At his guilty plea hearing Tuesday the only unknown for Stephen Capaldi was how long he would spend in jail for killing his wife of 30 years and then misleading authorities for eight weeks as they searched for her.
The 57-year-old Sellersville man agreed in December to plead guilty to third-degree murder and related crimes in the death of Elizabeth Capaldi, and tell authorities where they could find her.
He kept that part of the agreement on Tuesday in Bucks County court.
Under the deal with the DA, Capaldi was to serve 20 to 40 years in state prison.
But Bucks County Judge Charissa Liller decided he deserved more time for misleading authorities about his involvement and dismembering his wife’s body and disposing of it.
‘Bad enough to murder this woman in her sleep’
“It was bad enough to murder this woman in her sleep,” Liller said, calling Capaldi a terrorist, and a coward.
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Liller went outside the agreement guidelines and sentenced Capaldi to 22 to 44 years in state prison. On the charges of misleading authorities, and abuse of a corpse, Liller imposed two 12 to 24 month sentences be served consecutively.
What that means is that Capaldi will have complete at least 20 years in prison, before he can start serving the first of the two sentences on the lesser charges.
Capaldi agreed to the changes to the agreement confirming he would not oppose or appeal them. He also admitted to killing his wife.
“Yes, your honor those are the facts. Yes, I murdered my wife.”
Liller expressed disgust that Capaldi waited until he got a deal with the District Attorney before he disclosed what happened to his wife and where her remains could be found.
“That to me is appalling,” the judge said.
It was on October 12 last year when the adult daughter of Beth Capaldi, 55, reported her missing two days after authorities said she was last seen inside the couple’s home near High and Church streets.The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office held a news conference shortly after Capaldi was reported missing asking the public for help finding her. Community members also organized large search parties including at Nockamixon State Park and wooded areas and a park near the couple’s home.
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In initial police questioning, Stephen Capaldi maintained he was in Montgomery County checking on rental properties he owned, then he went fishing before returning home and finding his wife gone.
It was the same story Capaldi maintained for weeks, until forensic examinations of his smartphone showed evidence a six-month-long affair.
Police also found out Capaldi did numerous internet searches including, “how to get away with murder,” “how to delete Facebook messages,” “how to dispose of a human body,” and “how to disappear and never be found.”
To avoid a first-degree murder charge and a mandatory life sentence, Capaldi agreed to the plea agreement and to tell investigators what happened to his wife and her body.
He confessed to smothering his wife as she slept. He dismembered the body in the basement of their home two days later, on the same day Beth Capaldi was reported missing, authorities said.
Capaldi led investigators to where he buried part of the remains near the Philadelphia International Airport. Other remains were disposed of in an apartment trash bin in Montgomery County and they have not been recovered, authorities said.