Still Missing FL - Andelka Morariu, 62, Pinellas County, 28 Feb 2020 *ex husband arrested*

[ADKGemini]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Florida Man Allegedly Murdered Missing Ex-Wife He Was Reportedly Dating

A Florida man allegedly murdered his missing ex-wife with whom he was still in a relationship despite their divorce two years prior, according to authorities.

George Morariu, 60, was arrested Friday on a third-degree murder charge in connection to the death of 62-year-old Andelka Morariu, the St. Petersburg Police said in a release issued last week. Andelka's family reported her missing after they learned that she did not show up for work on March 2, according to police.

During the course of the investigation, George had told police that his ex-wife — with whom he lived — left their home on February 28 and never returned, but surveillance footage apparently contradicted those claims.

According to police, Adelka was captured on video entering their shared home on February 28 and never leaving, and George was filmed that same day — mere hours after Andelka’s entrance — transporting a large object from the home and placing it into the trunk of Andelka’s car, the release states.

 

[YaYa_521]

BBM
So have they located her remains? Does the medical examiner get involved when LE is searching the home and car? I can't find whether she's still missing or not.


St. Petersburg man charged with murder of ex-wife - IONTB
On April 3, 2020 SPPD arrested 60 year-old George Morariu on a single charge of second degree murder for causing the death of his ex-wife Andelka Morariu.

Police: St. Pete man charged with murder of ex-wife missing since Feb. | WFLA

According to police, video surveillance showed that Andelka entered the home that day and never left.

Police said the video also revealed that just hours after his wife entered the home, Geroge Morariu removed a large object from the house and placed it into the trunk of her car.

After a search of the home and cars, police said they found evidence that Andelka Morariu’s disappearance was tied to a homicide. The medical examiner determined Friday that Andelka was indeed a victim of homicide by “unspecified means.”

 

[YaYa_521]

Another photo of Andelka.
WFLA News Channel 8

 

[YaYa_521]

St. Petersburg man charged with murder of ex-wife - IONTB
A search of the home and two vehicles lead to the discovery of biological evidence that was forensically linked to Andelka.

On April 3, the medical examiner issued a death certificate for Andelka Morariu after determining that she was the victim of a homicide and died by unspecified means.

 

[PayrollNerd]

So they’ve determined she deceased but haven’t found her remains? They know the time he put the container in the car. They should be able to follow the cameras around town to see what direction he was headed. There’s a lot of water nearby including the old causeway that people fish off of.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I hope that trunk carpet was processed well.

From the link in post #1:
George and Andelka were divorced in 2018, but at the time of her disappearance, the two were in a relationship and lived together, Andelka’s great-nephew told local outlet WFLAlast month. An unnamed neighbor of the couple told the station that the pair were often heard arguing.

Another unnamed neighbor claimed that it was his doorbell camera that captured George placing a blanket or tarp into the trunk of a car, and then transporting something else to the trunk during a second trip, Bay News 9 reported last month. When questioned by the station, police stated that they were unable to comment because the investigation was still active.

 

[YaYa_521]

St. Petersburg Police Department
Another photo of Andelka.

 

[YaYa_521]

George Morariu - Pinellas County

An arrest on 12/09/2015:

Charges
Description: AGG ASSAULT WITH DEADLY WEAPON
Details
First Name GEORGE
Last Name MORARIU
Gender Male
Age at Arrest 55
Year of Birth 1960

 

[MrsWatson]

Andelka Morariu – The Charley Project

 

[PayrollNerd]

She looks like she has perfect teeth. I wonder if they have found dental records. Sure hope they can find her so her family can lay her to rest.

 

[Unsolved]

Looks like a pre-trial hearing date has been set. I hope if he is found guilty he will tell what he did with poor Andelka.

STATE OF FLORIDA vs. MORARIU, GEORGE
Division A UCN: 522020CF003353000APC

CHARGE(s): MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE (1 COUNT)

NOTICE OF FELONY PRE-TRIAL HEARING
The above case is set at 8:30 AM on Friday, July 16, 2021. In Courtroom 3, 4th Floor, at the Pinellas County Justice Center, 14250 49th Street North, Clearwater, Florida 33762.

https://ccmspa.pinellascounty.org/P...mentFragmentID=61209228&CheckDocumentGroups=0

 

[ifindedout]

George Morariu found guilty Dec. 2023, sentenced to life

St. Petersburg man found guilty of murdering ex-wife whose body was never found

A jury on Friday decided George Morariu shot Andelka Morariu in their home in 2020 and then disposed of her body.

www.tampabay.com

CLEARWATER — Andelka Morariu disappeared in 2020 and has never been found, but a Pinellas County jury on Friday put a partial end to the mystery.

After deliberating for about an hour, a 12-member jury convicted George Morariu of first-degree murder with a firearm in the death of his ex-wife, 62-year-old Andelka Morariu.

Immediately after the verdict, Circuit Judge Philippe Matthey gave George Morariu, 63, the mandatory sentence of life in prison.

The verdict came after four days of testimony in a trial in which prosecutors had to land a conviction without what is usually a key piece of evidence: the victim’s body.

 

[mlhenn]

Andelka Morariu – The Charley Project

Last updated October 28, 2024; details of disappearance updated.

Details of Disappearance​

Andelka was last seen in St. Petersburg, Florida on February 28, 2020. She has never been heard from again. A relative reported her missing on March 2 after she didn't show up for work in the finishing department of Catalent, a pharmaceutical company.

At the time of her disappearance, Andelka lived with her ex-husband, George Morariu, in a home on 81st Avenue north in the Gateway Plaza area. A photo of him is posted with this case summary. They had divorced in 2018, but still lived together and dated each other.

One neighbor said the Morarius often had noisy fights. He also tracked Andelka's whereabouts and tried to make trouble for her at her job by making anonymous complaints to Catalent claiming she was having an affair with a coworker and had had sex in the bathroom at work. On the same day as Andelka's disappearance, George found out Catalent had investigated his allegations about her and determined them to be without foundation.

George stated they had gotten into an argument and she simply walked out the door on the day of her disappearance and never came back. The police officer who interviewed him right after her disappearance noted he had scratches on his face.

Video surveillance footage showed Andelka arriving home from work at 7:42 p.m. About half an hour later, there were three noises that sounded like gunshots. The cameras never showed Andelka leaving the house after she got home, but video from a neighbor's doorbell camera showed George removing a large object, wrapped in a blanket or tarp, from his house at 1:00 a.m. and putting it in the trunk of his car.

A search of the home and two vehicles turned up biological evidence linked to Andelka, including a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol, belonging to George, which had his DNA on it and and a small amount of Andelka's blood on both the exterior and the interior of the gun.

Inside George's car was a plastic Publix bag containing a damp and bloodstained t-shirt with the logo of Andelka's employer, and a small fragment of Andelka's skull. A medical examiner would later testify about the skull fragment, saying such an injury would probably have been fatal even with immediate medical attention.

Although her body had not been found, on April 3, the medical examiner issued a death certificate for her, saying she was the victim of a homicide "by unspecified means." That same day, George was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder in his ex-wife's case, a charge which the prosecution subsequently enhanced to first-degree murder.

At his four-day trial in December 2023, he chose to represent himself with a public defender to advise him. He argued that even if he did have something to do with Andelka's disappearance, there was no proof of murder, and suggested "a heated argument, maybe an accident, which is excusable homicide" could have happened.

George was convicted of first-degree murder with a firearm; the jury only deliberated for one hour. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Foul play is suspected in Andelka's case due to the circumstances involved.