Florida Man Charged With Killing His Wife on Their First Anniversary

Police say Timothy Allen Upthegrove led them to his wife’s corpse on Christmas Eve, a week after they believe he murdered her. He’s currently being held in Brevard County Jail without bail on charges of second-degree murder.

Upthegrove’s wife, Lori, was reported missing on Tuesday by a family member. He was arrested shortly after on charges of obstructing justice. Police in their hometown of Titusville, Florida say he gave them false statements. He was a person of interest from the beginning of the investigation.

“Based on evidence found both in the home and in her vehicle, detectives believed Lori had been the victim of a violent crime,” Titusville police told People in a press release.

On Sunday, Upthegrove finally gave police information that directed them to Lori’s remains. They have yet to disclose where and how she was found, and what the cause of death might be, but officials said the investigation is ongoing, and more details will be released at a later date.

Police did say that they now believe Upthegrove killed his wife on Dec. 18 during an argument in their home. In their press release, the department said that “the victim’s body was placed into the back of her vehicle by her husband and driven to a wooded area.” Upthegrove is 53 years old, his wife was 51.

The suspect’s father, Ed Upthegrove, gave a statement on the case to the Orlando Sentinal. “Our hearts and prayers go out to Lori’s family and friends during this difficult time,” he said. “We’re cooperating with investigators as they continue to gather evidence in this case.”