Andrine McDonald, a successful businesswoman and mother, vanished on March 1, 2019, just two weeks after a celebratory 40th birthday party. Her husband, Andre McDonald, an Air Force major, became a suspect after police discovered suspicious purchases—such as hammers, gas cans, and tools—at a hardware store, and physical evidence like blood-stained clothing and a burnt patch of grass in their backyard. A body was eventually found on a private ranch in July 2019, confirmed through dental records and personal tattoos to be Andrine’s. Andre was arrested for evidence tampering and later charged with murder. Despite claiming self-defense during his trial, inconsistencies in his timeline and statements—including purchases made after the alleged attack—undermined his story. The jury found him guilty of manslaughter and evidence tampering, sentencing him to 25 years in prison. The case revealed a history of domestic abuse, secret business activity, and an affair with an old flame. After his conviction, Andre’s father in Jamaica was also arrested and convicted of murdering two women, illustrating a disturbing pattern of violence. Andrine’s daughter, Elena, who had autism, endured the trauma and later spoke out, accusing her father of killing her mother. The case concluded with significant financial damages awarded to Andrine’s family and ongoing support for Elena through an autism advocacy foundation. The entire event underscores the dangers of domestic abuse, marital secrets, and the long-term emotional toll on families.
You're listening to an ONO media podcast. Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with My Husband, I'm Peyton Moreland. You know, I'm Garrett Moreland. And he's the husband. And I'm the husband. All right, you guys have some exciting news. Our holiday merch is available right now. I know it seems a little early, but we wanted it to be available so that you could get it and then wear it all of December. So go check it out. Also, good news is we have restocked the Murder with My Husband coloring books. I have received a ton of messages asking when those will be restocked. And they're restocked right now. So go check it out. I don't really have much for my 10 seconds this week. Honestly, just been watching a lot of hockey for those who like hockey out there. Football, I don't know, that's about it. Watching sports, working, I'll update you guys on some bagel stuff coming soon. We got some pretty cool updates. That's all I got. Nothing too crazy this week again. I'm sorry. Payton's actually we're recording earlier than we normally do because Payton has taken off to see her sister. She has to go out there last second for something. Yeah, it's about all I can say. Lots of secrets going on right now. On that note, let's hop into today's case. Now, obviously, as you guys know, Garrett and I work together every single day. It is amazing that we get to do this together, but don't get me wrong. There are certainly times where it can be challenging. And just like any job has its ups and downs. Especially when you don't really have those boundaries between work life and home life. If something goes wrong during the work day, it's kind of hard not to take that home with you because you're already in your home. Not to let it trickle down. You're just so intertwined when you do the same thing with each other every day. Which is why we have that age old saying don't mix a business with pleasure. Now, luckily, Garrett and I have found a dynamic that works for us. It's actually never been too difficult for us despite the fact that I feel like the situation would typically be difficult. I think working with your significant other takes one of two paths. Either it makes you in your relationship stronger or it can completely tear you apart causing irreparable damage. Leading some people to make choices that they never thought were possible. Today, we are headed down to San Antonio, Texas to meet a 29-year-old mother and successful business woman named Andrine McDonald. Andrine was actually born in poor Antonio Jamaica back in 1989. Now, growing up in Jamaica, Andrine and her family honestly didn't have much, which was why she kept her head down, focused hard on school. She was an excellent student growing up. Andrine knew she wanted to pursue a better life for her family and she was really working hard to achieve that goal. After graduating from high school, Andrine went to a community college in Jamaica to study business and marketing, but her real dream was to transfer to a college in America and start her own successful business there one day. And then, around May of 2009, Andrine met someone, a 29-year-old U.S. Air Force captain who had returned home to poor Antonio Jamaica for a funeral. His name was Andrei McDonald. Okay, now obviously because of the last names, we know that Andrei and Andrine meet in Jamaica and actually just a few months after meeting, they get married in July of 2009. There was just one catch. Andrei, who was home in Jamaica for a funeral, was actually stationed back in the United States in San Antonio, Texas. Now, I know this is confusing because we have Andrei and Andrine and then also they are in poor Antonio Jamaica, but he's actually stationed in America in San