Background: News footage of the scene outside the Auburndale, Fla. home of Stacey Powell, where she was found dead (WTVT). Inset: Andrew Ridgeway (Auburndale Police Department).
A Florida man has been sentenced to prison after initially deceiving authorities about his girlfriend’s whereabouts, only for her to be later discovered murdered in her residence.
Andrew Ridgeway, aged 47, pleaded no contest to charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence related to the death of his girlfriend, 48-year-old Stacey Ann Powell. Powell’s body was discovered in her home in Auburndale, a city situated between Tampa and Orlando, on February 6, 2025, just a day after she was reported missing. When questioned by police, Ridgeway claimed she had traveled to Jamaica to see her ailing father.
However, when contacted by police, Powell’s father was found to be in good health and living in North Carolina.
According to an affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, officers conducted a well-being check at Powell’s residence on the morning of February 6, 2025. This was prompted by a report that she had failed to log onto her work computer for two consecutive days. Upon arrival, officers encountered a contractor who reported he was there to work on the kitchen cabinets. The previous day, Ridgeway had informed him of an “emergency,” preventing the contractor from entering the home. The contractor had returned to retrieve his tools.
While at the scene, police noticed Ridgeway on the doorbell camera, questioning their presence at his home, having seen them via remote surveillance. When officers inquired about his location, Ridgeway claimed to be in North Carolina with Powell’s grandmother, attempting to persuade her to travel to Jamaica. He further elaborated that Powell’s father was “extremely sick,” and that Powell had taken an Uber to Orlando Airport to fly to Jamaica.
After contacting Powell’s father, who confirmed he was in North Carolina and not ill, police secured a search warrant for the home. Inside, they discovered a gruesome scene. Powell’s body was found covered in “plastic and moving blankets,” with her face suffering extensive blunt force trauma, rendering her unrecognizable.
Her body had several gunshot wounds and lacerations. Several 9 mm shell casings were found at the scene as well as bullet holes in the walls.
Auburndale Police Chief Terry Storie said Powell had been attacked “savagely,” and the home was so bloody that “not one, two, but three crime scene technicians” were provided to process the scene. Storie said Powell had been “brutally attacked and murdered.”
Ridgeway was tracked down in Georgia and arrested on Feb. 7, 2025.
On Jan. 9, Ridgeway changed his not guilty plea to no contest for the charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. He was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 35 years in prison, with credit for time served.
