Florida man charged in killing of wife found dismembered in suitcases, bags

A Florida man accused of killing his 80-year-old wife, whose remains were found in multiple suitcases last month, used a chainsaw to dismember her, authorities said. 

The Delray Beach Police Department said Thursday detectives arrested William Lowe on Wednesday night for the murder of Aydil Barbosa Fontes. Loew is charged with first-degree murder, Police Chief Russ Mager said. 

Authorities said she was fatally shot in the head. They have not determined when she was shot. A gun has been recovered, Det. Mike Liberta said during a news conference. 

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Fontes was found July 21 when someone discovered human remains in a suitcase in the Intracoastal waterway. Two other suitcases were found the same day in the same area. 

The next day, investigators said two additional bags were found in the area as well. Over several days, witnesses told authorities they saw a vehicle and a person in the area multiple times before the suitcases were found. 

Video surveillance led detectives to Lowe’s home through his vehicle tag. Additionally, an airline scan code within one of the suitcases came back to “Barbosa Ontes / A” with the same address as Lowe’s vehicle tag.

Authorities secured a warrant to search Lowe’s home, where he said his wife was in Brazil for at least three weeks. During a search of his home, investigators found blood spatter in the living room, dining room both bathrooms, the master bedroom and hallway, according to court documents obtained by FOX Orlando. 

While they were conducting the search, Lowe tried re-entering the home and said he was trying to get keys to a storage unit. On Tuesday, detectives searched the unit and found a bloodied chainsaw with human hair on the saw. 

A motive for the slaying has not been determined. Lowe and Fontes were married for 15 years. Lowe appeared in court Thursday and was denied bond.