Antonio, Texas. Okay, so a lot of similarities, but this young Jamaican couple, me and get married, and he is stationed in the United States. But this actually obviously lines up with 19-year-old Andrine's plans to move to America and continue her education there. So it's kind of works out great. She applied to the University of Texas San Antonio and was accepted. In no time, she and her newlywed were packing her bags and she's preparing to get her degree in business and finance in America. Now, a few years later in 2012, the couple also welcomed a baby girl named Elena. And around that same time, Andrine finished school and got to work starting her own business. Andrine always knew she wanted to do something to help other people. So she actually chose to get into the assisted living business and open up her own facility. Now, the time she was just 22 years old, and since she had come from pretty humble beginnings, finding the money to start this business was going to be the biggest hurdle. I've actually heard they should do pretty well too. Really? Yeah. Don't ask me how I know this, but I know this. Well, luckily for her, her husband Andrine was willing to lend a hand. He liquidated his 401k and sold his car to give Andrine the money she needed to get starlight homes. That's what she was naming it off the ground. Now, at the beginning, Andrine only had three or four residents, but with her wonderful reputation, that actually quickly grew. So over the years, starlight homes assisted living becomes a multi-million dollar company. And eventually, Andrine was actually able to open a second location in the San Antonio area. By the way, I told you. By then, Andrine and Andrei were equal partners in the business, splitting it 50/50. Andrine managed the business, did most of the work when it came to the day-to-day operations. And meanwhile, Andrei took more of a backseat, considering he was still working for the Air Force, having moved up the ranks by that point from Captain to Major. Though while the business itself was doing well, the couple was facing some challenges at home, particularly with their daughter. Alaina was having a hard time with her speech and was later diagnosed with autism. This couldn't have been easy for the couple or their marriage. But a lot of their friends said, if that was the case, like this was super hard on them, it really didn't show. Andrine was always volunteering, what little free time she had to the causes she cared about. She still found time to show appreciation to her husband. On February 16th, 2019, she threw Andrei a lavish 40th birthday party at their beautiful San Antonio home. For a lot of people, I was actually the last time they would see Andrine McDonald smile. And one thing everyone knew about Andrine was she loved working out. For her going to the gym was equivalent to going to church. She woke up early every morning to get to the gym by 5.30 am, so she could still get to work at 8. She never skipped a day and she was strong because of this. According to Andrei, her husband, she could lift about 300 pounds. She was practically a bodybuilder. So she wasn't messing around. But on the morning of March 1st, 2019, just two weeks after that lavish party, Andrine doesn't show up to work that morning. After a few hours past, some of her employees call to check on her, but it seems like her cell phone is off. Again, this is 2019. So they call the gym to see if her personal trainer had met with her that morning. And they say the same thing, no, Andrine never showed. And the trainer hadn't even been able to get in touch with her. Now, by this point, they're also trying to get in touch with Andrine's family. Eventually, one of Andrine's employees actually gets a hold of her mother, Maureen, who is also living in the San Antonio area. Now, so she has come to America. And when she says she also hasn't heard from her daughter, they go, the employees go and pick Maureen up and take her back to Andrine's house. They also call Andrine, who's like, I haven't seen my wife or heard from her this morning either. Okay. He woke up, got his daughter after school, and then went to work over at Lackland Air Force Base. So now he's worried, too. He's like, what do you mean she didn't show up to work? So he's rushing back to the house to check, but no one's home. Then he goes over to a local hospital to check for her there. He knows that his wife suffers from really bad migraines. So his theory is maybe she had one so bad she needed to go to the doctors. When he asks the front desk, if anyone has checked in with the last name McDonald, they say, yeah, actually, there is someone in room three by the name of McDonald. It's got to be different McDonald's. So instead of going to room three, he's at the hospital. He's driven there, okay? He leaves the front desk, doesn't go to room three, goes back out to his car, and drives back home without going in to check if that McDonald is his wife. He says, okay, okay, yeah. He forgot his cell phone and he thought, okay, I've found
