A New Mexico woman who claimed her husband went missing on a fishing trip to Mexico is now accused of murdering him and dragging his body across their property with a tractor.
Craig Thetford, 60, was reported missing in May 2024 after relatives claimed they had not heard from him since January, according to Law and Crime.
When Otero County deputies conducted a welfare check at the couple’s home, his wife, Deana Thetford, informed them that he had fled to Mexico with a new girlfriend and taken $1.5 million in cash. Weeks later, that account started to unravel.
According to authorities, Deana’s story changed several times during subsequent interviews. Initially, she claimed Craig had fled the country; later, she claimed he had relocated to Texas to care for his mother.
Investigators became suspicious after noticing a deep hole in the yard and discovering that Craig’s phone was inactive. Deana reported that the property’s security cameras were not working, which raised additional concerns.
Deana’s daughter contacted police and made a chilling confession, sparking the investigation. According to her, Deana admitted to shooting Craig multiple times after a violent argument and leaving his body in the pool room for two days.
She later wrapped the remains in plastic and used a tractor to transport the corpse to the carport, where she covered it with household items, powder, and mothballs.
On June 17, police executed a search warrant and discovered Craig’s decomposing body in the exact location Deana allegedly described.
An autopsy revealed that he died of multiple gunshot wounds and had likely been dead for weeks or months.
Deana was eventually apprehended in Texas, where she had paid cash for property. The safes she claimed to have locked contained more than $84,000, as well as several guns and ammunition.
She is currently being held without bond in the Wichita County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and evidence tampering. A court date has yet to be announced.
