A woman has been convicted of murdering her husband, placing his body in a duffel bag, and burying it in their quaint backyard garden in England.
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In June 2024, the body of 65-year-old Jeremy Rickards was discovered in a duffel bag in the garden of the Canterbury, Kent home he shared with his wife, Maureen, 50. Authorities confirmed he had been fatally stabbed, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Jeremy, who had been married to his wife for 27 years, lived in a shared building with other tenants. He was last seen on June 7, 2024. According to the CPS, his death was determined to have occurred sometime between June 8 and June 26.
According to the CPS, following Jeremy’s death, a tenant reported hearing “something heavy being hauled down the stairs at night” and later saw Maureen in the backyard. Neighbor Oksana Kandaurova also testified in court that on June 14, while tending her garden, she noticed a foul odor resembling “rubbish or an animal corpse,” per BBC News.
Maureen was found guilty of murder after a trial at Maidstone Crown Court on March 13.
Investigators Uncover Grisly Crime Scene, Later Discover Husband’s Body in a Duffle Bag
The defendant also used the victim’s bank cards to buy cleaning supplies. She later sent messages to their daughter from his phone. First, the messages claimed he had gone to Saudi Arabia and said he planned to take his own life. These messages worried the daughter, who reported her father missing to the police, according to the CPS.
Meanwhile, despite purchasing cleaning products, the crime scene had ample evidence.
Authorities determined that Jeremy’s body was first placed in a cupboard in his wife’s bedroom. This conclusion was based on blood pools found inside the closet and on the floor below it, indicating the body had been there. Bloodstains were also found on the ceiling of the apartment below.
The body was reportedly “wrapped in bin bags,” placed inside a large duffle bag and concealed beneath grass cuttings at the bottom of the garden. According to the CPS, Maureen’s DNA was discovered on one of the bin bags used to wrap the body. This led to her arrest.
Woman Also Accused of Abusing Husband Prior to Alleged Murder
A post-mortem showed the victim had suffered domestic abuse, including strangulation weeks earlier and recent rib fractures. He also had visible cuts and bruises. Witnesses also reported seeing facial injuries on him before his death.
The CPS presented a recording made by the defendant herself as evidence of her abusing her husband before his death. In the recording, she can be heard striking him and declaring that she would “do him harm or kill him.”
James Fisher from CPS South East described the defendant as a “callous abuser” who lied to hide her husband’s murder.
“She subjected her partner to a campaign of sustained abuse before viciously murdering him,” Fisher explained. “…Maureen lied about the cruelty and violence she inflicted on Jeremy … [she] has never taken responsibility for her actions nor shown any remorse for murdering Jeremy.”
“Despite her efforts to disguise what she had done, Maureen has today been brought to justice for her husband’s brutal murder. Our thoughts remain with Jeremy’s family and friends at this difficult time,” he added.
According to BBC News, the defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.