge Judy show asking how he could bring a suit in her court against two people who he said had wronged him. He did not identify the two individuals. He told producers he had just been on the Dr. Phil show and so was familiar with going to Hollywood, according to his Facebook post.

No obituary has been published for Buck. It is unknown where he will be buried. His name is listed on Leslie Buck’s gravestone in St. Mary’s cemetery on Route 1.

On May 2, 2002, Leslie Buck, a 57-year-old Dean’s Mill School teacher, was assaulted and kidnapped from the garage of the Masons Island Road home by Russell Kirby, a Ledyard handyman who had done work over the years for Charles Buck. She escaped a few hours later.

Kirby was convicted and currently is serving a 21-year prison term. The 78-year-old Kirby is slated for release in 2022.

Two days after the kidnapping, on May 4, 2002, Charles Buck called police and said he had arrived home to find his wife dead at the bottom of the stairs leading to the second floor.

Police said that in the months leading up to Leslie Buck’s death, Charles Buck had become infatuated with Stephens and showered her with gifts, including a house, car and diamonds.

Stonington police investigated Leslie Buck's death for seven years before charging Buck with her murder. Prosecutors alleged he struck his wife with a homemade club fashioned out of heavy duty electrical wire, which he dubbed “The Equalizer,” causing her to fall down a flight of stairs.

Stephens told police that less than five hours before Buck found his wife’s body, he had asked her to run away with him. He told her that he would have to mourn for about a year “for appearances’ sake” and that he and Perez would “have to stick to their story to make sure it’s the same.” Buck initially told police he did not have a relationship with Stephens.

But a three-judge panel found Buck not guilty after medical experts disagreed about how Leslie Buck died.

A year later, her estate withdrew the probate action and civil suit it filed against Charles Buck alleging he caused her death.

The estate, which was managed by Leslie Buck’s brother, Richard Edmonston, agreed to divide the proceeds of Leslie Buck’s annuities and remaining unpaid life insurance policies with Charles Buck. Edmonston received almost $140,000 and Buck almost $71,000. The Nationwide Insurance Co. already had paid Charles Buck on a policy worth $67,790 in January 2003.

And while Leslie Buck had $106,000 in personal assets, much if not all of that money was gone, as the estate spent it on administrative and legal costs pursuing the actions against Charles Buck.

Staff Writer Nate Lynch contributed to this story.

j.wojtas@theday.com