Photo: Buck’s County DA (2)
The husband of a Pennsylvania mom who has been missing for nearly two months has been charged with her murder, authorities announced.
Stephen Capaldi, 57, of Sellersville, is accused of strangling his wife, 55-year-old Elizabeth “Beth” Capaldi, dismembering her body in their home and disposing of her remains across the Greater Philadelphia area, Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub said during a Dec. 15 press conference.
Capaldi has been charged with third-degree murder, possession of an instrument of crime, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice and abuse of a corpse, Weintraub said.
Buck’s County DA
The woman’s cell phone, keys and car were found in the residence, while her purse, wallet and $13,000 in cash were gone, according to the D.A.
At that time, Stephen was taken into custody for questioning before a grand jury, but had not yet been charged in the death of his wife of 30 years, court papers show.
Stephen then moved his wife’s body from the master bedroom to a back bedroom and then down to the basement, where he dismembered her and disposed of her remains on Oct. 12, the D.A. alleged.
The couple’s daughter, Emma Capaldi, confirmed her mother’s death in an emotional Facebook post.
“My beautiful mother is gone from this world,” she wrote, alongside a collage of photos and a video. “She made me who I am. She touched so many people. The video at the end makes me smile every time I watch it.”
AGoFundMepage has also been set up to help Emma with any additional expenses that have emerged as a result of her sudden loss.
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A motive for the killing was not immediately clear, though Stephen claimed in agrand jury reportthat a week before his wife’s disappearance, she admitted to having an affair and that he “was interested” in the disclosure but did not question her.
The report goes on to say that the grand jury did not believe that Elizabeth was having an affair, and she didn’t tell her husband that before her death, adding that no evidence relating to a purported affair was ever found during a search of her devices.
Stephen is being held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail and is expected to plead guilty, Weintraub said.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
