48 Hours - The COVID Cover-Up: Searching for Gretchen Anthony

Episode Date: May 9, 2021

A mother disappears. Texts reveal she has coronavirus – was someone using COVID to cover up a killing? "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant reports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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ConstantContact.ca It's never dull in Palm Beach County. We have some of the most famous people in the country or the world living here in our backyard. This is my county. This is my county. This is my town. And catching criminals, I enjoy it. This case began back in March of 2020. The coronavirus pandemic shuts down schools, sporting events, and businesses. At the time, everyone was preoccupied with the coronavirus.

Lockdowns had started. Gretchen Anthony was a resident of a well-to-do community in Jupiter, Florida, right here in Palm Beach County. I met David and Gretchen Anthony several years ago at a local gym here. The first thing that you noticed about her, just big blue eyes and a giant smile, blonde hair, tan, athletic. David's a very attractive man. Very charming. He had a big smile as well. There was magic there, and the energy between them was amazing. Local officials issued an order not to leave your home unless absolutely necessary.

to leave your home unless absolutely necessary. Gretchen Anthony starts to send text messages to friends and family members stating that she has been diagnosed with the coronavirus. And she describes it as being an acute case. A serious case. Yes. They're very concerned. They've only talked to her via text.

No one ever spoke with Gretchen on the phone. And she never answered her phone. It would go to voicemail. Yes. So efforts were made to speak with her spouse. So there's a dual track here. Where is Gretchen Anthony and where is her husband, David Anthony? Yes.

Neither one can be found. Police did a welfare check of Gretchen Anthony. And what they learned was disturbing. So this is where the investigation began. Investigators were approached by a neighbor. She heard a blood-curdling scream. Something horribly nefarious had happened. This case really hit differently. I mean, we are talking about Someone who is a mother A daughter

A sister A friend All I wanted to do was to be able to find her And I wanted to find her alive And so the chase was on. A.I.M. Back in March 2020, friends and family of Gretchen Anthony were alarmed when they began receiving texts from her saying she had tested positive for coronavirus. You know, the news is saying it's serious. The town of Palm Beach announced a state of emergency. And then all of a sudden numbers are being reported and people are dying.

The number of confirmed cases continues to grow with 299. It was hard for Gretchen Anthony's friends, like Kelly Hanna, to picture her dying of anything, much less this frightening virus. At 51 years old, Gretchen was a picture of fitness. She worked out at the gym very hard. She took her health very seriously. Gretchen is someone who is tremendously heart-centered. She's just radiant and just a very caring, beautiful spirit. But above all else, she was a devoted mother to her 12-year-old daughter. Gretchen was raising her child in this house in Jupiter, Florida, while sharing custody with an ex-husband. Gretchen's daughter was her world. She was

everything to her. Cresce Mixon, an assistant state's attorney for Palm Beach County, got involved in Gretchen's case early on. There was nothing that Gretchen wouldn't do for her daughter. She hated being away from her. After her divorce, friends say Gretchen fell in love with David Anthony. The two met at a local gym where he was a trainer. You're D.D. Anthony here. Don't forget the 90-minute workout coming this Sunday. Was he kind of a rock star at the gym?

Oh, he was the young, hot trainer for sure. He has a huge presence. David was a popular trainer at a gym owned by Tabitha Hopkins. She says he brought in lots of new members. He was intelligent, well-spoken. He was charming. She didn't have to tell anybody that there was an attraction there. There was absolute sparks. There was magic there. No question about it. That attraction soon led to the couple getting married at an Elvis chapel in Las Vegas in 2015. They seemed like the happiest couple ever. Did you feel like she'd found the man of her dreams? Absolutely. David, in all appearances, was a phenomenal step-parent.

