Police arrested William Lowe Jr. on Wednesday for allegedly murdering his wife and discarding her remains into the Intracoastal Waterway in Delray Beach.
Authorities first discovered the dismembered remains of 80-year-old Aydil Barbosa Fontes floating in multiple suitcases along the Intracoastal on July 21, according to Det. Mike Liberta.
Florida man, 78, accused of killing wife, tossing five bags of her dismembered remains into ocean https://t.co/QZoyDsqRLm pic.twitter.com/YUVkiVd9kq
— New York Post (@nypost) August 3, 2023
Following a multi-agency search, police sought public assistance to help identify the victim, according to NBC News. With the help of local witnesses and video surveillance, investigators were able to locate a vehicle tag and pinpoint Barbosa’s residence as a direct match, the outlet noted.
Police also discovered an airline scan code linked to the victim’s name inside one of the suitcases, per NBC.
According to the probable cause affidavit, investigators were immediately confronted with a horrifying scene of blood and gore upon entering the residence. During their search, Lowe was caught trying to break into the apartment in an effort to retrieve his phone and keys for his storage unit, per NBC.
This suspicious behavior prompted police to investigate Lowe’s storage unit, where they made a chilling discovery. Inside the unit, authorities found the chainsaw allegedly used by Lowe on the corpse of his wife of 15 years, NBC reported.
While the motive remains unclear, it is alleged that Lowe delivered a fatal gunshot wound to his wife’s head before dismembering her body and disposing of her remains in the Intracoastal, Det. Liberta reported. (RELATED: Woman Found Guilty Of Murdering, Dismembering Boyfriend After Testimony Describing Abuse Of Corpse)
“I think it’s kind of shocking to hear this happen in your community- just such a gruesome act,” one local Delray Beach resident told NBC reporters.
When questioned by detectives on July 31, Lowe maintained his innocence, asserting that he had no recollection or knowledge of any details pertaining to the case, per NBC.
The 78-year-old Florida man is currently being held without bond on charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a body, per NBC.