her it's more important that I let everyone know she's okay because at this point everyone's looking everyone's worried it's more important I let them know she's okay before going in to check on her and that's just crazy because there's no way if you were to like take a hundred people and ask them what they would do I promise you every single one would say I would be running to that room to see if my significant other was there unless they were all murderers then different story so by the time he's back at his house though so are the police because everyone has been looking for her they have called the police and that's because while he was at the hospital her mother Maureen had arrived at the home and she had discovered some pretty scary things around the home called the police because she feels like they are signs of foul play now unfortunately Andre gets there he's like yeah she's at the hospital though so please call the hospital that Andre was just at to confirm whether Andre had checked in or not and was in room 3 they find out yeah actually there is someone in room 3 with the last name McDonald but it wasn't Andre yeah which he clearly there's some confusion why couldn't he have figured that out at the place over the police figuring out on the phone but which means Andre really is still missing and leaving her daughter in business behind is not something anyone believes she would ever willingly do this is a theory that's supported by evidence that is left all over the home so let me get into the crime scene the fact that her phone purse keys wallet and car are all still at the house in 2019 is a really big deal there's also blood stains and hair on the light switch of the couple's bathroom on top of that they discover a shovel two gas cans concealed in trash bags a torn receipt from a low's hardware store a hammer in the trash can and worst of all a small burnt patch of grass in the backyard with what looks like a piece of one of Andre's shirts in it so of course one of the first people they speak to is Andre not only does his story about going to the hospital and coming back seem a little weird but she about the part how he didn't go and check on her before he left he also tells police you will yeah we did get in a fight the night before he says they had been at a tax preparers office earlier in the day and that's when he learned that Andrean had opened a separate business without his knowledge he said when they got home that night they got into an argument but he got into his car he drove down to a gas station to cool off he said they keep arguing over text messages there but eventually he calm down went home to speak to Andrean in person clearly air only by the time he got home he said Andrean was already asleep in the guest room he figured that's where she was the next morning when he woke up didn't see her and left to take his daughter to school here's what's weird though about this because obviously Andre's seeming suspicious but police check out security cameras from the gas station and the hospital and they confirmed that Andre was at both of those locations when he said he was they also don't notice anything suspicious on Andre he has no bruising no scratches in anything indicating he had been in a fight plus the two did seem to continue their argument over text into the late night hours of February 28th just like he said the night before she was reported missing not to mention Andre denies wholeheartedly that he has anything to do with his wife's disappearance so this whole thing is pretty unusual here you have a suspect an air force major mind you admitting to fighting with his wife the night before she disappeared but there seems to be video evidence corroborating at least part of his story but at the moment police weren't even totally sure this was a homicide investigation so the following day Saturday March 2nd a team of about 70 people go out searching for Andrean McDonald's I was gonna say so there's no body right now which is kind of a big issue yeah just that now meanwhile police are looking deeper into Andre's story and honestly just the history of the couple in general trying to figure out everything about them this is always the first step in a missing persons investigation where they have a spouse what are the finances what are the is there you know an affair going on what are the dirty secrets do they fight a lot how do friends see their relationship so police find while their businesses were doing well it seems Andrean wasn't interested in always working with her husband during that meeting the day before she went missing like I mentioned Andrean had opened a new business and had admitted Andre's name from the paperwork apparently Andre felt like Andrean was trying to secretly swirl away some earnings for herself into this new business account even though the two were married and in the state of Texas he would still be entitled to have her earnings so police have to wonder though would this have been enough to set Andre off this hardly seems like a motive for murder more just kind of like a marital hiccup though apparently there's a lot more to the story turns out the marriage itself had been on shaky ground for a while and according to some Andre had been physically abusive toward Andrean in the past during their relationship which may be why she started to stray from the marriage police find out Andrean had sought comfort in an old flame an ex named obin all he was a