She called him bonus dad. But friends say the couple's dream life came apart in late 2019 when they separated and David moved out of their home. It kind of sounded like they both lost themselves a little bit. And they were searching more for their own self-identity. lost themselves a little bit. And they were searching more for their own self-identity. Now, Gretchen's inner circle was dealing with a potential life or death situation. And then all of a sudden, there's bizarre cell phone messages. Over several days, starting on March 23rd, friends and family received a series of texts from Gretchen, who said she was at home in quarantine. She sent this one to her daughter, who was staying with her ex-husband.

Good morning. Tested positive for coronavirus early this morning. That means I have to stay here for at least two weeks. Her daughter replied, okay, I really hope you get better. Cresce Mixon says there were multiple texts from Gretchen's phone over the next three days describing her deteriorating condition. I consulted with the virus screening hotline and admitted myself into the Jupiter Medical Center's emergency room. So this is serious stuff. What does the family do with these texts? The family finds the text messages that they're getting from Gretchen to be worrisome, alarming. What disturbed everyone receiving these texts

is that no one, not even Gretchen's daughter, had received a phone call from her. That just, there's so many things that are so wrong. Including these texts claiming that she'd been transferred to an off-site medical facility being run directly by the CDC in Belle Glade, more than an hour away in central Florida. But there's a problem. There is no CDC facility in Belle Glade, Florida. So this text message, allegedly from Gretchen's own phone, apparently was not sent by Gretchen. It definitely was not sent by Gretchen.

Dave Ehrenberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County, agrees. Clearly, whoever had sent those text messages were trying to take advantage of this pandemic, of the fear out there, trying to exploit the situation. So things were not adding up and things were not adding up very quickly. The family, along with friends, made the decision to reach out to law enforcement to do a welfare check on Gretchen Anthony. I need to get help from my friend that's missing. I don't know how to put in her words, but I know she's in very clear danger right now. Jupiter Police Detective Jared Kennerson caught the case on the night shift. We reached out to the Jupiter Medical Center, and they did not have a record of Gretchen Anthony being a patient at their facility

during that time period. So all of a sudden, this is getting serious. Yeah, that's a huge concern of mine. Desperate for clues, police checked out the Jupiter Medical Center's parking lot. They hit pay dirt. Gretchen Anthony's Mini Cooper was recovered in the parking lot of Jupiter Medical Center. Detective Kennerson says what they found inside Gretchen's car was worrisome. Her purse sitting in plain sight.

I think a woman normally carries their purse with them. If Gretchen Anthony is not in a facility, in a hospital anywhere, being treated for COVID, if she doesn't have COVID, then where is Gretchen? That was a million-dollar question. No one knew where Gretchen was. was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military, and when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music.

Five days had passed since anyone had seen Gretchen Anthony. Jupiter Police investigators were determined to find her, so they canvassed her neighborhood wearing body cameras looking for clues. They were stunned when a resident approached them to say that early on the morning of Saturday, March 21st, she heard something terrifying. I heard a really serious woman scream, like just screaming like she was being attacked. And then I heard her scream, no. And then I heard something about it hurts, stop it.

The scream was really serious. Did this woman call 911? She did not. Some people are apprehensive about calling the police. When you heard that story, what are you thinking? I'm thinking that something definitely happened at Gretchen Anthony's home Saturday morning. Officers became even more concerned when another neighbor told them he later noticed a soapy substance flowing from underneath Gretchen's garage door. Somebody was in there cleaning.

That's what I take from that. We discovered that her entrance door that leads from her patio into her garage, that door was locked and it had the key broken off in the deadbolt. Could Gretchen be inside? Investigators wasted no time finding out. They forced entry into the garage and there was no Gretchen inside. However, they noticed that there was a strong, pungent smell of a cleaning agent in the garage. With body cameras rolling, investigators searched the home several times. They found evidence suggesting a violent struggle, a broken picture frame, shards of glass on Gretchen's bed, and a stained towel.

