A Florida man has been arrested and accused of murdering his pregnant wife then taking gruesome photos of her naked, dead body.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Department arrested 47-year-old Vincent Terry and charged him with murdering his wife, Chrystal Terry, 41, who was 20 weeks pregnant, the New York Post reported.
The Sheriff’s office reported that Chrystal Terry had not been seen since December 21. The suspect reportedly told officials that his wife left home at 9:30 PM on the 21st leaving behind all her personal belongings — including her cell phone, medication, and purse.
Terry then said that his missing wife texted a friend saying, “Will u plz come pick me up. 911.” A second text reportedly read, “I’ll do anything. I need u plz.”
But when police became involved, shocking photos of the woman’s dead body were discovered on the suspect’s phone.
Police report that the woman “appeared to be deceased” in the photos and was seen naked and bloodied. The photos showed severe facial trauma and a gunshot wound to the abdomen, police said.
Forensics experts noted that the floors in the couple’s home had been cleaned with bleach but the team still found some tiny blood spattering on a living room wall. However, the missing woman’s body has not yet been found.
Several firearms were recovered from the home, and police pointed out that as a convicted felon, Terry is not allowed to own firearms.
Records show that Terry was arrested in Colorado on suspicion of attempting to kill his wife, but the charges were dropped when Chrystal refused to press charges.
Based on the evidence found by the forensics team and the photos on his cell phone, police charged Terry with a series of counts including second-degree murder. He is being held without bail at the Marion County jail.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.