A California police department has written and produced a six-episode "true crime" podcast in hopes of intensifying a potentially global manhunt for millionaire Peter Chadwick, who allegedly murdered his wife in 2012 and vanished while free on $1 million bail. (Newport Beach Police Department via Associated Press)
Police in California are hoping a six-part, true-crime podcast will lead to the capture of a millionaire fugitive suspected of killing his wife.
The Newport Beach Police Department announced “Countdown to Capture” this week, detailing how Peter Chadwick became a suspect in his wife’s 2012 murder and went from being a business and family man to a fugitive.
"Peter could be anywhere in the world," Newport Beach Police Chief Jon Lewis said at a news conference Wednesday. "He's got the financial means to avoid the restrictions placed on his travel and he's taken every opportunity to hide his tracks. We want to spread his picture and the story of his crimes far and wide. We want everyone to be looking for Peter Chadwick."
Over two weeks, the police department will release the podcast’s six, 15-minute episodes.
The Los Angeles Times reported that authorities also announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to Chadwick’s capture. The reward is funded through a mix of private donors, the city of Newport Beach and U.S. Marshals Service, which list Chadwick as one of its 15 most wanted fugitives.
Officials say Chadwick and his wife Quee Choo Chadwick, 46, disappeared from their home in the affluent coastal city on Oct. 10, 2012.
Police got involved when two of the couple’s three sons were left waiting for a ride home from school.
Chadwick called 911 from San Diego the next day and said Quee - known as Q.C. – was killed by a handyman who kidnapped him and brought the body along.
Police became suspicious and Chadwick was arrested. Quee’s body was found a week later in a trash bin in San Diego.
Chadwick was released on $1 million bond in December 2012 and made 13 court appearances before failing to appear at another in 2015. A naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the United Kingdom, Chadwick had his British and American passports seized when he made bail.
“Peter Chadwick has a great deal of money at his disposal,” a police spokeswoman said. “If you listen to the podcast you’ll find that he was able to empty millions of dollars out of bank accounts that he had access to, take out cash advances on credit cards.”
“Peter Chadwick has a great deal of money at his disposal. If you listen to the podcast you’ll find that he was able to empty millions of dollars out of bank accounts that he had access to, take out cash advances on credit cards.”
Chadwick has covered his tracks well and all leads to his whereabouts have been exhausted, she said.
Even without his passports, Chadwick may still have been able to leave the country, authorities believe. A search of his home yielded several books detailing how someone can change their identity and live on the run.
“We will leave no stone unturned until Peter Chadwick is behind bars,” U.S. Marshal David Singer told reporters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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