There was a piece of cloth that had what is referred to as BLS, a blood-like substance on it. They got a huge break when they discovered neighbors had taken photos of a black Nissan pickup truck parked near Gretchen's home after the terrifying screams. And who owns a black Nissan pickup truck? David Anthony. David Anthony, Gretchen's estranged husband. His vehicle was there that morning. Investigators learned from friends and family that Gretchen had filed for divorce in February of 2020 and David had moved in with his mother. That's when David's former boss, Tabitha Hopkins, says he became increasingly unstable. He regressed behavior-wise, He regressed behavior-wise, slowly became more hard to manage.

Gretchen's family told investigators she worried about her safety after the separation and had security cameras installed throughout her home and garage. Who was she afraid of? I was told that she had the cameras installed because David had returned to her home after he left. After they'd separated? That's correct. Kenerson discovered those cameras had been removed from the walls, possibly to destroy incriminating evidence. But he learned that while the cameras were gone,

the images they once recorded could be recovered from the cloud. And we sent a search warrant to her camera provider. It is believed that this could potentially be the best piece of evidence at this point that could give us some direction as to where is Gretchen Anthony. While they waited for that crucial evidence, investigators scrambled to find out just what David Anthony knew about Gretchen's disappearance. They went to look for him at his mother's home, again with body cameras rolling. Jupiter Police. Hello. Hi, Jupiter Police. Sorry to bother you. David's mom said she, too, had received a concerning text from Gretchen. Gretchen's been in touch with me because she's in the CDC center.

She has the virus. Okay, what CDC center is she at? I don't know. She texted me this morning and said she was in there. I have the text. Would you like to see it? I would love to. Thank you.

All right, no problem. Okay. When officers asked her where her son was, they became alarmed. He had said he was going to Costa Rica. David's mother told them that he packed up his truck and on Tuesday, March 24th, three days after Gretchen disappeared, he grabbed his dog Kobe and hit the road. Once they know that he is attempting to flee the country, he definitely becomes a suspect. They are very suspicious of him.

Adding to their suspicion, what they discovered on the video retrieved from the Jupiter Medical Center parking lot, where Gretchen's car was found. There was security footage that showed Gretchen Anthony's Mini Cooper pulling into a parking space, and there is a tall figure walking away from her vehicle. David Anthony is about 6'7", 6'8". And does that look like somebody who could be 6'7", 6'8"? Absolutely. Investigators were convinced David Anthony was somehow involved in Gretchen's disappearance. Now, tracking Gretchen's cell phone could be the key to finding David. They find that Gretchen's phone is hanging off a tower in the area of Pensacola, Florida.

That's like 600 miles away. Yes. Her phone is on the move. There's a lot of moving parts here, right? So we're trying to still answer the question, where is Gretchen Anthony? Where is David Anthony? And so the cell phone records become a very critical part in locating David Anthony. Investigators say phone records helped track David across Florida as he left a paper and video trail. Cameras recorded him stopping at jewelry stores to sell Gretchen's jewelry.

One store owner shared a memorable conversation. That he came in wanting to sell some jewelry that had been left to him by a family member that had died from COVID-19. COVID? Yes. COVID strikes again in this case. COVID strikes again. And in all these videos that we were able to obtain from these different businesses,

nowhere was Gretchen seen. While David Anthony was leaving a tantalizing trail of electronic breadcrumbs, he had one huge advantage. Remember, they had learned from his mother that he was on his way to Costa Rica and could be long gone. We are now operating days behind David Anthony, understanding that his intentions at this point are to leave the country. So it's now, from his perspective,

catch me if you can. Yes. Now we're on the hunt for David Anthony. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge? Or why nearly every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly? Introducing The Best Idea Yet, a brand new podcast from Wondery and T-Boy about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk-takers who brought them to life.

