Latest news with #ChesterCountyDistrictAttorney'sOffice
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Husband 'used translator to send text from missing wife' - but made key error
Allen Gould, 60, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife, who disappeared eight years ago in 2017 leaving behind a young son, but a text sent from her phone to her dad raised suspicions A man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife who disappeared eight years ago after he made a mistake when allegedly sending a text from the missing woman's phone using Google Translate. 60-year-old Allen Gould has been arrested for allegedly murdering his wife, Anna Maciejewska, a Polish native, after she disappeared in 2017. Gould, from Pennsylvania, was charged with first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and other charges. Anna moved to the US from Poland in 1997, and married Gould in 2006. The 43-year-old mother of a son who was just four-years-old at the time of her disappearance, was reported missing on April 11, 2017 by a co-worker and friend. The next day, Gould also reported her missing, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office. However, evidence including phone records, financial records and witness accounts indicate that Anna's usual routine stopped on March 29, with prosecutors saying the last time she was seen or heard from was March 28 - two weeks before Gould reported her missing. On March 30, Anna's dad in Poland received a text from his daughter's phone number wishing him a happy birthday in Polish. However, prosecutors say it had grammatical errors, adding in a statement: "Police later determined the same message was researched via Google Translate, despite that Maciejewska spoke Polish fluently." A printed out version of that same Google Translate message was found in Gould's home, according to the criminal complaint. He told police he had last seen his wife on the morning of April 10 when she left to go to work - however, her car's system showed it was never driven that day. A month later, her car was found in an apartment complex car park, almost two miles from the home she shared with Gould and her son. When police turned up at Gould's home for the missing persons report, they spotted Anna's iPhone and iPad were on the kitchen table, with her phone "in a startup/update status, as if it had been reset". Gould allegedly told police his wife was updating her phone the morning she went missing, but it was taking too long so she decided to leave it behind as she rushed out the door to work. The criminal complaint added that all of her belongings were left at home, excluding her car keys. Officers searching the home found divorce paperwork, and evidence that Anna was taking a 'Divorce 101' class. A friend told police that Anna wasn't happy in her marriage and that she and Gould had disagreed on how to raise their son. Anna had allegedly told the friend she wanted a divorce, but her husband disagreed. She also allegedly told the friend that she and her husband had "set a firm date to discuss a divorce". The couple's son having dual citizenship and a Polish passport was reportedly a "point of contention" between their pair, as Gould "feared he would have no parental rights" if Anna were to take the child to Poland, according to the criminal complaint. Anna had also "visited over 150 website pertaining to divorce, signs of emotional abuse, psychological abuse, emotional blackmail, emotional abuse, narcissistic personality disorder, domestic abuve vs normal marital conflict, and how to divroce an emotionally abusive husband," the complaint stated. Gould allegedly told police the pair "had spoken about a divorce" but deicded to use their townhouse "as a place to decompress rather than separate completely." After reporting his wife missing, Gould allegedly "stopped helping police attempt to locate his wife, wrote a check for a criminal defence attorney, clicked on an article about strangulation" and got a second mobile phone, according to the complaint. Gould was arrested last Wednesday and is being held without bail on charges including first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. His preliminary hearing is set for May 27. "He's been living under the specter of this for eight years," Gould's defence attorney, Evan Kelly, told ABC News. "At this point he just wants to clear his name in the court of law." Kelly declined to comment on any details of the case. Anna's body has never been found, according to the criminal complaint. Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said at a news conference that all the interviews police carried out over eight years showed Anna was a "devoted mother" who "loved her family." "There's nothing to indicate that she would stop corresponding with her family, stop spending any amount of money to go visit htem and essentially abandon her son," the District Attorney said. "It simply doesn't make any common sense."
