Deceased/Not Found PA - Elizabeth “Beth” Capaldi, 55, last seen by husband, phone & car left behind, Sellersville, Bucks Co, 10 Oct 2022

[Katrinepa]

We are all waiting for the press conf. If they arrested the husband and he led them to remains, we all know it's her. I'm sure one of the delays is a coroner or similar examining the remains and waiting on DNA results, which doesn't happen instantly or even overnight. MOO

The strange thing is that if he confessed, which htey say he did, and led LE to the body, Why has he not been Arrested/Charged? When my Mother was murdered in 1991 in NJ, the killer turned himself in, because he knew LE were searching for him(I knew he killed her), and he was immediately arrested. Perhaps semantics, but 'in custody', and 'Arrested' are two different things in my mind. Very hush hush, which makes me wonder how much more we will learn tomorrow, like did he do this alone?

 

[Parsnip]

Glad we will be getting some news. Wonder if SC is scheduled for court appearance tomorrow a.m.?

I am seeing nothing on the portal about an appearance and still nothing on the PAeDocket about charges, though they may pop up in the morning.

 

[realanastasia]

This is my guess as well. Perhaps, since Pennsylvania is a state that still has the death penalty, he has agreed to a plea bargain in order to take that off the table.

I'd been hoping, considering LE's relative silence, that they had known from fairly early on exactly what sort of situation they were dealing with and that it was just a matter of processing evidence and getting all their proverbial ducks in a row, and now it seems clear that probably was the case. It does make me wonder what they found -- evidence of a hastily-cleaned crime scene? bloodstains in a vehicle? a weapon?

Even from the little they have released, the circumstances have pointed in a singular direction from the beginning, and the more certain people pushed the narrative that she had voluntarily left, the more suspicion they directed at themselves. Could they really have believed that everyone (Beth's daughter included) would have bought the narrative that she'd just taken a bunch of cash and disappeared?

It makes me think that her death was due to a sudden, impulsive act of violence, rather than something that was planned out ahead of time.

Seems plausible reasoning re: plea deal, but I would also point out that although PA *has* the DP, in 2015 our governor (who will be leaving office this coming January) put a moratorium on it, and I think it's highly unlikely that the incoming Governor will change things--although it's not impossible, especially because the new guy is currently our Attorney General, Josh Shapiro. (The info about the moratorium Gov. Tom Wolf put in place comes from this website: Pennsylvania)

I am really hoping that, if he took a plea deal, he did so in the interest of sparing his and Beth's daughter additional anguish. Would it be out of keeping with the selfish act for which we all know his name now? Sure. But one can still hope...

 

[realanastasia]

Scary !
I've forgotten the author, but there's a book (I think !) regarding the 'banality of evil'.
People can commit crimes out of sheer laziness or boredom with the other person.
And the perp can seem ordinary or even friendly to others.
Chilling.
Waiting impatiently for an update .
M00.

Philosopher Hannah Arendt coined this phrase in the 1960s to describe Nazis like Adolph Eichmann during his war crimes trial. She wrote in 1971 "I was struck by the manifest shallowness in the doer [ie Eichmann] which made it impossible to trace the uncontestable evil of his deeds to any deeper level of roots or motives. The deeds were monstrous, but the doer – at least the very effective one now on trial – was quite ordinary, commonplace, and neither demonic nor monstrous."

What did Hannah Arendt really mean by the banality of evil? | Aeon Ideas

Can a person do evil and yet not actually be evil? What Hannah Arendt meant by ‘the banality of evil’ remains a puzzle

aeon.co

 

[Erutan]

Philosopher Hannah Arendt coined this phrase in the 1960s to describe Nazis like Adolph Eichmann during his war crimes trial. She wrote in 1971 "I was struck by the manifest shallowness in the doer [ie Eichmann] which made it impossible to trace the uncontestable evil of his deeds to any deeper level of roots or motives. The deeds were monstrous, but the doer – at least the very effective one now on trial – was quite ordinary, commonplace, and neither demonic nor monstrous."

