Husband Faces Murder Charges After Pretending Wife Was Dying Of Coronavirus

Police authorities in Florida are treating the disappearance of a woman as a possible crime and have charged the husband of killing his wife, according to reports. This was after the family of 51-year-old Gretchen Anthony informed the cops about her disappearance, which was further made more doubtful when they received a suspicious text from her phone.

A Highly-Dubious Message

Police authorities on March 25 received a phone call about the mysterious disappearance of Ms. Anthony. The caller told the cops they have not seen the 51-year-old wife for several days. What made it more suspicious was when they received a highly-dubious message from someone claiming to be Ms. Anthony. The message said she is being held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at a local hospital.

In a report by WPEC-TV, an affiliate of CBS, the text message allegedly sent by Ms. Anthony said she infected with the coronavirus. The message further went on to say that she is now being detained by the CDC at the Jupiter Medical Center. After checking with the hospital, however, the staff there said there is no one there going by that name.

No One Home

Police authorities also went to the house of the couple but found no one home. Later on, cops found Gretchen Anthony's dark blue Mini Cooper in the parking lot of the Jupiter Medical Center. According to hospital staff, Ms. Anthony has not been there since 2008.

WPEC-TV reports say that when police again visited the Anthony home on March 26, a neighbor asked if the authorities are investigating the attack, which happened Saturday the week before. According to the neighbor, she heard a “blood-curdling scream” coming from the Anthony home. The neighbor also told police she heard a woman pleading, “No! No, it hurts.”

A Likely Case Of Homicide

The police also spoke to one of David Anthony’s friends, who told authorities it was unlikely for Gretchen Anthony to just stop sharing her location. He also said that the text he had been receiving from Gretchen’s number sounded more like David Anthony.

According to the arrest report obtained by WPEC-TV, others reported receiving suspicious texts, including similar comments to being treated for COVID-19, and that she had been sedated for treatment. Others said David Anthony had "issues," and they feared he might have done something to her.

Jupiter Police, in a statement posted on Facebook, said, “As the investigation progressed and further evidence collected, it is believed David E. Anthony is responsible for her disappearance and related homicide.” David was finally located on March 31 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, exactly ten days after the disappearance of his wife.