businessman who had been living in her hometown of poor Antonio Jamaica the two had dated back when they were teenagers and two years prior back in 2017 they had actually reunited while Andrean was home in Jamaica doing some charity work and then they kind of just keep talking it's long distance that's until 2018 Andrean gets two new tattoos and one includes a date on her wrist but she doesn't tell Andre what the date is for that's that's a bold choice that's that's wild it's a bold choice that's pretty insane also it seems like every time you do a case like this like same it's all just the same money issues right fidelity and fidelity like it all seems to wrap up the same domestic abuse yeah always the same aisle yeah it always is so this whole day on her wrist that she can't explain made Andre suspicious especially when he kept asking what's the significance of this no real answer so after some social media digging Andrean discovers the truth the date was obin's birthday oh my gosh dude that's to be married to someone and do that have a tattoo the other thing is like that might be worse than like like having an affair you know what I'm saying because you're like making it permanent on your body that's crazy it's crazy also the second tattoo she got when Andrean's going through social media he realizes that it's like a replica of one of obens so now they have matching tattoos they share the same tattoo does that make sense yeah that makes sense yes so this sets Andre off who told her to call off the affair get the tattoos covered immediately either that or they were getting a divorce which yeah yeah fair yeah he told her that she was never allowed to go to Jamaica again without him which again fair okay it's just hard because that's also her hometown yeah I mean so on green not wanting to risk her business and everything she'd built over the years did what she was told she got the tattoos covered up she cut off contact with obin or so she said apparently she also told a friend around this time that if anything more to happen to her it would be because of Andre in fact the couple's friend Andrew Russell showed police text messages between him and Andrean messages where she said quote someone's gonna snap Andrew said he had even seen it for himself recently Andrew was at the couple's home in December of 2018 when the two got into a physical fight he actually walked into the kitchen and found the couple Andrean and Andre wrestling each other on their floor he said the next day the couple was just laughing it off like it was happened all the time typing and Andrew sitting here like no this is dangerous like that's not normal behavior yeah it's not okay so knowing that Andre had motive and had been physically abusive towards his wife in the past police are ready to secure an arrest warrant especially because by that afternoon of March 2nd Andre was no longer willing to speak to police he had lowered up stopped answering questions he appeared to just kind of be closing in so that same day around 2 p.m. investigators tailed him to a gun shop where he purchased a nine millimeter handgun and bullets so when police let's see this they're like we got it we got a step in like where is he going with this gun when he knows he's a suspect like is he going back to his house he has a daughter there so they confront Andre outside the gun store as he was walking back to his car and after a somewhat pretty violent confrontation police get him in handcuffs turn him over to military authorities so they can perform a mental evaluation I wonder if he I assume he was going to go take his own life and that's what they possibly the life of the daughter the daughter
as well. So at the same time, investigators continued to compile evidence against André and they found the evidence pretty quickly. You remember police found a ripped-up lows hardware receipt at the couple's home. So they go to the store, ask to check security footage. Sure enough, André is on camera on March 1st, buying a bunch of really suspicious things. We've seen this 100 times. He buys a hatchet, heavy-duty trash bags, gloves, an axe, a log splitter, two five-gallon gas cans. All things you might need if you were going to, I don't know, kill someone and get rid of the body. Yeah, basically. Please keep in mind, they found that patch of burnt grass in the McDonald's backyard that had a piece of André's clothing in it. They should almost, I mean, there's nothing you can do about it. And it's so far in a few in between that this actually happens. So I understand why it's not a thing. But like anytime someone's in lows buying anything that looks like a kill kit, it's like now flagged. Like, sorry, you can't buy it or the police are coming. I don't know. You start to do an interview to get checked. I mean, they could put it in place. It's just it's so far in between. And it's like a kill kit can look similar to other things. Yeah, I can look like a bunch of different things. Yeah. What do they do next? Please go back to the house with a search warrant to collect these specific items or at least any that they hadn't recovered. And when they get there, they check André's car and they find that shovel the axe the trash bags. Honestly, a lot of items from that