What did Hannah Arendt really mean by the banality of evil? | Aeon Ideas

Can a person do evil and yet not actually be evil? What Hannah Arendt meant by ‘the banality of evil’ remains a puzzle

aeon.co

Thank you !
Couldn't remember where I'd heard that; but it's so apt in many of these cases.

 

[Chelly]

I am seeing nothing on the portal about an appearance and still nothing on the PAeDocket about charges, though they may pop up in the morning.

@Parsnip Thanks for checking.

 

[Seattle1]

The strange thing is that if he confessed, which htey say he did, and led LE to the body, Why has he not been Arrested/Charged? When my Mother was murdered in 1991 in NJ, the killer turned himself in, because he knew LE were searching for him(I knew he killed her), and he was immediately arrested. Perhaps semantics, but 'in custody', and 'Arrested' are two different things in my mind. Very hush hush, which makes me wonder how much more we will learn tomorrow, like did he do this alone?

Very sorry about your mother's murder in 1991.

If true that the defendant confessed, I believe that investigators still have to confirm and/or corroborate his story before charging him.

Here, it's a good chance that LE did not have sufficient, credible evidence for probable cause or they would have arrested him sooner. The prosecutor wants to get this right and it's not like he's going anywhere. He can be held longer than 72 hours without charges if he gives consent.

 

[azure]

Is he now under arrest or is he still listed as "in custody"?

IMO, you have to be arrested to be in custody. Being arrested is the act of being placed in handcuffs and taken to jail. He has not been charged yet.

 

[Seattle1]

Husband of missing Bucks County woman, Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Capaldi, is in police custody

New developments are unfolding surrounding the disappearance of Elizabeth “Beth” Capaldi, the Bucks County woman who went missing two months ago, including her husband being held in police custody.

www.inquirer.com

12/10/22

On Thursday, Capaldi’s husband, Stephen, was taken into custody for questioning in relation to his wife’s disappearance, law enforcement sources familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly told The Inquirer. By Friday, the sources said, he led investigators through the Hog Island area, near the Philadelphia International Airport — about an hour from the couple’s Sellersville home.

CBS Philadelphia reported that law enforcement agencies could be seen in that wooded area, following a man in an orange prison jumpsuit. Human remains were found in the area but have not been identified yet, the Delaware County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Saturday. An autopsy was pending. Public records show Capaldi is being held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility. State records did not show any pending charges for Capaldi as of Saturday.

[..]

Authorities had not released any new updates to the public as of Saturday.

“Unfortunately, we are legally prohibited from releasing anything about this case at the moment,” Manuel Gamiz Jr., a spokesperson for the Bucks DA, told The Inquirer. “But we hope to address any questions at a news conference late next week.”

 

[Seattle1]

STEPHEN CAPALDI​

Custody Record
Age57
GenderMale
RaceWhite

Ethnicity Non-Hispanic
Date of Birth Nov **, ****
ID Number134***
Custody Status Date Dec 09, 2022 04:28 PM EST
Custody StatusIn Custody
Custody Detail Bucks County Correctional Facility
Book Date Dec 09, 2022 01:26 AM EST

LOCATION
Bucks County Correctional Facility
1730 S Easton Road
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215) 345-3700

12/14/22 -- https://vinelink.vineapps.com/person-detail/offender/27260942;tabIndexToSelect=0

 

[OckhamsRazor22]

So she is last seen in her marital home and after two days a daughter reports her as missing? Is that correct?

Yes- I’m curious as to why the husband or partner didn’t declare her as missing. Strange indeed.

 

[Allabouttrial]

I’m wondering if the detention without charges has to do with a plea agreement. Supposing SC agreed to a plea, an autopsy may have to be completed to corroborate his story and the associated charges with which he agreed.

I’m not in the legal field, so I don’t know whether one can be voluntarily detained, but maybe one of our WS attorneys can share some wisdom on this situation. @Allabouttrial , we are in PA here, can you shed any light?

