Texas Father Arrested in Deaths of Wife and Infant Son Who Were Found with Their Throats Slit
A Texas father has been arrested in the double-murder of his wife and infant son, who were found dead Dec. 15 with their throats slit, PEOPLE confirms.
A Fort Worth police press release states Craig Vandewege was arrested in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Wednesday for allegedly speeding and not having proof of insurance after a citizen told police he was acting suspiciously.
On Dec. 15, Fort Worth police found the dead bodies of Shanna Vandewege, 36, and the couple’s 3-month-old son, Diederick, in the master bedroom with apparent knife wounds to their necks, authorities have said. They died from having their “necks cut,” and their deaths were ruled homicides, a Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office spokeswoman told PEOPLE.
Upon arrival to the scene, officers found Vandewege on the front walkway “crouched down with his face in his hands,” according to the release.
Homicide detectives subsequently interviewed Vandegege about the slayings, but Vandewege “denied any knowledge of this heinous offense,” the release states.
During an interview with Fort Worth police on Monday, Vandewege said he wanted to speak with his attorney before speaking to investigators further, but he had not been in touch with police subsequently, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
At the time of his arrest in Colorado, Fort Worth authorities had prepared an arrest warrant for capital murder. According to the Star-Telegram, Vandewege was in the process of bonding out of jail in Colorado when local authorities were notified of his warrant in Texas.
Shanna, Craig, and Diederick VandewegeGoFundMe
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According to an arrest report obtained by the Star-Telegram, Vandewege allegedly told the officer who pulled him over that he was going to Las Vegas, and said, “It’s been a long week, my wife and kids were murdered in Texas.”
The arrest report alleges Vandewege refused police instructions to exit his vehicle over a five-minute period.
It also alleges that officers found a wedding band in Vandewege’s pocket along with numerous condoms.
Victim ‘Wanted a Family Since She Was a Little Girl’
Shanna Vandewege’s friends told PEOPLE she and Craig had moved from Colorado in May after Craig got a promotion at work.
Shanna was a registered nurse at a nearby hospital but was on maternity leave, friends tell PEOPLE.
In an email to PEOPLE, childhood friend Monica Vance wrote, “She had wanted a family since she was a little girl. She planned it out, including names, before she was 12.”
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Longtime friend Cindy Prevatt wrote in an email to PEOPLE, “Shanna was wonderful,” adding, “I can not think of one single thing that she ever did wrong. We are heartbroken, confused and angry.”
Mark Riddle, Shanna’s father, told ABC8 that the couple had three miscarriages prior to having a baby.
Vandewege’s attorney, Leslie Barrows, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
• With reporting by HARRIET SOKMENSUER
