Sandy MaloneLebanon, IN – A Boone County councilwoman’s son was arrested for murder on Saturday after his missing wife’s dead body was found in a creek just one week after she filed for divorce.
Indiana State Police (ISP) said the investigation began after 41-year-old Elizabeth “Nikki” Wilhoite failed to show up for work on Friday, shortly after her last chemotherapy treatment, Gray News reported.
Co-workers called 911 to report the cancer survivor missing and Boone County Sheriff’s Office investigators launched an investigation.
Deputies searched the area with bloodhounds and asked for the public’s help via social media, WLFI reported.
But when deputies learned that the missing woman was the daughter-in-law of Boone County Councilwoman Marcia Wilhoite, the sheriff’s department requested that the state police step in and take over to avoid any conflict of interest, Gray News reported.
Court records showed that Nikki Wilhoite had filed for divorce from her husband on March 17, one week prior to her disappearance, KCRG reported.
The divorce filing showed that the couple had children together.
ISP investigators learned that Nikki Wilhoite and her husband, 39-year-old Andrew N. Wilhoite, had had a disagreement that became physical.
State police said Andrew Wilhoite struck his wife over the head with a blunt object and knocked her unconscious, Gray News reported.
So he tried to cover up what he had done by driving Nikki Wilhoite’s body to a nearby creek and dumping it, according to investigators.
ISP said the woman’s body was found partially submerged in about three feet of water at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning, Gray News reported.
Troopers arrested Andrew Wilhoite for his wife’s murder just before 4 a.m. on March 26 and booked him into the Boone County Jail.
Nikki Wilhoite’s body was transported to the Boone County coroner who determined that her death was a homicide, according to Gray News.
The coroner’s office said it was waiting on lab results before specifying the exact cause of death.
Holly Matkin
