A Florida man, 46-year-old Andrew Ridgeway, has been arrested for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Stacy Ann Powell, 48, in their Auburndale home.
Powell was reported missing two days after she last logged into her work computer. On Thursday, Feb. 6, police went to Powell’s home to conduct a welfare check. They spoke with a handyman hired to work on the house, who confirmed that both Powell and Ridgeway were absent.
While officers spoke to the handyman, Ridgeway reportedly called him to ask about the police presence. During a phone call with an officer, Ridgeway claimed to be in North Carolina with Powell’s grandmother. He further fabricated a story, claiming Powell had taken an Uber to Orlando International Airport on Feb. 5, en route to Jamaica to visit her sick father.
However, police quickly identified Ridgeway’s story as false. Stacy’s father resided in North Carolina, not Jamaica, and Powell’s grandmother was in Auburndale, not North Carolina.
A search warrant was executed later that day, revealing that Powell had been “brutally and savagely attacked and murdered.” Auburndale Police Chief Terry Storie described the murder as a “brutal attack,” which delayed identification of Powell’s body until later in the afternoon.
Ridgeway faces charges of second-degree murder and providing false information to law enforcement.
