Gretchen Anthony Wiki, Biography
During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the family and friends of Gretchen Anthony, a mother from Jupiter, Florida, received a series of suspicious messages claiming that she had contracted the virus. It was immediately after this that she disappeared.
However, text messages indicated foul play and a search of her home confirmed her disappearance when she was nowhere to be found. In addition, officials found signs of a struggle at her home and other evidence suggested it was a crime scene someone had tried to clean up.
Gretchen’s estranged husband, David Anthony, was soon declared the prime suspect in the case. All suspicions were soon confirmed when surveillance footage came to light and the victim’s missing phone was found in her truck loaded to the brim. He eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and led investigators to the remains of his wife who died later in the year.
ID’s Calls From the Inside will take an in-depth look at the disappearance of Gretchen Anthony and the subsequent murder case. The all-new episode, titled The Covid Killer, is scheduled to air on Tuesday, January 17 at 9 p.m. ET.
The synopsis says:
“In March 2020, Gretchen Anthony disappears after texting loved ones to let them know she’s been diagnosed with COVID-19; when a search at her home suggests foul play, investigators rely on jail-recorded phone calls to unravel the mystery of what happened.
Pieces of glass were found in Gretchen Anthony’s bed
Gretchen Anthony, a much-loved Florida mother, left suspicious text messages to her friends and family in the early months of the pandemic, claiming she had an “acute” COVID-19 infection. Family and friends who thought Gretchen was not the one sending those text messages contacted police for help when they were unable to reach her.
Police went to Gretchen’s residence and found the house empty as no one answered the door and found what may have been a crime scene. The home reportedly appeared to have recently been hastily cleaned, with a soapy substance found in the driveway.
Inside the home, authorities discovered a stained towel on top of the washing machine. Later tests revealed that there was a blood-like substance in the stain. Additionally, they discovered shards of glass in Gretchen’s bed and a smashed picture frame.
Witnesses claimed to have received the same text message from Gretchen, stating that she had been taken to Jupiter Medical Center. However, the hospital denied having a record of such a patient. Also, her car was found in the hospital parking lot.
One of her next-door neighbors reported that she heard screaming from inside her home on March 21. Some concerned neighbors even shared photos of a black Nissan pickup that was parked near her home that night. Further investigation revealed that the van belonged to Gretchen’s estranged husband, David Anthony. The couple was reportedly on the brink of divorce.
Gretchen Anthony’s estranged husband pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in December 2020
Surveillance footage acquired in the hospital parking lot showed David Anthony parking the victim’s vehicle there. Footage from Gretchen Anthony’s home also captured the suspect acting suspiciously.
Authorities traced the phones of David and Gretchen, locating them both in Pensacola, from where they were later traced to Texas. At the time, police were certain that the victim’s estranged husband was behind her disappearance.
David Anthony was finally seen in New Mexico on March 31, 2020, where, after searching his vehicle, investigators found enough evidence to arrest him and charge him with murder and kidnapping. The victim’s broken phone, Amazon speakers with recordings of her calling for help, and security cameras from her home were used to implicate David.
The defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in December 2020. As part of the plea agreement, he led authorities to the remains of Gretchen Anthony on December 21, 2020. Her lifeless body was found three miles from her house in Abacoa, Florida. David received a 38-year prison term in January 2021.
See the full case on ID’s Call From the Inside this Tuesday, January 17, 2023.