Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised.
“Andreen McDonald: A Millionaire Vanishes” is an episode of 48 Hours that will be aired on ID on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET. It will explore the details of the disappearance and murder of Andreen McDonald, a 29-year-old millionaire businesswoman.
After meeting in the Jamaican city of Port Antonio, Air Force Major Andre McDonald married Andreen McDonald in 2009. A few years after the couple moved to San Antonio, Texas, they had a daughter named Alayna. According to A&E, Andre and Andreen started a successful home health business, which led to the duo buying a stately house in northern San Antonio.
However, on March 1, 2019, Andreen McDonald did not report to work, and co-workers found out she didn’t even go to the gym. Andre told investigators that he had last seen his wife the night before when the couple had argued over their business. He claimed to have left the house to take a breather at a nearby gas station. Moreover, Andre said that he thought his wife had been sleeping in his daughter’s room when he returned home, CBS News reported.
In July 2019, more than 100 days after her disappearance, authorities found Andreen McDonald’s in an open field that was about six miles away from the couple’s house. An autopsy revealed that she died from blunt force trauma. As per the outlet, even though he was arrested for his wife’s murder, Andre McDonald pleaded not guilty. He maintained his innocence until four years later, when, during the trial, he confessed to his crime and recalled the events from the night of Andreen’s disappearance.
Who was convicted of killing Andreen McDonald?
KSAT reported that the jury found Andre McDonald guilty of a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced him to a maximum of 20 years in prison after hearing his confession. In his description of the crime, he claimed that on February 28, 2019, he got into an argument with Andreen McDonald about some documents that revealed that Andreen had started a new business without telling him.
Infuriated, the husband allegedly left the house to calm down, as he told the police. However, when he returned home, Andreen McDonald was reportedly waiting for him, and they started arguing again. This time, things got aggressive, and Andre proposed the idea of a divorce and splitting the business into two. This allegedly triggered Andreen, who began attacking Andre with verbal slurs that soon turned physical, reported CBS News.
As per his claims, when Andreen attacked him, he also retaliated and kicked her before their daughter walked in on them. By this time, Andreen was reportedly hurt, but he left the room to put Alayna back to sleep. When Andre returned half an hour later, he found Andreen dead. He then confirmed to his defense lawyer that he had only acted in self-defense.
According to A&E, Andre McDonald reportedly purchased an axe, a log spray, and several trash bags from a store after the incident. The light switch in Andreen and Andre’s bathroom had blood stains. A blood-stained hammer with Andreen’s DNA and blood on it was also found in the trash in their home.
The 48 Hours episode on Andreen McDonald’s disappearance will air on ID on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET.
