Authorities: Husband Charged With Wayne Resident's Death

The husband of a former Wayne resident who was found dead at the bottom of a gorge off a Pennsylvania highway in 2013 has been charged with his wife’s murder, authorities said.

Stephen Dews, 59, of Clifton was charged with the death of Gail Dews who was found dead at the bottom of a 92-foot ravine in Shohola Falls, Pa. on March 11, 2013, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes announced Thursday. Shohola Falls is about 90 miles away from Wayne.

Dews was arrested at his job in Little Falls Thursday, authorities said.

The Pennsylvania State Police called Gail Dews’ death ”suspicious.” She was a mother of three children and a clerk for a local dairy distributor. Police said Stephen Dews reported his wife missing from a nearby convenience store about two miles from the gorge the morning her body was found.

The Pocono Record reported that the store’s owner, Rajiv Patel, told police that Stephen Dews was acting strange. Dews reportedly didn’t acknowledge Patel when he said hello several times and said Dews was walking around the store but wasn’t buying anything.

Patel asked Dews if he was alright and Dews reportedly said, “No, I want to call the police. I had an accident, I fell on the ice,” The Pocono Record reported.

Pike County Coroner Kevin Stroyan ruled that Dews, 56, died from multiple blunt force injuries consistent with a fall from the top of the gorge where her body was found.

Detectives from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit headed up the investigation into Dews’ death and accompanied detectives from the prosecutor’s office Major Crimes Unit to several locations in Passaic County to try and locate Stephen Dews, authorities said.

Authorities questioned Gail Dews’ family members and friends from Pennsylvania and New Jersey regarding her death.

Pennsylvania authorities are expected to file a request with New Jersey officials that Dews be extradited to Pennsylvania.

(Pictured: Stephne Dews, 59/Courtesy of Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office)