Like, did you know that Super Mario, the best-selling video game character of all time, only exists because Nintendo couldn't get the rights to Popeye? Or Jack, that the idea for the McDonald's Happy Meal first came from a mom in Guatemala? From Pez dispensers to Levi's 501s to Air Jordans, discover the surprising stories of the most viral products. Plus, we guarantee that after listening, you're going to dominate your next dinner party. So follow The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Best Idea Yet early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. It's just the best idea yet. To her friend Kelly Hanna, Gretchen Anthony was someone who connected instantly

with everyone she met. Oh, she was so radiant and just had this gentle gracefulness about her, had the most beautiful laugh. Someone who should somehow be protected from harm. In a perfect world, you would hope and pray those people have angels around them to keep them safe. But now, Gretchen had been missing for six days. What is going on and why is my beautiful friend missing? Assistant Prosecutor Chris Shea Mixon knew the key to finding Gretchen was finding her estranged husband, David Anthony. She had been told

David was on the run to Costa Rica and had a head start. We're trying to make up time. We're trying to move quickly and play catch up. Investigators tracked Gretchen's and David's cell phone signals, which appeared to place both phones traveling together, heading westward across Texas. Now, does that suggest the two of them may be on a trip together, that she could possibly still be alive? It suggests that their phones are pinging together to me. Detective Jared Kennerson didn't know what happened to Gretchen, but feared the worst. As he waited for evidence taken from Gretchen's home to come back from the lab,

he issued a bolo, an alert to be on the lookout for David's black Nissan truck. His vehicle was listed as a felony vehicle. Investigators dug into David's past, and what they learned was stunning. So David Anthony originally was known as David Anthony Deutsch and then later changed his name to David Anthony. Nobody knew that. He's local here to the Palm Beach area. He went to the same high school my children went to. It's weird that nobody realized that there was a difference. Nobody realized, for instance, that as David Anthony Deutsch, a star college basketball player, he held up a Blockbuster video store armed with a squirt gun and assaulted a police officer.

He reached a plea deal in each case and spent a short stint in jail. David Anthony has had a history of criminal conduct. It's not that uncommon for someone with a criminal past to try to escape that past. Tabitha Hopkins, David's former boss at the gym in Jupiter, had noticed something odd about David. He's very talented and his skill level was amazing, but his moods could be high or low. Do you feel as though he does have this Jekyll and Hyde personality? 100%. Tabitha says he became so difficult to manage, she was forced to fire him in 2017.

She gave him a second chance a few years later, but by early 2020, he was increasingly unstable. I basically said, what's going on? What's wrong with you? You are not the same person that I knew. Tabitha says she was forced to fire him again, and this time she caught a glimpse of David's frightening rage. That look, I'd never seen before. He was angry. That look, I'd never seen before. He was angry. Shaken, Tabitha texted Gretchen, at the time separated from David, with a warning. Stay away from him.

She had said that he is crazy, and that's the last time I talked to Gretchen. That was February of 2020. Good day. David. Then, a few weeks later, just seven days before Gretchen disappeared, this happened. Can I get up? No, get down! I'm standing up. Get down!

Police received a report that David was allegedly following teenage girls at a nearby shopping center. Once again, police body cameras were rolling when they approached him. Get out! Now! Get out! With Kobe sitting quietly in the truck, he's got a dog in the car. David lashed out and was charged with resisting arrest. You're resisting me! Sir! Blood on your face! I don't like an airplane! David spent just a few days in jail.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. Investigators learned he posted bail and was released just three days before Gretchen disappeared. We're going to stand up. All right?

Now, as they tracked him cross-country, they knew they had a volatile man on the loose, and he was being cagey. He would turn on cell phones, and we would be able to get a location, and then he would turn cell phones off. phones off. David's phone pinged here in Pecos, Texas, more than 1,600 miles away from Jupiter. The next day, David's phone pinged here in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Kenerson immediately reached out to Las Cruces police for help. Still tracking his phone and armed with a description of the truck, Las Cruces police located David and pulled him over. When officers asked David about Gretchen, he told them she had COVID. Last I heard, she was in a CDC facility getting treatment for coronavirus. Las Cruces police seized David's truck and his possessions, including his phone and Gretchen's phone.

