Upon hearing from her sister-in-law that her husband had left with a younger woman, the man immediately grew suspicious.
In 2007, Loretta Burroughs murdered her husband in their own home. Although many were suspicious, the crime was only exposed six years later when police discovered that the woman had been keeping her husband’s corpse with her for all those years.
Third Marriage
When Loretta Burroughs and Daniel Burroughs first met in the 1960s, they were both quite young, still high school students. They dated for a while before life took them down separate paths. Many years later, the two got back together.
Both Daniel and Loretta were described as very sweet and kind. They had both been married and divorced in the 1970s. Loretta remarried, but her husband passed away in February 1994. Afterward, Daniel and Loretta rekindled their relationship. They got married in 1997, after three years of dating. Both had children from previous marriages, and Loretta even had four grandchildren.
Everything seemed wonderful as the couple lived together in Mays Landing, New Jersey, USA. Daniel enjoyed working with cars and often did free repairs for many people. He didn’t have a steady job, just odd jobs or projects.
But as the years went by, things between them weren’t as smooth as they appeared. On August 7, 2007, Loretta announced that Daniel had left with a young blonde woman who had come to pick him up in a yellow Hummer with Florida license plates.
Suspicious Disappearance
Whenever anyone asked, Loretta claimed it was a waitress from Florida. The couple had met this woman at a restaurant while on vacation. During their vacation, they ate there almost every day because Daniel wanted to.
Upon returning home, Loretta went on another vacation with her daughter’s family. When she came back, she saw Daniel sitting in the car with the other woman. He said he was going to Florida with the waitress.
According to Loretta, Daniel had long wanted to move to and retire in Florida. Loretta, on the other hand, was living close to her family and didn’t want to move elsewhere. These differing views led to conflicts between the couple.
After her husband “left,” Loretta sold all of his belongings, explaining that she didn’t want to see anything of his. This made one of Daniel’s friends suspicious because he knew Daniel cherished those belongings.
Daniel’s family, especially his half-brother Raymond Wantorcik, didn’t believe his wife’s story. Daniel left but left all his belongings behind. He didn’t leave a new address for his brother, nor did he inform him of the move to Florida, even though they regularly talked and visited each other’s homes.
In September 2007, Raymond decided to report his 61-year-old brother missing to the police. The police checked local databases to search for Daniel but found no signs of him going to Florida.
The police talked to Loretta, who appeared to be very cooperative. They searched the house but found nothing unusual or suspicious.
Authorities later looked into Loretta’s background and discovered something she had always kept hidden.
Stalemate Investigation
Authorities looked into Loretta’s background and found that about 10 years prior, she had been arrested for embezzlement. Loretta had embezzled around half a million USD from the company where she worked. Loretta claimed that others were involved and she was just a “scapegoat.”
At that time, Loretta was very afraid that Daniel would find out. However, Daniel’s feelings didn’t change afterward. He often visited her for over 2 years while she was in prison.
An old friend and neighbor of Daniel told the police that at the time of Daniel’s disappearance, he noticed dirt on Loretta’s hands and clothes when talking to her. Additionally, he smelled a foul odor emanating from their house, but Loretta claimed it was a dead animal. The neighbor also noticed a recently broken fence that had been repaired.
Loretta provided answers to all the police’s questions and maintained her statement about her husband leaving with another woman. Authorities had no leads or evidence to charge or detain her, so there was nothing more they could do. Daniel’s case remained at a standstill.
The Suspicious Woman
In 2009, about 1.5 years after Daniel’s disappearance, Loretta filed for divorce. This announcement was published in the newspapers. During the court hearing, Daniel did not appear. The court ruled in favor of Loretta’s divorce.
Loretta then sold the couple’s house in Mays Landing and moved to Ventnor City, New Jersey to be closer to her daughter and sister. From this point on, Loretta completely severed all ties with her husband’s son.
For many years after that, Daniel’s family never stopped searching for him. They reached out to all acquaintances to ask if they had seen or heard anything about Daniel. They also posted missing person flyers everywhere and created a social media page named ‘Find Danny Burroughs.’ Deep down, they knew something terrible had happened, but for 6 years, they never gave up hope.
