Deputies have spent the last several days tearing into a backyard fountain in DeBary, Fla., in what they say is a search for the body of a mother who vanished nearly three years ago. A Volusia County grand jury on Saturday indicted the missing woman's husband, 48-year-old Epifanio IX Ramos Gaminde, on a charge of first-degree murder; he is being held without bond, reports the Bradenton Herald. Authorities allege Maria Gaminde, who traveled to Disney World in December 2023 before being reported missing by family the following month, never went on the overseas trips her husband described—and that he instead used emails, texts, and her credit cards to create the illusion she was alive.
Police say the suspect, who has prior domestic violence arrests, claimed his wife had traveled to the Philippines and Japan amid difficulties in their marriage. But investigators say his niece in the Philippines told them he mailed her his wife's credit cards and ID and instructed her on what to buy and where. Neighbors also reported that Gaminde was working on a concrete fountain behind the couple's DeBary home around the time his wife disappeared, which prompted the ongoing search, per Fox News. Police have reportedly found anomalies in the concrete, though prosecutors say they're prepared to take the case to trial even if a body isn't recovered. Authorities say Gaminde had a clear motive as he could've been deported if his wife filed for divorce.
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