All imo.

ETA: He was booked at 1:26am on 12/9.

Have to disappoint I'm afraid. My username is not an indication of my occupation, unfortunately. I'm just a regular crime buff like most here .

@Alethea can hopefully answer the question for us though!

 

[Allabouttrial]

Yes- I’m curious as to why the husband or partner didn’t declare her as missing. Strange indeed.

Because he killed her?...

 

[LaborDayRN]

The strange thing is that if he confessed, which htey say he did, and led LE to the body, Why has he not been Arrested/Charged? When my Mother was murdered in 1991 in NJ, the killer turned himself in, because he knew LE were searching for him(I knew he killed her), and he was immediately arrested. Perhaps semantics, but 'in custody', and 'Arrested' are two different things in my mind. Very hush hush, which makes me wonder how much more we will learn tomorrow, like did he do this alone?

I'm so sorry for the loss of your mother to such violence @Katrinepa .

 

[Alethea]

Have to disappoint I'm afraid. My username is not an indication of my occupation, unfortunately. I'm just a regular crime buff like most here .

@Alethea can hopefully answer the question for us though!

This article states that the DA is legally prohibited from discussing the case. If that's the case, the charges may be sealed. There would not be a plea agreement this early. The state has to make the plea offer and if they just found her, they would likely want to complete their investigation before making any type of offer.

Husband of missing Bucks County woman, Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Capaldi, is in police custody

New developments are unfolding surrounding the disappearance of Elizabeth “Beth” Capaldi, the Bucks County woman who went missing two months ago, including her husband being held in police custody.

www.inquirer.com

 

[Parsnip]

This article states that the DA is legally prohibited from discussing the case. If that's the case, the charges may be sealed. There would not be a plea agreement this early. The state has to make the plea offer and if they just found her, they would likely want to complete their investigation before making any type of offer.

Husband of missing Bucks County woman, Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Capaldi, is in police custody

New developments are unfolding surrounding the disappearance of Elizabeth “Beth” Capaldi, the Bucks County woman who went missing two months ago, including her husband being held in police custody.

www.inquirer.com

Thank you @Alethea for the insights and @Allabouttrial for pointing this vegetable in the right direction!!

 

[Katrinepa]

Waiting impatiently for this week's news conference

Elizabeth Capaldi’s husband reportedly led police to what are believed to be her remains

The disturbing story surrounding the October disappearance of 55-year-old Elizabeth Capaldi took a new turn over the weekend, when her husband, Stephen Capaldi, was taken into custody.

buckscountyherald.com

On Monday, Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub’s office said, “Unfortunately, we are legally prohibited from releasing anything about this case at the moment, but we hope to address any questions at a news conference later this week.”

Press Conference today , Thursday 12/15/2022, at 3 PM, to be broadcast at least on local Philadelphia area Stations.

 

[Katrinepa]

Yes- I’m curious as to why the husband or partner didn’t declare her as missing. Strange indeed.

Yes. Daughter visited her parents home when she could not reach her Mother after 2 days, and She called police. As soon as many of us heard this, we suspected the husband, and sure enough, he has apparently confessed, did bring LE to multiple sites of the body parts, and in Custody currently. New Conference today at 3 PM locally-Philadelphia Stations.

 

[cocomod]

From everything I can find on SM, everyone that knew these two are shocked. Could the reason the wording is different is he is currently mentally unstable? Could they have him getting mental health help while they put together a case and try to understand the facts?

 

[Chelly]

IMO, you have to be arrested to be in custody. Being arrested is the act of being placed in handcuffs and taken to jail. He has not been charged yet.

A person may be taken in custody completely or even partially. The concept of being in custody is, therefore, different from that of a formal arrest. Thus it would be seen that in every arrest there is custody but the converse is not true and as such, arrest and custody are not synonymous terms.

Difference between Arrest and Custody?

Arrest is formally taking a person in police custody. Whereas ‘custody ‘Difference between Arrest and Custody? Section 27 IEA

www.ourlegalworld.com