Husband of woman whose remains were found in 3 floating suitcases in Delray Beach arrested
DELRAY BEACH -- A 78-year-old man is behind bars in Palm Beach County, accused of an unspeakable crime.
"He must've snapped," said neighbor Brice Patton.
On July 21st, police received a call from a concerned resident about a suitcase they found in the Intracoastal Waterway. Shortly after, two other suitcases were found, all with human remains inside.
"Everybody was talking about it, because you don't find bodies in suitcases very often," said Patton.
Police later found two other bags in the water with more remains and they say that the victim was shot.
Investigators determined the remains belonged to 80-year-old Aydil Barbosa Fontes.
"Shocked that something that hideous could happen anywhere in America," said a man who lives in the area.
Witnesses told police they saw a man in a gold car in the area several times before the suitcases were found.
Surveillance video also showed a man climbing down a dock with bags in his hands, and when he reappeared, he no longer had the bags.
Detectives say that man was the victim's husband, 78-year-old William Lowe Jr.
Police later searched the couple's residence on the 300 block of Venetian Drive.
Detectives say they found blood splatter throughout the home and in the shower. Investigators also found a 9mm gun in the residence.
"Additional evidence was obtained from this residence which led officers to a storage unit where they located a chainsaw that they believe was used in this crime," said Detective Michael Liberta with Delray Beach Police.
According to the arrest report, police also found a cooler with what appeared to be blood on it inside of storage unit.
A neighbor told police that Lowe's sister owned another unit in the building on the second floor and that she saw Lowe go in and out of that unit.
In the arrest report, the neighbor recalls seeing a "soup-like" substance smeared on the floor from the couple's apartment leading up to Lowe's sister's apartment upstairs about two to three weeks before the remains
When police question Lowe about his wife's whereabouts, he told them she was in Brazil, but could not recall what airline she took. When detectives asked Lowe when he last spoke to his wife, he said he didn't know.
According to our partners at CBS12 News, Lowe's attorney says Lowe is a Marine veteran who served in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart, adding the suspected murderer has no prior criminal history.
Lowe is charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a dead body.
He is being held without bond.