In 2013, Daniel’s family continued to petition the authorities. A newly established unit specializing in unsolved cases took on the case and decided to reopen the investigation.
Loretta’s story that Daniel left her for another woman never made sense to the police. Witnesses never saw a yellow Hummer come to pick up Daniel in 2007. However, the police couldn’t find any concrete evidence.
Authorities decided to investigate the death of Loretta’s previous husband. Family members and friends had always suspected Loretta of killing him.
Suspicious Death
Loretta Burroughs’ story that Daniel Burroughs left her for another woman never made sense to the police. Witnesses never saw the yellow Hummer come to pick up Daniel in 2007 as Loretta claimed. However, the police couldn’t find any concrete evidence.
Authorities re-examined the death of Loretta’s previous husband. Family members and friends had always suspected Loretta of killing him.
The two had separated but reunited only about a week before his death. The cause of death was determined to be an overdose, and Loretta was the one who provided him with the pills. However, she was never charged and received a payout but never gave anything to her husband’s children.
Despite suspicions, without Daniel’s body, the police couldn’t prosecute Loretta for murder. However, they found a power of attorney document with Daniel’s forged signature. The document was dated June 12, 2007, before Daniel disappeared, and was notarized by a friend of Loretta’s. It seemed that the biggest thing this woman pursued was the house because it had a very high value.
Daniel’s son said that initially, Loretta was good to them. After a few years, cracks began to appear in Daniel and Loretta’s relationship. While Daniel wanted to move to Florida, where his two children lived and retire there, Loretta disagreed. However, Daniel was still determined to sell his house. After her husband’s death, Loretta sold this house and pocketed all the money.
Horrendous Secret
On May 17, 2013, a search warrant for Loretta’s house in Ventnor City, where she lived with her sister, was issued. A warrant for her arrest was also issued at the same time, so Loretta had no time to destroy evidence. Thanks to this, investigators discovered a horrifying secret.
As Loretta was preparing to move for the fourth time, the police appeared at her door with a search warrant. The woman’s face clearly showed concern.
In one of the bedrooms, the police found large plastic-wrapped boxes stacked in the closet. They also found air freshener beads and dryer sheets placed on the boxes. When opened, the police immediately smelled decomposition.
Two boxes were filled with bone fragments. Another box wrapped in tape and plastic bags was also found. Inside it was a woman’s handbag containing a skull.
At the same time, Loretta was being questioned at the police station. She burst into tears, admitting to killing her husband and saying that he was still with her. According to Loretta, Daniel was in the closet at her house. At this point, the police were certain they had found the remains of Daniel Burroughs.
The Clear Truth
Loretta then recounted a story of domestic violence, stating that killing her husband was only in self-defense. According to Loretta, they had a fierce argument. She went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. Loretta claimed that when Daniel attacked her, he accidentally stabbed himself.
However, further investigation revealed that this was not an accident but rather that Loretta had stabbed her husband to death in August 2007.
For 6 years, Loretta moved houses 3 times, always carrying the boxes containing her husband’s remains. On May 17, 2013, when this woman was preparing to move for the fourth time, authorities discovered everything.
Friends and family members of the victim believed that Loretta killed Daniel because she didn’t want to move to Florida while he was determined to sell his house. After killing her husband, Loretta forged signatures to sell his house and other assets.
The Price Paid
In court, Loretta’s emotions constantly fluctuated. Forensic pathologists and forensic anthropologists testified to the rib fractures on the victim’s skeleton resembling stab wounds and determined that the victim died from homicide.
The prosecutor argued that in fact, Loretta’s heinous plot had begun many months before the murder. In early June 2007, she had a lawyer draft a power of attorney document. Loretta told the lawyer that the couple was selling their house, but Daniel was leaving town. With the power of attorney, Loretta could complete the sale. The prosecutor stated that Loretta had forged Daniel’s signature on it.
In 2015, after two hours of deliberation, the jury concluded that Loretta Burroughs was guilty of murdering her husband. Loretta, then 63 years old, was sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder and 3 years for hindering apprehension.
She will be eligible for parole in 2060, when she will be 108 years old. This means that Loretta will likely spend the rest of her life behind bars. According to prison records, she is still incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey.
