BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor
Last Friday, a Hillsborough County man, accused of killing his wife, was arrested in Greenville, South Carolina, at the home of his sister. The arrest came about a week after the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest.
Christopher Keith Belcher, 43, is facing charges of second-degree murder and arson of an occupied vehicle in connection with the death of Mrs. Gwendolyn Hill Belcher, 43, of Seffner.
On Sunday, September 16th, human remains were discovered in a vehicle that had been set afire at 7021 Taylor Road. Mrs. Belcher’s family had reported her as a missing person two hours before the discovery of the torched car was reported to police.
Deputies were unable to identify the make and model of the burned car. However, after further examination, it was determined that the vehicle was a black 2000 Nissan Maxima, owned by Mrs. Belcher.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner positively identified the skeletal remains removed from the car as the body of Mrs. Belcher. Dental records were used to make the identification.
Reported Missing
Mrs. Belcher’s family reported her missing around 4:30 p.m., on Sunday, September 16th.
One of her daughters interviewed by police stated that she last spoke with her mother on September 15th, around 4 p.m. When she attempted to contact Mrs. Belcher later that night, the call went to voicemail.
The woman said she attempted to call her mother shortly before 9 a.m. the next day, and again reached her voicemail. Shortly after 11 a.m., texted her mother, but still did not receive a response. When the daughter called Mrs. Belcher’s place of employment, she was told that Mrs. Belcher was not scheduled to work that day.
The woman told police it was very unusual for her mother not to answer her phone calls for such an extended period of time.
Interview With Belcher’s Daughter
During an interview with Belcher’s thirteen-year-old daughter, she told police she had gone to the party with her father. She said they returned home around 9 p.m.
After returning home, Belcher became engaged in an argument with Mrs. Belcher. She further told police that at some point, the quarrel became physical, and she observed her father hit Mrs. Belcher in the face with an open hand.
The teenager further told police that her father sent her to her room. She also said she heard Mrs. Belcher scream, “Chris stop!” on more than one occasion.
She also said she heard a loud beating banging noise. The teenager told police that at some point during the physical confrontation, she called her own mother because she was scared.
The teenager told police that once the yelling had stopped, her father came into her room and told her to go to bed. She never saw Mrs. Belcher again, she told police.
Belcher’s Statements
During the initial interview, Belcher stated that he had gone to a birthday party the night before with his daughter and returned home around 8 p.m.
He said his wife left shortly after, but did not tell him where she was going. He said early that Sunday morning, he discovered that Mrs. Belcher was not at home and her car was gone. He said he attempted to contact her by cell phone, but didn’t get an answer.
Police obtained a search warrant and discovered what appeared to be possible blood and blood spatter in several areas of the residence. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) advised investigators that a full DNA profile of the blood swabs matched the DNA profile of Mrs. Belcher.
When asked about his daughter’s statements, Belcher told police he had several drinks at the birthday party and did not remember getting into an argument or fight with his wife.