But they didn't have enough evidence to bring David in for questioning. So, along with Kobe, he was allowed to just walk away. Where does he go? I don't know where he went, but I knew that he was in Las Cruces on foot. And you're here in Florida. What do you do? We are awaiting the results of Gretchen Anthony's video cameras. Jupiter Police finally received electronic recordings from Gretchen's home. They released portions of that evidence, like this video from security cameras,

revealing a tall figure hidden in the shadows on the patio, waiting to ambush her. The figure moves throughout the patio area. Other footage was too disturbing to release to 48 Hours, including the moment Gretchen appears on the patio and the figure forces her into the garage. Investigators also retrieved recordings from Gretchen's Alexa device, where she can be heard calling out for help. She was screaming for Alexa to call 911.

She's calling out to that electronic box, call 911, in other words, call the police. Gretchen didn't know it, but unless you specifically program your Alexa device to do so, it does not call the police in an emergency. Do you think if the Alexa unit had called 911 that Gretchen Anthony might be alive today? It's possible. And he might be alive today. It's possible. Video retrieved from cameras in the garage show the last images of Gretchen alive.

There comes a point where this person that we see grab Gretchen, muffle her screams, and take her into the garage. This person looks up at the camera, realizes that it's a camera, and proceeds to take that camera and snatch it down off the wall and throws it on the floor. And what do you see? We see David Anthony looking up into the camera. We knew that David Anthony killed Gretchen Anthony. He was the killer. knew that David Anthony killed Gretchen Anthony. He was the killer. Investigators finally had the proof they needed to make an arrest. Detective Kennerson raced to Las Cruces to look for David Anthony. We searched homeless areas. We searched hotels.

Were you nervous he's going to get away? I was very nervous. I didn't know where he could have gone. That evening, officers got a lucky break when they spotted David walking his dog, Kobe. David was detained and Kobe was taken to a shelter. Hey, David. Who are you? My name is Jared Kenerson. I'm a detective with the Jupiter Police Department. With all six feet, seven inches of David Anthony crammed into the backseat of a small police car, Detective Kenerson knelt down and looked directly in the eyes at the man he was certain had killed Gretchen. There's a warrant for your arrest, and I'm going to explain that when we get back to the...

Excuse me? What? Homicide. For who? Who do you think? That's why I said what's up we'll talk about at the headquarters okay okay all right kenterson had his man but still had one looming question we still don't have a body where is gretchen Anthony? See what evidence investigators pulled from the cloud at 48hours.com.

Hotshot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty. Her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals. However, while Nicola held the city's most infamous gangland criminals. However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld, and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark, host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X. In my long career in criminal justice as a prosecutor and defense attorney,

I've seen some crazy cases, and this one belongs right at the top of the list. She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informants's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. Good morning, Hank. Good morning, Hank. After a manhunt crossing six states, spanning nearly 2,000 miles, David Anthony was finally in custody for the murder of his estranged wife, Gretchen. Hi David, my name is Kelly. Jupiter detectives Kelly Sanders and Jarrett Kenerson

would interrogate him here at the state police headquarters in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They had one goal, get David to reveal the location of Gretchen's body. We were in search of the truth. We were in search of where is Gretchen Anthony. I wanted to be able to tell her family, tell her daughter. I know where she is, and that was very important to us.

Right away, David made it clear it wouldn't be easy. We have obtained a warrant for your arrest for murder. Okay. She's a liar. Kenerson was stunned when David claimed Gretchen wasn't dead. I was in disbelief. I knew that she wasn't with us anymore. But he's defiant with you.

That's correct. Defiant and dishonest. Police say the story David told was pure fiction. She was traveling with me up into El Paso. We were driving separate vehicles, so she bolted. He said Gretchen was on the run because she discovered illegal activities at the company where she worked, and someone was after her. Are you buying any of this?

