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, 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.
Capaldi Accused of Strangling, Dismembering Wife
Capaldi 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.
His charges were reduced as part of a negotiation agreement with authorities, who allege he assisted them in recovering a portion of her remains from a wooded area near Philadelphia International Airport last week. Authorities believe that was just one of multiple locations where Stephen discarded his wife’s remains.
Elizabeth Reported Missing on Oct. 12
Elizabeth was reported missing by a family member on Oct. 12, just two days after she was last seen at the home she shared with her husband, Weintraub announced in an Oct. 24 news release.
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.
Authorities say he killed his wife on the morning of Oct. 10 while she was asleep in their bed by strangling her and using a pillow to smother her. 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.
Stephen was in a 6-Month Affair with Another Woman
A motive for the killing was not immediately clear, though Stephen claimed in a grand jury report that a week before his wife’s disappearance, she admitted to having an affair.
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.
Authorities later discovered that Stephen allegedly had a six-month affair with a woman, an accusation supported by messages investigators discovered in his cell phone, according to the report.
Police also found several internet searches such as “how to get away with murder,” “how to vanish and never be found,” and “can a polygraph be skewed,” the report states.
Stephen is being held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail and is expected to plead guilty, Weintraub said.