USA Today
15-05-2025
- USA Today
Pennsylvania man charged with wife's murder 8 years after her disappearance
Pennsylvania man charged with wife's murder 8 years after her disappearance A Pennsylvania man has been arrested on a murder charge in the death of his wife who went missing in 2017, authorities said. Allen Gould, 60, of Malvern, was charged with first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and other related charges in the death of 43-year-old Anna Maciejewska, a Poland native and the mother of a young boy. Prosecutors say Gould was "incredibly deceptive" about this wife's whereabouts and gave several false statements to law enforcement. While there is no physical evidence linking Gould to the killing, prosecutors say the totality of actions before and after his wife's disappearance are enough to land a conviction. Maciejewska, whose body has never been found, was first reported missing by a coworker on April 11, 2017, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office. The following day, Gould called police to report his wife missing, telling authorities the last time he saw her was the morning of April 10 when she rushed out of the house for a work meeting. Law enforcement says they've poked holes in Gould's story Through cellphone records, witness accounts and financial records, Pennsylvania State Police pieced together her normal routine and discovered that the last time anyone saw or heard Maciejewska was March 28, 2017 – two weeks before Gould contacted authorities, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office. Investigators also found Maciejewska's car a few miles from the family home and later determined it was never started on April 10 as Gould had claimed, prosecutors said. Further, police found that a text message sent from Maciejewska's phone to her father on March 30 was written using Google Translate despite Maciejewska speaking fluent Polish. Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said at a news confernce that all the interviews over the course of eight years demonstrated that Maciejewska was a "devoted mother" who "loved her family." "There's nothing to indicate that she would stop corresponding with her family, stop spending any amount of money to go visit them and essentially abandon her son," Barrena-Sarobe said. "It simply doesn't make any common sense." Investigators discover preliminary divorce papers Barrena-Sarobe said while Gould tried to establish that he and Maciejewska were in a loving marriage, law enforcement recovered documents and interviewed witnesses who suggest the two had "a difficult marriage." He said authorities discovered preliminary divorce papers found at their home. When asked why the case took so long to bring forward, Barrena-Sarobe told reporters "we wanted to exhaust everything." He said investigators wanted to use the most up-to-date technology, some of which was not in existence when Maciejewska was reported missing. "It's not just about prosecuting people because we have strong feelings that they did it," he said. "We have to prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt in accordance with the law. And before we do that in a case that is as expansive as this, we have to make sure that we've covered all of our bases." Gould is being held without bail and has a preliminary hearing on May 27. His defense attorney, Evan Kelly, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. Speaking with ABC News, Kelly said Gould "has been living under the specter of this for eight years" and just wants to "clear his name in the court of law."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man arrested for murder of wife who vanished in 2017, allegedly faked birthday text to her dad
A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife who vanished in 2017, prosecutors said. Anna Maciejewska, a Poland native, moved to the U.S. in 1997 and married Allen Gould in 2006, according to the criminal complaint. The couple's son was 4 years old when she disappeared. On April 11, 2017, Maciejewska, 43, was reported missing by a co-worker and a friend; the next day, Gould also reported her missing, the Chester County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday. MORE: Mother allegedly buys ammunition, tactical gear for son's planned 'mass targeted violence' at middle school: Officials But evidence including phone records, financial records and witness accounts point to Maciejewska stopping her normal routine on March 29, and the last time anyone saw her or heard from her was March 28, prosecutors said. On March 30, Maciejewska's dad in Poland received a text from his daughter's phone with a birthday message in Polish that had grammatical errors, prosecutors said. "Police later determined the same message was researched via Google Translate, despite that Maciejewska spoke Polish fluently," prosecutors said in a statement. A printout of that same Google Translate message was found in Gould's home, according to the criminal complaint. Gould told police he last saw his wife on the morning of April 10 when she left for work, but her car's internal system showed it was never driven that day, according to the criminal complaint. Maciejewska's car was discovered in May in an apartment complex parking lot nearly 2 miles from their home, the complaint said. When officers responded to their home for the missing persons report, they noticed Maciejewska's iPhone and iPad were on the kitchen table and her phone was "in a startup/update status, as if it had been reset," according to the criminal complaint. Gould allegedly told police his wife was updating her phone on the morning she went missing but it was taking too long to finish updating so she left it at home when she rushed out the door to work, the document said. All of her belongings were left at home besides the keys to her car, the document said. Officers found divorce paperwork at the couple's home, the complaint said, and Maciejewska was taking a "Divorce 101" class. Maciejewska's friend told police that Maciejewska wasn't happy with her marriage and that the couple disagreed on how to raise their son, according to the criminal complaint. Maciejewska allegedly told the friend she wanted a divorce but her husband disagreed; she also allegedly told the friend she and Gould "set a firm date to discuss a divorce," according to the criminal complaint. A friend of Maciejewska told police that their son having dual citizenship and a Polish passport was a "point of contention" because Gould "feared he would have no parental rights" if she took the child to Poland, the complaint said. MORE: Menendez brothers win resentencing fight: What's next for their case? Maciejewska "visited over 150 websites pertaining to divorce, signs of emotional abuse, psychological abuse, emotional blackmail, emotional abuse, narcissistic personality disorder, domestic abuse vs. normal martial conflict, and how to divorce an emotionally abusive husband," the complaint said. Gould allegedly told police "they had spoken about a divorce" but decided to use their townhouse "as a place to decompress rather than separate completely," according to the complaint. After Gould reported Maciejewska missing, he allegedly "stopped helping police attempt to locate his wife, wrote a check for a criminal defense attorney, clicked on an article about strangulation" and got a second cellphone, according to the complaint. Gould, 60, was arrested Wednesday and is being held without bail on charges including first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence, prosecutors said. His preliminary hearing is set for May 27. "He's been living under the specter of this for eight years," Gould's defense attorney, Evan Kelly, told ABC News. "At this point he just wants to clear his name in the court of law." Kelly declined to comment on any details of the case. Maciejewska's body has never been found, according to the criminal complaint. Man arrested for murder of wife who vanished in 2017, allegedly faked birthday text to her dad originally appeared on
