Fake Coronavirus Texts Hid W. Long Branch Native's Murder: Police

JUPITER, FL — A man who formerly lived in West Long Branch was charged March 31 with murdering his wife. After killing Gretchen Anthony, David E. Anthony took her phone and sent texts to friends and loved ones pretending she had the new coronavirus, police said.

Gretchen and David Anthony had lived in Jupiter, Florida. They were married but recently separated and filed for divorce Feb. 28, police said.

A witness told police March 23 that she received a text from Gretchen, 51. The text said she had the coronavirus and was being held by the "CDC" after being checked out at the Jupiter Medical Center, according to the police report Patch obtained.

A Trail of Phony Texts

The witness, however, hadn't heard from Gretchen Anthony since. Police conducted a welfare check March 25 at her home, but there wasn't an answer. Authorities contacted the Jupiter Medical Center, but they couldn't find a person with her name.

After weeks of investigation, police determined that David killed Gretchen Anthony on March 21. David E. Anthony took her phone and led people to believe through texts that Gretchen was alive and getting treated for the coronavirus, police said.

Another witness told police that he got a text March 24 from Gretchen Anthony. The text said she was at the Jupiter Medical Center with an "acute case" of COVID-19. It said she was transported to a Center for Disease Control-approved task force in Belle Glade, where she was sedated.

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At the time of the initial report, Gretchen Anthony's vehicle was in the Jupiter Medical Center parking lot. Medical personnel told police she hadn't been there. They also said there isn't a CDC center in Belle Glade, as one of the texts from Gretchen's phones said.

The Jupiter Medical Center said this wasn't the protocol for coronavirus cases and that Gretchen Anthony wasn't in the hospital.

The texts included language Gretchen Anthony didn't normally use, the witness told police. One message said Gretchen Anthony was waiting for test kits and hoped to have them by "10a."

Gretchen Anthony never used "a" for a.m. or "p" for p.m. But police determined through past text conversations that David E. Anthony did.

Another person received a text from Gretchen Anthony asking if he or she could take care of Gretchen's cats while she was "quarantined," police said. The text said that Gretchen Anthony left out food for the cats.

'The Attack'

Witnesses told police that David E. Anthony had "issues," and they were concerned about Gretchen's safety. Jupiter police reported her March 25 as an endangered adult.

Police investigated a Jupiter home March 26. A neighbor asked the if the officers were investigating "the attack that occurred Saturday morning," according to police records.

The neighbor heard a "blood curdling scream" from a woman March 21, police said. The woman yelled "No! No it hurts," according to the police report. The neighbor identified the screams coming from her neighbor's house from either the patio or garage, according to authorities.

The witness stepped outside at about 6:30 a.m., and the screaming had stopped, police said.

Detectives searched inside Gretchen Anthony's home. They found two bottles of cleaner and a rag on the kitchen countertop. Inside the washing machine, police discovered a reddish substance that looked like blood.

Police then found a broken glass frame upstairs, along with small pieces of glass on the comforter in the master bedroom. Detectives then discovered large bleach stains from the garage floor to the driveway.

Police then saw that Gretchen Anthony's last Facebook post came March 19. She also last worked on that day and hadn't returned, her employer told police. Authorities searched her home again and found a book called "365 Days of Wonder," which was open with a clip on the date March 19.

Finding David

A witness texted David E. Anthony on March 25 to ask about Gretchen, police said. The police report shows the following text conversation:

Witness: Hi David! Have you heard from Gretchen?

David Anthony: Hey (witness's name). Ran into her randomly Sat am. She mentioned something about going to the beach to ground herself bc she wasn't feeling well. Then she proceeded to tell me I should "plead insanity" on some bogus police charges Ive been dealing with. Havent spoke to her sense..why? Is everything ok? Is (redacted) ok?

Witness: All we know is that she is saying she's at a CDC facility because she has the virus. (Redacted) is with (redacted)f but something doesn't seem right.

The Saturday that David E. Anthony referenced was March 21, the day police believe he killed Gretchen.

During the investigation, police found that David and Gretchen Anthony's cell-phone numbers were hitting off cell towers in the same part of Texas.

Cell phone "pings" previously helped locate David E. Anthony at a store in Pensacola, about 600 miles north of Jupiter. He tried to sell jewelry to the store, a witness told police. David E. Anthony said it either belonged to his mother or stepmother, who died from the coronavirus, police said.

Authorities found David E. Anthony and his vehicle March 31 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It was not immediately clear how police found him there. He was arrested for murder and kidnapping. Police said last week that he was awaiting extradition to Florida.

Gretchen Anthony remains missing. Anyone with information about this case can call Jupiter police at 561-741-2235.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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