AMHERST COUNTY, Va. (TCN) — A 37-year-old man is in custody after authorities found the suspected remains of his 45-year-old missing wife last week.
On the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 14, the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a property on Pendleton Drive, where they discovered human remains. Investigators believe the victim to be Elsie Wiggington, who was reported missing over a year ago, on June 26, 2023. The sheriff’s office is awaiting confirmation of a positive identification from the medical examiner.
Family members told WSET-TV that Elsie Wiggington’s remains were found under a concrete slab on the property where she had lived with her husband, Frederick Wiggington. Relatives reportedly said the victim feared for her life and was planning to go to Maryland before officials found her body.
Three days before her disappearance, Elsie Wiggington allegedly messaged her foster sister and said, “He’s going to kill me,” WSLS-TV reports. That was the last time the victim’s foster sister heard from her.
Authorities found Frederick Wiggington in Augusta County and took him into custody on an initial charge of concealment of a dead body. However, records show he is also being held in the Amherst County Detention Center on charges of first-degree murder and assault.