The COVID Cover-Up: Searching for Gretchen Anthony | Full Episode
48 Hours・26 minutes read
Gretchen Anthony's disappearance during the lockdown led to a nationwide search, with her estranged husband David Anthony eventually being charged and pleading guilty to her murder, providing closure for her family. David Anthony's criminal history and erratic behavior, including violent actions towards Gretchen, culminated in a bizarre explanation for his actions at sentencing, leaving Gretchen's family grappling with the question of why he took her life.
Insights
- Gretchen Anthony's disappearance during the COVID-19 lockdown led to a harrowing investigation revealing evidence of a violent struggle in her home, ultimately implicating her estranged husband, David Anthony, as the suspect responsible for her murder.
- David Anthony's erratic behavior, criminal history, and disturbing actions, including stalking teenage girls and selling Gretchen's jewelry as he fled across states, culminated in his arrest, confession, and subsequent sentencing to 38 years in prison for the second-degree murder of Gretchen Anthony, providing closure to her grieving family.
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Recent questions
What happened to Gretchen Anthony?
She was murdered by her estranged husband.
Who was David Anthony?
Gretchen Anthony's estranged husband and murderer.
What evidence led to David Anthony's arrest?
Security camera footage and Alexa recordings.
How did Gretchen Anthony's family react?
They confronted David Anthony at his sentencing.
What was David Anthony's sentence?
38 years in prison.
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Summary
00:00
Mystery of Gretchen Anthony's Disappearance Unsolved
- Palm Beach County is home to many famous individuals.
- Gretchen Anthony's disappearance coincided with the start of the coronavirus lockdowns in March 2020.
- Gretchen Anthony's friends and family received alarming texts from her claiming she had contracted the coronavirus.
- Concerns arose as Gretchen's texts described a deteriorating condition, but no one had spoken to her on the phone.
- Gretchen's car was found at a medical center, but she was not a patient there.
- Investigators discovered evidence of a violent struggle in Gretchen's home, including a stained towel with a blood-like substance.
- David Anthony, Gretchen's estranged husband, became a suspect in her disappearance.
- David Anthony was tracked across Florida, selling Gretchen's jewelry and heading towards Costa Rica.
- David Anthony's criminal history, including assaulting a police officer, was uncovered during the investigation.
- The search for Gretchen Anthony continued, with investigators tracking her and David's cell phone signals heading westward across Texas.
21:37
David Anthony: The Killer's Confession and Capture
- Tabitha Hopkins, David's former boss, noticed his Jekyll and Hyde personality, leading to his firing in 2017 and again in early 2020 due to increasing instability.
- Police received reports of David allegedly following teenage girls at a shopping center, leading to his arrest for resisting arrest and subsequent release just before Gretchen disappeared.
- David's phone pinged in Pecos, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico, as police tracked him cross country, eventually locating and pulling him over in Las Cruces.
- Security camera footage revealed a figure ambushing Gretchen in her home, with Alexa recordings capturing her calling for help before being taken into the garage.
- Investigators determined David Anthony as Gretchen's killer after retrieving evidence from cameras and Alexa recordings, leading to his arrest in Las Cruces.
- David Anthony was interrogated by detectives in Las Cruces, denying Gretchen's death and claiming she was alive, despite evidence proving otherwise.
- David Anthony was charged with second-degree murder, later indicted for kidnapping and upgraded to first-degree murder, eventually pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
- David Anthony revealed the location of Gretchen's remains, leading to a settlement of 38 years in prison, providing closure for Gretchen's family.
- Gretchen's cause of death was determined as stab wounds to the neck and torso, with David Anthony facing sentencing where he gave a bizarre explanation for his actions.
- Gretchen's family confronted David at his sentencing, expressing their pain and anger, while grappling with the unanswered question of why he ended Gretchen's life.