15-05-2025
Man arrested for murder of wife who vanished in 2017, allegedly faked birthday text to her dad
A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife who vanished in 2017, prosecutors said. Anna Maciejewska, a Poland native, moved to the U.S. in 1997 and married Allen Gould in 2006, according to the criminal complaint. The couple's son was 4 years old when she disappeared. On April 11, 2017, Maciejewska, 43, was reported missing by a co-worker and a friend; the next day, Gould also reported her missing, the Chester County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday. But evidence including phone records, financial records and witness accounts point to Maciejewska stopping her normal routine on March 29, and the last time anyone saw her or heard from her was March 28, prosecutors said. On March 30, Maciejewska's dad in Poland received a text from his daughter's phone with a birthday message in Polish that had grammatical errors, prosecutors said. "Police later determined the same message was researched via Google Translate, despite that Maciejewska spoke Polish fluently," prosecutors said in a statement. A printout of that same Google Translate message was found in Gould's home, according to the criminal complaint. Gould told police he last saw his wife on the morning of April 10 when she left for work, but her car's internal system showed it was never driven that day, according to the criminal complaint. Maciejewska's car was discovered in May in an apartment complex parking lot nearly 2 miles from their home, the complaint said. When officers responded to their home for the missing persons report, they noticed Maciejewska's iPhone and iPad were on the kitchen table and her phone was "in a startup/update status, as if it had been reset," according to the criminal complaint. Gould allegedly told police his wife was updating her phone on the morning she went missing but it was taking too long to finish updating so she left it at home when she rushed out the door to work, the document said. All of her belongings were left at home besides the keys to her car, the document said. Officers found divorce paperwork at the couple's home, the complaint said, and Maciejewska was taking a "Divorce 101" class. Maciejewska's friend told police that Maciejewska wasn't happy with her marriage and that the couple disagreed on how to raise their son, according to the criminal complaint. Maciejewska allegedly told the friend she wanted a divorce but her husband disagreed; she also allegedly told the friend she and Gould "set a firm date to discuss a divorce," according to the criminal complaint. A friend of Maciejewska told police that their son having dual citizenship and a Polish passport was a "point of contention" because Gould "feared he would have no parental rights" if she took the child to Poland, the complaint said. Maciejewska "visited over 150 websites pertaining to divorce, signs of emotional abuse, psychological abuse, emotional blackmail, emotional abuse, narcissistic personality disorder, domestic abuse vs. normal martial conflict, and how to divorce an emotionally abusive husband," the complaint said. Gould allegedly told police "they had spoken about a divorce" but decided to use their townhouse "as a place to decompress rather than separate completely," according to the complaint. After Gould reported Maciejewska missing, he allegedly "stopped helping police attempt to locate his wife, wrote a check for a criminal defense attorney, clicked on an article about strangulation" and got a second cellphone, according to the complaint. Gould, 60, was arrested Wednesday and is being held without bail on charges including first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence, prosecutors said. His preliminary hearing is set for May 27. "He's been living under the specter of this for eight years," Gould's defense attorney, Evan Kelly, told ABC News. "At this point he just wants to clear his name in the court of law." Kelly declined to comment on any details of the case.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
High School Teacher Faces 63 Felony Charges After Allegedly Having Sex with 16-Year-Old Student
Michelle Mercogliano is facing 63 felony charges after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student Authorities also claim that she provided the teen with marijuana After learning of the investigation, Mercogliano was immediately placed on leave from the Conestoga High School where she taught A Pennsylvania high school teacher is accused of sexually abusing a student and for also allegedly providing the minor marijuana. Michelle Mercogliano is facing 63 felony charges, including multiple counts of unlawful contact with a minor and possession with intent to distribute, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE. The Chester County District Attorney's Office and Tredyffrin Township Police Department allege that Mercogliano, who was a teacher at Conestoga High School at the time, began having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student in February. They also claim she provided the teen with marijuana — all of which the police learned about earlier this week before launching an investigation into the allegations. Although Mercogliano, 35, has not yet been arrested, she is cooperating and arranging a time to turn herself in, per a release the district's office posted to Facebook on Wednesday, April 30. 'Parents and students should be able to trust their teachers,' District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe said in a statement. 'The Defendant broke the law and destroyed that trust. It will not be tolerated.' Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Citing a criminal complaint, ABC affiliate WPVI reported that the student said he had sex with Mercogliano approximately 12 times and that the majority of the encounters occurred in the home of the teacher's parents. The criminal complaint also reportedly alleges that Mercogliano used Snapchat to communicate with the student. In a statement shared by the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District, Superintendent Richard Gusick said Mercogliano was immediately placed on leave and that she no longer has access to school property. 'Ms. Mercogliano began teaching at Conestoga this past fall,' Gusick said. 'She was a teacher at Hillside Elementary School from 2019 to 2024 and a paraprofessional at Hillside Elementary and Valley Forge Elementary Schools from 2014 to 2018. We have no information at this time to indicate that the criminal investigation involves other students.' Read the original article on People
