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Man found guilty in slayings of his wife, baby in Texas

Posted at 3:11 PM, Nov 05, 2021
and last updated 2021-11-05 16:11:39-04

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A man accused of killing his wife and 3-month-old son in Texas by slashing their throats in 2016 has been found guilty of capital murder, prosecutors said.

A Tarrant County jury found Craig Vandewege, 40, guilty Thursday. He received an automatic sentence of life without the possibility of parole, the Tarrant County district attorney’s office said.

Prosecutors said that in December 2016, Vandewege called 911 and said he’d found his wife, Shanna Riddle Vandewege, 36, and their son, Diederik, dead at their Fort Worth home.

Prosecutors said it appeared the home was staged to look like there’d been a robbery.

Days later, Craig Vandewege was arrested in Colorado during a traffic stop.

Police reports said a convenience store clerk called 911 after Vandewege was overheard talking about a murder. The police reports said that when officers pulled Vandewege over for speeding, he unemotionally told them his wife and son had been murdered. He also said his family had moved from the Denver area earlier that year and that he’d returned to Colorado to bury them.

Glenwood Springs police arrested him for not having insurance and speeding. The department later received a warrant from Fort Worth to arrest him on suspicion of murder.