CHESTER COUNTY – A 60-year-old man faces charges for allegedly killing his wife, who went missing nearly eight years ago.
According to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, on April 11, 2017, a coworker and friend called police to report Anna Maciejewska missing. The next day, Maciejewska’s husband, Allen Gould, contacted law enforcement to report his wife’s disappearance.
Troopers arrived at Gould and Maciejewska’s home, and Gould explained that he last saw his wife on the morning of April 10 “as she was rushing” out the door for work. Investigators later discovered that the last time anyone saw or heard from Maciejewska was on March 28, 2017. She allegedly “stopped her normal routine” the next day.
Inside the home, officials discovered Maciejewska’s iPhone and iPad on the kitchen table, and her phone appeared to have been reset, according to ABC News. Gould allegedly claimed that his wife was updating her phone, but it was taking too long, so she left it behind when she went to work. Maciejewska’s other belongings, aside from the key to her vehicle, were reportedly left at home.
According to a complaint reviewed by ABC News, authorities discovered divorce papers inside the home. Maciejewska’s friend reportedly told police that the victim was unhappy with her marriage and wanted a divorce, but Gould refused.
The couple allegedly disagreed on how to raise their son, who was four when Maciejewska went missing. According to ABC News, a friend informed police that their child’s dual citizenship and Polish passport was a “point of contention” for the couple because Gould allegedly “feared he would have no parental rights” if Maciejewska brought their son to Poland.
In response to the complaint, 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.”
Gould allegedly “stopped helping police attempt to locate his wife, wrote a check for a criminal defense attorney, clicked on an article about strangulation,” and obtained another cellphone after reporting his wife’s disappearance.
Maciejewska’s body has never been found.
During the investigation, authorities discovered the victim’s vehicle a few miles from the family home and discovered it had never started on April 10, which contradicted Gould’s claim.
According to the district attorney’s office, on March 30, Maciejewska’s father received a birthday text in Polish that contained grammatical errors. Officials stated that the message “was researched via Google Translate, despite the fact that Maciejewska spoke Polish fluently.” Officials reportedly discovered a printout of the Google Translate message in Gould’s home.
Prosecutors also stated that the victim was “regarded as a devoted mother and was particularly close with her family in Poland,” so “her supposed abandonment of her family is out of character.”
On May 14, prosecutors announced that Gould had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and other related crimes. He is still held in Chester County Prison without bail.
In a statement, Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, “Anna Maciejewska’s disappearance in 2017 stunned the community. Thanks to the Pennsylvania State Police’s persistence and thorough investigation, we can begin the process of obtaining justice for Anna and her family.”