I'm not buying it now. When asked about the text messages sent from Gretchen's phone claiming she had COVID, David was evasive. There was no record of her being at any hospital for COVID-19. Zero record. Doesn't mean anything. When the detectives pushed harder, insisting David sent the messages, he pushed right back. You have her phone. You sent the text messages. You planted her car at Jupiter Medical Center because you're on video doing it. She had me do it. She had me do it. Kenerson and Sanders even confronted David with the evidence captured on Gretchen's own video system. You put your hand over her mouth and dragged her into the garage. It's on video, David. David's story never changed. He repeatedly told the detectives Gretchen was

alive. Gretchen's still alive. In fact, during the course of the interrogation, David Anthony made that claim. She's still alive. Gretchen's alive, I told you that. She's still alive. She's still alive. 35 times. In fact, he says that over and over and over that she's alive. Why is he saying that? He's trying to deflect. David's trying to deflect away from himself. With each denial, the detective's anger rose. It's very frustrating because we know she's not alive. We have evidence of her not being alive. So Kennerson switched tactics and tried to appeal to David's bond with Gretchen's young daughter. You see that little girl right there? I want you to look at her. I love her dearly. Look at her. I know you do. Look at her real good. And for a brief moment, it seemed like it might work.

I was the one who taught her how to ride a bicycle. And that's awesome. Yep. And that's awesome. Then do what's right for her. I've never hurt her. I've never hurt either one of them. Well, you're hurting her indirectly by not letting us know where her mom is. You have to ask her. We can't ask her. She's dead. She's dead. Her mother is still alive. No, she is not alive.

And then David tried a new tactic. He dared them to prove their case. You don't have video of me killing her. How do you know what we have? Show it to me. Show me the video. Show me the video. Her dead body? Show me the video. Her dead body is right there. Show me the video.

I know that it exists. Okay, then show it to me. I'm going to scream all you want. The detectives decided it was time to take a break. They left and sent officers to adjust David's handcuffs. David, do you want water? Kenerson came back alone, this time quiet and friendly.

He made one last emotional plea by playing an audio recording of Gretchen's daughter begging David to tell them where they could find her mother. Even that didn't work. I've been raising a girl since she was two years old. David claimed falsely Even that didn't work.

David claimed falsely that it wasn't Gretchen's daughter's voice. Infuriated, Kenerson decided to let him have it. Do your homework, Jared. You are a monster for what you did. And everybody is going to look at you like that. After more than two hours, David abruptly ended the interview. I'll ask for a lawyer. No problem. I'm not asking any more questions. I'm still wondering where Gretchen is. I wasn't able to leave that interview knowing where she was. And that didn't necessarily sit well with me.

knowing where she was, and that didn't necessarily sit well with me. David Anthony was charged with second-degree murder and extradited to Florida. Days later, his dog Kobe was adopted by new owners. In Jupiter, David's arrest made the news. According to a just-released arrest report, a neighbor heard a woman's blood-curdling scream at about 6 in the morning, March 21st. When Kelly Hanna saw the story, she says it broke her heart. I just sat down on my bedroom floor and just cried my eyes out.

Cried my eyes out for her daughter, for her sisters, for her parents, for everyone that loved her. David's former boss, Tabitha Hopkins, felt she'd lost two friends. It was just shocking. I wanted to believe it wasn't true, but it was, obviously. Prosecutor Dave Ehrenberg had evidence and a suspect in custody, but he knew getting a conviction wouldn't be easy. The most troubling thing for the family and for all of us, quite frankly, was that we did not have Gretchen's body.

And when you don't have a body, those are challenging cases to prosecute. And David Anthony was held in custody in Palm Beach County, Florida, a grand jury indicted him on the charge of kidnapping and raised the murder charge from second degree to first. Could he have faced the death penalty with these charges? Potentially, yes, for first degree murder. One chapter point. But the search for Gretchen Anthony's remains continued. That was the thing he had in his favor if this ever went to trial.

