A Florida man is accused of killing his estranged wife and trying to cover up her disappearance by claiming she was on her deathbed from coronavirus, according to reports.
Friends only suspected Gretchen Anthony, 51, could be in trouble after getting baffling text messages in late March claiming she was being held with an “acute” case of COVID-19, WPEC reported, citing police reports.
Jupiter, Florida, cops soon proved she had not been treated locally — or made any insurance claims for treatment.
Officers soon focused on her 48-year-old husband, David Anthony, who had separated from her in February — and whose vocabulary seemed to match the coronavirus messages that were sent, the report says.
A neighbor at the couple’s home told officers she had heard a “blood-curdling scream” — and then a woman pleading “No! No it hurts,” the affidavit said, according to CBS12.
“As the investigation progressed and further evidence collected, it is believed David E. Anthony is responsible for her disappearance and related homicide,” Jupiter police said in a statement posted to Facebook.
The husband was eventually found in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on March 31 — 10 days after he allegedly killed his wife, police said.
He was charged with second-degree murder and kidnapping and is being held awaiting extradition to Palm Beach County, cops said.
Gretchen’s body has yet to be found.
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