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Pennsylvania Man Arrested in Wife’s Murder Eight Years After Disappearance
A Pennsylvania resident has been apprehended for the murder of his spouse eight years following her vanishing. The arrest occurred after police scrutinized a purportedly fabricated text message he sent from her cellular phone. This breakthrough sheds light on a case that has remained unsolved for nearly a decade.
Arrest and Charges
Allen Gould, 60, from Malvern, close to Philadelphia, was taken into custody on Wednesday. This occurred eight years after police initially suspected the father of one in the death of his 43-year-old wife, Anna Maciejewska.
He faces charges including first and third-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, providing false reports, and other related offenses.
Initial Report and Suspicion
Gould reported his wife missing on April 12, 2017, one day after her colleagues raised concerns. He informed law enforcement that she had left for work in haste and never returned. However, authorities suspect he killed his wife weeks prior, focusing on a specific text message Gould allegedly sent to Maciejewska’s father in Poland on March 30, 2017. They believe he was attempting to impersonate her.
The Suspicious Text Message
The “happy birthday” text was composed in flawed Polish, despite Maciejewska’s fluency in the language. Investigations later indicated that the text had been generated using Google Translate.
“The Polish grammar doesn’t make sense. It’s off,” stated Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe. “Anna had no reason to use Google Translate.”
Family Reaction
Maciejewska’s parents, residing in Poland, expressed relief upon learning of Gould’s arrest. They had largely lost hope that their daughter’s case would ever progress.
According to a friend, Ellen Lee, “Anna’s mom didn’t sleep last night. They thought it was a cold case, it was never going to happen.”
Defense Response
Gould’s attorney, Evan Kelly, stated that his client intends to clear his name in court. “The case against Mr. Gould is based on multiple assumptions. Mr. Gould is looking forward to clearing his name in court after eight years of accusations and innuendo,” Kelly said.
Search and Evidence
While Maciejewska’s remains have not been recovered, cadaver dogs previously indicated the potential presence of human remains near the northeast corner of Gould’s property in 2017.
- The soil in that area showed signs of disturbance.
- During a visit by state troopers at the time, Gould exhibited a lack of visible reaction upon being informed of the investigation into his wife’s suspected murder.
- Authorities conducted another search warrant on the day of his arrest, arriving shortly after Gould dropped off his son at school.
Background Details
Prior to her death, Maciejewska had reportedly explored divorce options and expressed concerns about child custody.
Further investigation revealed discrepancies in Gould’s statements:
- He initially reported his wife missing on April 12, 2017, but coworkers had reported her missing the day before.
- Maciejewska was last seen on March 28, 2017, but Gould claimed he had last seen her on April 10 of that year.
Gould’s Account
“I’m not sure where my wife is,” he allegedly told state police while reporting her missing. “She, she uh, didn’t come home from work on Monday night uh as expected.” He also stated that his wife had taken the previous week off due to a stomach ailment and left for work hurriedly on the morning of April 10. She departed in her blue Audi, which was later located near their residence.
Other Suspicious Findings
Investigators noted that Maciejewska had left her phone at home to update. They also found it unusual that she would disappear, given her strong family ties and devotion to her son.
“There’s nothing to indicate that she would stop corresponding with her family, stop spending any amount of money to go visit them, and essentially abandon her son,” the district attorney stated.
Divorce papers were discovered inside Gould’s residence, leading de Barrena-Sarobe to believe Gould knew his marriage was ending.
Additional Evidence:
Another element raising suspicions revolved around a $75,000 check Gould wrote to his attorney, marked “Trial defense if needed.”
He had also researched “violent crimes strangulation” on an attorney’s Twitter.
The Path Ahead.
Maciejewska’s body remains missing, posing challenges for prosecutors in proving Gould’s guilt.
It was a key reason authorities spend eight years investigating. “We wanted to make sure it’s not just about prosecuting people because we have a strong feeling that they did it. We have to prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt,” the district attorney explained.
Gould is due back in court on May 27.