Authorities have charged the husband of a Pennsylvania mom who has been missing for nearly two months with her murder.
It has been alleged that Stephen Capaldi, 57, of Sellersville, strangled his wife, Elizabeth “Beth” Capaldi, 55. Her remains were dismembered in their home and disposed of throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub shared these allegations during a Dec. 15 press conference.
According to Weintraub, Capaldi is charged with third-degree murder, possession of a crime instrument, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, and abuse of a corpse.
The charges against him were reduced as part of a settlement with authorities, who say he helped them recover a portion of her remains from a wooded area near Philadelphia International Airport last week. Stephen discarded the remains of his deceased wife in a number of locations.
A family member reported Elizabeth missing on Oct. 12, just two days after she was last seen at her husband’s home. The woman’s cell phone, keys, and car were found in the residence, but her purse, wallet, and $13,000 in cash were missing.
When Stephen was taken into custody, he was questioned by a grand jury. However, court papers show that he had not yet been charged in the death of his wife of 30 years.
According to authorities, he strangled and smothered his wife while she was sleeping in their bed on Oct. 10. Stephen transported her body from the master bedroom to a back bedroom on Oct. 12, the D.A. alleged. He then dismembered and disposed of his wife’s remains in the basement.
Her remains were disposed of in an apartment complex dumpster in Lansdale, a Montgomery County borough, and buried along the Delaware River in Tinicum Township, Delaware County. No further remains of Elizabeth have been found.
The 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 confessed to having an affair and he hadn’t questioned her about it.
According to the report, police later discovered Stephen had an affair with a woman over a period of six months, an accusation supported by messages found in his cell phone. There were also several searches for “how to get away with murder,” “how to vanish and never be found,” and “can a polygraph be skewed,” according to the report.
Bucks County District Attorney Matt says that Stephen will plead guilty at the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail.