Palm Beach, Florida – Police say that an estranged husband out of Palm Beach murdered his wife months after they separated. Reportedly, he even attempted to use the COVID-19 protocols for quarantine to help cover his tracks in the process.
New Mexico State Police arrested a man in west Las Cruces who is accused of kidnapping and murdering his wife in Florida. Authorities said they found 43-year-old David Anthony walking his dog. https://t.co/HCnyra1am3
— KVIA ABC-7 News (@abc7breaking) April 12, 2020
A bizarre murder is alleged to have taken place in Florida, with authorities suspecting that 51-year-old Gretchen Anthony was murdered sometime around March 21st by her ex-husband, David Anthony.
While David was arrested for the murder on March 31st, police still have not been able to locate the victim’s body.
Police had an odd interaction with David earlier in March, prior to the believed murder date.
On March 15th, David was reported as approaching underage girls while heavily sweating. Officers from the Riviera Beach Police Department had witnessed the alleged behavior, and also wanted to question David about his license plate having black electrical tape concealing portions of it.
David had allegedly ignored lawful orders given by police, and had even tried slamming his car door on an officer’s arm while they were taking him into custody. He was taken into custody for resisting arrest with violence, and bonded out of jail for $3,000.
Then, on March 23rd, family members of Gretchen had received strange text messages from her saying that she diagnosed with the COVID-19, and was heading to the CDC for further testing. Something about that didn’t seem right, and the filed a missing person’s report on March 25th.
Breaking News: A Florida man, David Anthony, who is wanted in connection for the murder of his wife, was arrested in Las Cruces March 31, and was ordered held barring extradition, during an evidentiary hearing, Thursday in magistrate court. @CrucesSunNews pic.twitter.com/OiMnu5EZIp
— Bethany Freudenthal (@BethanyFreuden1) April 10, 2020
Upon investigating the report, police noted that the last day Gretchen was seen at work was on March 20th, and that she was reported as being in good spirits the last time she was there.
When interviewing one of Gretchen’s neighbors, they recollected hearing some kind of screaming on March 21st, with someone yelling “no, no, it hurts” from Gretchen’s patio.
That neighbor had snapped a photo of the car that had left that evening and showed it to police. Authorities stated that the car had belonged to David.
Another neighbor had noted that David had stopped by their house to ask if they could watch his cat. Apparently, David has told that neighbor that Gretchen was in a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Police had investigated Gretchen’s house, finding towels with reddish stains and drops of blood in the bedroom and bleach stains all over the garage.
On March 27th, police were able to get a hit on a cell phone tower in Texas that had pinged on both David and Gretchen’s cell phones.
Eventually, police in Las Cruces, New Mexico caught up with David on March 31st and he was booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center.
He’s currently charged with second degree murder.
On the subject of brutal murders, one had recently taken place in Liberty, South Carolina that is chilling to the bone.
Police officials in Pickens County recently arrested a 21-year-old man who is alleged to have sexually assaulted and then cut the throat of an 89-year-old woman. Investigators say that the woman was murdered during the early morning hours on Easter Sunday.
Bail was recently denied in court for James Chapman, the man accused of raping and murdering an elderly woman inside of her home. Family members of the victim, 89-year-old Margaret Alice Karr, were inside of the courtroom on April 14th, and were shaken by the appearance of Chapman as he entered.
Bond hearing begins for accused murderer/rapist James Chapman, 21.
Investigators say he killed 89-year-old Margaret Alice Karr inside her Liberty home on Easter Sunday. @wyffnews4 pic.twitter.com/fRer481Dia— Dana Griffin (@DanaGriffinWYFF) April 14, 2020
According to police, Chapman has entered the home of Karr during the late hours of April 11th and had initially stolen various items and then sexually assaulted her. Chapman had then allegedly left the residence after the sexual assault and the robbery.
However, in the early hours of April 12th, Chapman was alleged to have returned with a knife, cutting the victim’s throat.
Chapman was charged with murder, first degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of first degree burglary, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and larceny.
During the bond hearing, where Chapman was denied any bond, a family member of the victim noted the following:
“Our hope, our expectation is justice will be served on behalf of Alice Karr. And when justice is served the focus turns to Alice’s life and not to her death.”
Family wants the focus on how Karr lived, not how she died. @wyffnews4 pic.twitter.com/ajsWbEk6om
— Dana Griffin (@DanaGriffinWYFF) April 14, 2020
The details of the case are still unfolding and investigators are uncertain if there was a familiarity between the victim and the suspect charged in the case.
Whatever the circumstances, there’s something truly cold about the criminal acts described in the case. Simply inhuman and evil. We’ll pray for the family of Margaret Alice Karr, as the manner in which they lost their loved one was simply horrifying.
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