Police: Florida Man Dismembered Wife with Chainsaw, Crammed Remains in Suitcases

A man was arrested after his wife’s body was found dismembered and packed in suitcases and bags, having been dumped in a Delray Beach, Florida, waterway.

The woman’s body had apparently been cut up with a chainsaw and the suitcases were found floating in the Intracoastal Waterway, NBC Miami reported Thursday.

One lead investigator told WPTV it was probably the worst case he had ever witnessed.

The suspect, 78-year-old William Lowe, faces charges of first-degree murder and abusing a dead body following the death of his wife, Aydil Barbosa Fontes, who was 80 years old.

On July 21, the remains were found after someone reported a suspicious item in the water near Palm Trail, the NBC article reads:

When officers arrived, they said they found a suitcase with human remains hanging out of it. According to an arrest report, the suitcase was weighed down with landscaping rocks and had an airport barcode sticker for LATAM Airlines with the name “Barbosa.”

A short time later, two other suitcases were found also containing human remains at nearby locations along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Officials also located another bag that contained a woman’s head that appeared to have a gunshot wound. The NBC report noted that dental records helped authorities identify the victim’s remains.

Neighbors at the suspect’s apartment complex told police they recently heard suspicious noises in the middle of the night, WPTV reported Thursday.

The suitcases were believed to have been dumped in the waterway between July 17 and 20, and neighbors said they saw a man who seemed to be watching one of the suitcases on July 20, recalling he seemed nervous at the time. Moments later, he got into his car and left the area.

After witnesses described his vehicle to authorities, a detective eventually found it, ran the plates, and that information led officials to Lowe’s apartment, where they later executed a search warrant.

Inside the dwelling, authorities found blood spatter and a 9mm firearm. They later found a chainsaw that appeared to have blood on it, as well as bone matter, flesh, and hair in the housing of the saw that was inside the man’s storage unit.

The suspect was held without bond on Thursday, and WPTV reported that a motive remains unclear.

“I think it’s just kind of shocking to hear this happening in your community. It’s such a gruesome act,” one resident said.