It was almost as though it was his ticket. It was the worst part of it for me. The fact that he was able to use evidence of his crime as leverage. That fact also weighed heavily on Gretchen's family. The thought of Gretchen being out there alone forever was very unsettling for them. I think the family wanted life in prison, but they wanted Gretchen. December 2020.

With the winter holidays looming, it was becoming tragically apparent that authorities may never find Gretchen without her alleged killer's help. And so we entered into negotiations with David Anthony's defense lawyer, and were able to work out a settlement of 38 years in prison. That settlement required David Anthony to plead guilty to second-degree murder and reveal the location of Gretchen's remains. David Anthony appeared in court today pleading guilty... David Anthony pleads guilty. Nine months to the day after Gretchen Anthony went missing,

David Anthony finally admits what everyone already knew. He murdered his wife. We were able to find Gretchen that day. It was a relief because I know that is what her family wanted. And to be able to give that to them, it meant a lot. David Anthony chose this nondescript patch of grass just a few miles from Gretchen's house, behind a Walmart and next to a retirement home to hide his wife's remains. Detective Jared Kennerson took us there.

How does someone bury a body here and not get caught? I don't know. I don't know. This discovery, that must have been quite a moment for you. It was very emotional for me. It was very emotional for all of us that were involved. After months of uncertainty, Gretchen's family could finally lay her to rest. And I could see as hard of a time as this has been or had been for the family, I could see that there was some sort of peace.

An autopsy was performed which explained why that neighbor heard screams the morning Gretchen disappeared. What was the cause of death? Cause of death was stab wounds to the neck and to the torso. There were some defensive wounds. She fought for her life. Have a nice day. You used what you did to negotiate something for yourself. You are pure evil. Gretchen's sister, Sarah Carey, and the rest of their family came face to face with David Anthony at his sentencing hearing.

You stole a mother away from her child, a daughter away from her mother. You are a monster. You are a coward. You can never be forgiven. You are a coward. You can never be forgiven. Then it came time for the man who created all this pain to speak. And he gave a bizarre explanation for his actions. My illusion saw the COVID pandemic as an end of the world prophecy.

An arm again that I felt compelled to escape no matter the cost. Instead of being a man, I chose to be a coward. I tried to steal what wasn't mine, and in the process, I ended the life. Her life had value. Her life had meaning. And I stole that life. I'll call BS on that. Hard. Hogwash. BS on that. Hard. Hogwash. That's appalling. Absolutely appalling. And he left so many questions unanswered. We will never know. We will never know. We will never know why he ended Gretchen's life. I think that's the hardest question to ask is why. And sometimes you just need to believe that there are higher powers in place

that have a bigger plan. And now Gretchen's friends and family are left trying to make sense of it all. How is Gretchen's friends and family are left trying to make sense of it all. How is Gretchen's daughter doing? You know, children are resilient. She is blessed to have her father in her life, and she appears to be doing well. If one person was touched by how much she loved people, by how much she loved her child, by how much she just loved living life to the fullest, then her life mattered.

David Anthony is scheduled for release from prison in 2058. He will be 81 years old. prison in 2058. He will be 81 years old. A son accused of having his parents killed. The motive? Money for a house and cosmetic surgery. I got a text, you're getting a boob drop for Christmas, lol. So why doesn't his sister believe it? I think there's a lot more to this story. 48 hours, Saturday at 10, 9 central on CBS. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. The scary cult classic was set in the Chicago housing project. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror. Candyman. Candyman?

Now, we all know chanting a name won't make a killer magically appear, but did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. We're going to talk to the people who were there, and we're also going to uncover the larger story. My architect was shocked when he saw how this was created. Literally shocked.

And we'll look at what the story tells us about injustice in America. If you really believed in tough on crime, then you wouldn't make it easy to crawl into medicine cabinets and kill our women. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, wherever you get your podcasts.

In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach the age of 10 that would still have heard it. It just happens to all of us. I'm journalist Luke Jones, and for almost two years,

I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with. In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely, Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery+.

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