Police say Eugene Anderson claimed to have held his wife down the night before he reported her dead. She died of ‘asphyxiation by chest compression.’
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Duval County man has been found guilty in the death of his wife, who died on Thanksgiving Day 2022.
Eugene Anderson was charged with manslaughter after he called 911 to report his wife unresponsive, and first responders found her dead.
Relatives informed investigators that an argument took place during Thanksgiving dinner, where the victim attempted to soothe Anderson and took him back home. She subsequently went back to the family event.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reported that Anderson mentioned another altercation thereafter. He alleged that his wife assaulted him and lunged at him with a knife, prompting him to restrain her. The next morning, he contacted the police, stating she wasn’t waking up.
However, police said the victim’s injuries did not match the way he described holding her down.
Her autopsy revealed she had died from mechanical asphyxiation by chest compression.
The State Attorney’s Office also noted that Anderson had been texting with a woman with whom he was having an affair.
Authorities discovered that Anderson had erased almost 100 text messages and phone calls exchanged with the woman, both prior to and following his wife’s passing.
He faces up to 15 years in prison.
