On 28 February 2005, Stern was found dead in his apartment in Geneva, his body riddled with four bullets. He was found in the bedroom, in a flesh-coloured head-to-toe latex bodysuit and a dildo inserted in him. Swiss authorities arrested his long-time lover, Cécile Brossard, who killed him during a sado-masochistic bondage session. Brossard, 40, was convicted and on 18 June 2009 was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison. In addition, the Swiss court ordered Brossard to pay Stern's children one Swiss franc for "moral damage". "The Wall Street Journal" has reported that "Stern's family hopes people will stop talking about the case".