A Southern California multimillionaire who killed his spouse practically a decade in the past earlier than fleeing to Mexico pleaded responsible this week to second-degree homicide and was sentenced.
Newport Seaside resident Peter Chadwick, 57, was sentenced to fifteen years to life — the equal of a life sentence with the opportunity of parole — with no credit score for time served, as a part of a deal that downgraded his case from first-degree homicide, the workplace of the Orange County District Lawyer stated.
Chadwick killed his spouse, Quee Choo “Q.C.” Chadwick, possible on Oct. 10, 2012, following an argument over a potential divorce and monetary issues, the workplace stated.
The couple had been elevating three kids.
Police stated the Quee Choo was strangled and drowned in a rest room of their dwelling earlier than her physique, wrapped in a comforter, was dumped in a trash bin in San Diego County, the subsequent county south of the Chadwicks’ dwelling.
On Oct. 10, 2012, when the no one from the family confirmed as much as choose up their kids in school, police performed a welfare examine on the Newport Seaside residents, occurred upon blood and proof of a wrestle, and launched a seek for the pair, authorities stated.
Chadwick, an actual property investor, was close to the U.S.-Mexico border when he known as 911 to assert his spouse had been killed by a handyman, and, as a part of the crime, he was kidnapped and compelled to drive to Mexico to dump her physique, prosecutors stated.
His story wasn’t convincing, he led authorities to the physique, and was arrested Oct. 11, 2012, and jailed in San Diego, prosecutors stated.
On Dec. 21 of that 12 months, Chadwick posted bond, surrendered his U.S. and U.Okay. passports, and agreed to stick with his father. It was the final time U.S. authorities would see him for practically seven years. He failed to seem at a pre-trial listening to in 2015.
Prosecutors consider Chadwick left false clues on his whereabouts in his father’s Santa Barbara dwelling. They included receipts from the Seattle space and printed materials about life in Canada.
His path really led to Mexico, authorities stated. The district lawyer’s workplace stated it was believed he was “receiving help” from supporters, nonetheless, nobody has been charged for aiding and abetting a fugitive in reference to the case.
In September 2018, whereas Chadwick was apparently hiding in Mexico, the U.S. Marshals Service positioned him on its 15 Most Wished Fugitives checklist and supplied a $25,000 reward for info resulting in his arrest.
The case obtained international consideration, and the Newport Seaside Police Division launched a podcast, “Countdown to Seize,” devoted to discovering Chadwick.
Chadwick was nabbed by Mexican authorities Aug. 4, 2019, close to town of Puebla, prosecutors stated.
His lawyer didn’t instantly reply to a request Saturday for remark.
District Lawyer Todd Spitzer famous in a press release Wednesday that the case has taken the higher a part of 10 years to resolve, together with exhausting work by police and federal authorities monitoring down Chadwick.
The time was invested “to carry him accountable for the homicide of his spouse and the mom of his three sons,” Spitzer stated.
“In making the choice to just accept a responsible plea,” he continued, “we rigorously thought-about the needs of Q.C.’s household, particularly her sons who’ve already suffered the loss not solely of their mom but additionally of their father at such a younger age.”
