Elizabeth “Beth” Capaldi.Photo: Buck’s County DA (2)
The daughter of aPennsylvania woman who was strangled, smothered, and dismembered last year confronted her father in court this week before he was sentenced to decades in state prison for the murder.
Stephen Capaldi, 57, will spend 22 to 44 years behind bars for killing his wife, 55-year-old Elizabeth “Beth” Capaldi in October 2022 and hiding her remains, according to a press release from theBucks County District Attorney’s Office.
He was found guilty of third-degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, obstructing the administration of law or other governmental function and abuse of a corpse on April 11.
His charges were reduced as part of a negotiated plea agreement with authorities after he helped them locate his longtime wife’s remains, which had been scattered across multiple locations in the Philadelphia area.
On Tuesday, the couple’s daughter talked about her struggles since the death of her mother, who she said was like a best friend to her.
“My mother is dead, and my father killed her,” Emma Capaldi said, per the release. “I have the love of friends, family, even strangers, but my own father took the person who loved me most.”
The daughter added, “He should never be free from prison to finally leave my mother’s memory in peace.”
Stephen then moved his wife’s body from the master bedroom to a back bedroom and then down to the basement, where he dismembered her, the D.A.’s office said.
Stephen was initially taken into custody for questioning. The investigation eventually led to his arrest on Dec. 9.
Stephen Capaldi.Buck’s County DA
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According to agrand jury report, Stephen had incriminating evidence on his cellphone, including internet searches that read, “how to get away with murder,” “how to vanish and never be found,” and “can a polygraph be skewed.”
Investigators said they theorized several motives for the crime, primarily, “the fact that he had found someone (his mistress) that he loved and who supported his dream of opening a comic book store with his brother, while his wife did not, among other things,” the report states.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
