The search for millionaire murder suspect Peter Chadwick intensified on Wednesday as the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) added him to its 15 Most Wanted fugitive list.
Chadwick, 54, is wanted for the 2012 murder of his wife of 21 years in Newport Beach, California.
On Oct. 10, 2012, the father of three allegedly strangled his wife, Quee Chadwick, to death at their Newport Beach home and then placed her body in a trash dumpster in San Diego County.
Chadwick claimed his wife was kidnapped and killed by a handyman, but detectives who interviewed him doubted his story, especially when they noticed scratches on his neck and dried blood on his hands.
(A real-estate mogul and his wife suddenly vanish from their Newport Beach, California community. Pat LaLama reports. Courtesy of Crime Watch Daily and YouTube. Posted on Dec 7, 2015.)
The Newport Beach Police Department arrested Chadwick on Oct. 11 and charged him with his wife’s murder.
He was released on a $1.5 million bond, ordered to surrender his passports and stay with his father in Santa Barbara, California, to await his trial.
Chadwick failed to appear for a Jan. 5, 2015, court hearing, and authorities contacted the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force to help locate him.
Task force members searched and learned he had emptied bank accounts worth millions.
U.S. Marshals also discovered books Chadwick allegedly read about how to change one’s identity and live off the grid.
Now the millionaire is one of the nation’s most wanted fugitives.
“The crime charged against Peter Chadwick and his subsequent flight make him worthy of our 15 Most Wanted fugitives list, which is reserved for the worst of the worst criminals,” said U.S. Marshals Service Acting Deputy Director David Anderson.
“The U.S. Marshals and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners will use every available resource to help us bring Chadwick to justice for this heinous crime.”
“The U.S. Marshals along with our law enforcement partners will leave no stone unturned until Chadwick is behind bars,” said Commander Bert Tapia of the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force.
“It’s not a matter of if we catch him, it’s only a matter of when.”
(A real-estate mogul and his wife suddenly vanish from their Newport Beach, California community. Pat LaLama reports. Courtesy of Crime Watch Daily and YouTube. Posted on Dec 7, 2015.)
Because of Chadwick’s access to monetary resources and his extensive international ties, authorities believe he may have fled the country.
Due to the nature of his crime, he should be considered armed and dangerous.
“It is hard to imagine what kind of individual could commit a crime like this, especially against his own spouse,” said U.S. Marshal David Singer of the Central District of California.
“We are determined to bring Chadwick to justice and give some sense of closure to the victim’s family.”
Law enforcement describes Chadwick as a 5-foot-7, white male weighing 160 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
He may be using aliases Gregory or Pete in an attempt to hide his true identity.
A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered by the U.S. Marshals for information leading directly to his arrest, with an additional reward of up to $75,000 being offer by the City of Newport Beach and private donors.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office or the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.
