Millionaire Fugitive Sought in Wife's Killing Is Caught

Peter Chadwick fled 4 years ago
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 5, 2019 7:10 PM CDT
Updated Aug 6, 2019 1:03 AM CDT
Millionaire Fugitive Sought in Wife's Killing Is Caught
This undated photo provided by the Newport Beach Police Department shows Peter Chadwick.   (Newport Beach Police Department via AP)

A Southern California millionaire charged with his wife's killing has been captured after four years on the run, authorities said Monday. US Marshals spokesperson Lynzey Donahue said Peter Chadwick had been arrested, the AP reports. The Orange County District Attorney's office scheduled a news conference for Tuesday to discuss the case. Chadwick, a Newport Beach real estate investor, was charged with strangling his wife in 2012 and released on $1 million bail. He skipped a court appearance in 2015, and the US Marshals Service added him last year to its list of 15 most wanted fugitives. The Orange County Register reported that he was captured on Sunday.

Authorities say Chadwick called 911 a day after his wife, Quee Choo Chadwick, disappeared from their home and said she was killed by a handyman who kidnapped him and brought along the body. Chadwick quickly became the suspect, however, and her body was found a week later in a trash bin in suburban San Diego. The millionaire was born in the United Kingdom and became a naturalized US citizen in 1991. Authorities said both his US and UK passports were seized when he was released on bail. When he went missing, authorities learned he had emptied millions from bank accounts and said they discovered books about changing one's identity. (Police hoped their podcast would lead to Chadwick's capture.)

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