Estranged husband suspected of killing wife and using COVID-19 as cover-up

51-year-old Gretchen Anthony disappeared after texting her friends and family that she had tested positive for COVID-19. Her family soon discovered that none of the medical facilities she had mentioned had records of a patient by her name. Gretchen was reported missing and the police launched an investigation leading to the arrest of her estranged husband, David Ethan Anthony.

On March 26, police went to investigate the couple's home in Jupiter, Florida, USA. They were unable to get a response from the residents of the home. On March 27, they discovered that the key had been left broken inside the keyhole of the family's garage. After breaking into the garage, the police found bleach and blood stains on the floor.

Questioning the neighbours led to claims that on March 21, they had heard a woman screaming in the couple's home. The next day, they saw a black vehicle near the couple's home and noticed the garage being cleaned using chemical cleaners. When the neighbours asked David about Gretchen's whereabouts he stated that she had told him she had gone to the beach. This did not match with the texts her family received about her being hospitalised.

While her husband claimed Gretchen was taking time away, texts from her phone to her family informed them that she had been infected with the novel coronavirus. The first texts informed them that she was admitted to a local clinic after falling ill. Further texts informed them that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had transferred her to another hospital and put her on a ventilator.

Gretchen's vehicle was found in the parking lot of one of the medical facilities mentioned in the texts but none of the medical facilities had any records of a patient by her name and description.

The couple had reportedly filed for divorce in February, the Washington Post revealed. Following the filing, David had been arrested for resisting an officer. David had been spotted acting suspiciously and approaching a group of teenage girls in a neighbouring town. He had also covered parts of his license plate. When police pulled him over and questioned him about the license plate, he became violent. David was arrested but released on bail after four days.

When the police started investigating the couple's home, they used a cadaver dog to check for signs of murder. The cadaver dog indicated the presence of human remains in the home as well as in David's car. Cell phone towers tracked both David and Gretchen's phone moving from Florida to Texas after David tried to run away.

David was eventually arrested on March 31 in New Mexico. The 43-year-old man has been charged with the abduction and murder of his wife. The investigation continues as the police continue to try and locate Gretchen.