US Man Arrested After Wife’s Chopped Body Found In 3 Suitcases

A 78-year-old man in the United States has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife, whose dismembered remains were found in suitcases last month, ABC News reported. The man, identified as William Lowe Jr., was charged on Wednesday with first-degree murder and abuse of a body in the death of his 80-year-old wife Aydil Barbosa Fontes. 

Citing Delray Beach police, the outlet reported that three suitcases were uncovered last month after someone called the cops to report something strange in the Intracoastal Waterway near Palm Trail in Delray Beach. When officers arrived at the scene, they found three suitcases with human remains hanging out of one of them. The cops said that the bags were weighed down with landscaping rocks and had an airport barcode sticker LATAM Airlines with the name “Barbosa”. 

The authorities also discovered a tote bag that had its handles tied shut with twine and was wrapped with a man’s belt. Inside the bag was a woman’s head that had a gunshot wound, NBC News reported. At that time, the victim was described to be a woman between 35 and 55 years old, and Hispanic or white. 

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An investigation then led cops to execute a search warrant on Monday in the home of William Lowe. They reportedly found “blood spatter throughout the residence,” including in the living room, dining room and primary bathroom. A search of Mr Lowe’s storage unit also uncovered a chainsaw that appeared to have blood and other human remains on it, according to ABC News. 

The medical examiner determined the manner of death to be homicide and the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head. It is still not clear what motivated the murder. 

On Wednesday, Mr Lowe was booked into the Palm Beach County jail on first-degree murder and abuse of a body. The next day he appeared in court and was not granted bond, police said.