Police on Wednesday arrested William Rowe Jr. on suspicion of murdering his wife and dumping her body in the Intracoastal Waterway at Delray Beach.
Investigators said the dismembered body of 80-year-old Aidil Barbosa Fontes was first found by authorities on July 21 in several suitcases along the coast. Mike Libertad.
78-year-old Florida man accused of murdering wife and throwing five bags of dismembered bodies into ocean https://t.co/QZoyDsqRLm pic.twitter.com/YUVkiVd9kq
— New York Post (@nypost) August 3, 2023
After a multi-agency search, police said they sought public assistance to identify the victim. NBC News. With the help of local witnesses and video surveillance, investigators were able to identify tags on the vehicle and pinpoint Barbosa’s residence as a direct match, the paper noted.
Police also found an airline scan code tied to the victim’s name in one of the suitcases, according to NBC.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, investigators encountered a gruesome scene of blood and gore as soon as they entered the mansion. NBC reports that during the search, Lowe was caught trying to break into the apartment to retrieve a cell phone and a locker key.
This suspicious activity prompted police to search Lowe’s vault and make a chilling discovery there. Authorities found a chainsaw in the unit that Lowe allegedly used on the body of his wife of 15 years, NBC reports.
For reasons that remain unclear, Lowe is said to have fatally wounded his wife in the head before dismembering her body and disposing of it on the coast of Det province. Liberta reported. (Related: Woman who testified to body abuse, dismembered boyfriend, convicted of murder)
“It’s kind of shocking to hear that this happened in our area,” one Delray Beach resident told NBC. “It’s just gruesome.”
When questioned by detectives on July 31, Lowe pleaded not guilty, claiming he had no memory or knowledge of any details about the incident, according to NBC.
A 78-year-old Florida man is currently being held without bail on charges of first-degree murder and corpse abuse, according to NBC.
