Police in Jupiter, Florida say a string of strange coronavirus texts helped lead them to a man they believe is responsible for his wife’s disappearance and death.
According to reports from NBC News and the Palm Beach Post, friends and family of Gretchen, 51, received texts from her phone on March 23 claiming she had COVID 19 and was being held by the CDC. A message the next day reportedly described her case as acute and said she was being moved from Jupiter Medical Center to a CDC approved task force in Belle Glade. The Palm Beach Post reported that the task force does not exist and that Gretchen was never admitted to the hospital, though her Mini Cooper was found in the hospital parking lot.
Gretchen was reported missing on March 26. She was last seen on March 20, and her disappearance came weeks after she filed for divorce from her husband, David, 43.
According to People, police who searched the home found towels in the washing machine with a reddish substance that appeared to be blood. The Palm Beach Post reported that a fresh bleach stain was also found on the garage floor. A neighbor also told officers about a loud scream heard around 6 a.m. on March 21.
In a news release, police said that as the investigation progressed and more evidence was collected, they believe David is responsible for Gretchen’s disappearance and a related homicide they say happened on March 21.
David was located and detained about 1,900 miles away in Las Cruces, New Mexico. NBC News reported that he was being held without bail and that his phone, and another phone linked to him, pinged cell towers in Texas. NBC News also reported that no defense attorney had yet been recorded for him, and no statement from David has been reported.
An arrest is not a conviction, and the case is still developing.
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