purchase from lows. And even more damning, they discover a pile of clothes in the garage. Clothes that belong to André and had traces of blood on them. By this point, they also have some information that came back about the hammer they found in the trash the day before. The lab says it has traces of DNA on it and it appears to be a match to André's. So not only do they have evidence that André bought all this stuff that looks like you're going to try to dispose of a body. They also have a hammer with her DNA on it, which feels like a murder weapon. Yep. Obviously, they just need to confirm that this is more than a missing person's case because it's only day two. And while investigators are moving pretty fast, gathering evidence, a suspect, it's proving to take a bit longer to find André or rather her body. The only thing everyone knows, however, is there's no way that this mother left her businesses and her young daughter behind with no notice. Well, the following day, March 3, the Air Force finishes their mental evaluation on major André McDonald. Well, I'm not totally sure what the results are. I know that they do release him. It's hard because I mean, let's be honest, I feel like it is pretty easy to lie and cheat your way through mental evaluations. Yeah. You know, like I think it's like I like, I don't know. It's hard. It's hard because I think every, yeah, I just think it's something that's probably pretty easy to do and I could be wrong, but because Loki, you just lie, how are they going to diagnose you if you're lying about your symptoms or your reasons. Exactly what I'm saying. Unless that person knows you're lying and even then, like it's an opinion. It's kind of like when you take those, I don't know if I'm outing myself here, but when you take those behavioral, like, oh, what's your score? What type of what's your love language? Yeah, you could lie on those. Yeah, and you're taking it and you're like, well, what's the like right answer? Not necessarily right answer, but like as a perfectionist, sometimes when I see those questions, I'm like, well, the person I want to be like the perfection person of me wants this to be the answer. Yeah, I just have to be like really honest with myself and granted, yeah, you could, yeah, I mean, you can analyze someone's body language. You can analyze how they're answering the questions. I mean, there's a lot you can analyze, but I also feel like it's also easy to lie on them, just my opinion in my two cents. Yeah. So the Air Force releases him and then the local authorities arrest him, but not for killing Andre. Instead, they arrest him for evidence tampering since they found the Lowes receipt was torn up in the family's trash. Of course, this is just a precursor until they find the body. That's what they're hoping for. But we know how hard that is when you don't have a body. Unfortunately, Andre doesn't stay behind bars for long. He's released on $300,000 bail and is placed under house arrest. He's only allowed to go to and from work with an equal monitor. I feel like I should know the answer to this and it's been five years into this. I've never asked this question. So hopefully, you know the answer. If not, I will look it up real quick when you release on on bail, right? Or bond, whatever you want to call it, say it's half a million dollars. Are you required to put up that half a million dollars in cash then? Or can you? Because I know there's places that also do like a little bond like there's places that will do loans for it. So I assume they'll put up the money and you pay them back. That's what I think it is. I mean, it's both. I'm sure there's both obviously there's both options. But because sometimes we're doing cases and someone's on like an a million dollars and they pay it. I feel like that's so rare. Like how do they have a million dollars cash just sitting around like here you go. You know what's also crazy about bail? I need to look this up real quick. They determine bail based off of you like your history. So obviously like flight risk and stuff like you won't really get a chance for bail if they feel like you're a flight risk. But for me because he was arrested at the gun store, I'm shocked he got bail. Because what's to say he's just not going to go buy another gun. Second, they base it off of like how much money you have. So they just try to make it difficult based on that. That's why like sometimes people with severe charges aren't in the millions because the state doesn't think they'll even have a. Oh my gosh. Okay. I'm sorry to interrupt. So there's a couple of different things. I didn't know and this could be wrong. This is what I found on mine doing some research real quick. A couple of things right. Bell is money. The court requires to release someone from jail while they wait for court. Okay. If they show up to all court dates, the bell money gets returned minus small fees. If they skip court, the bell is lost. I don't know how I didn't know this. It's a state by state. I think this is how it works. Everywhere. I guess we'll find out. Example, a listener will correct us. Hey, example, bail is $5,000. You pay $5,000 directly to the court and jail. You get most of it back at the end as long as the person goes to court. 100% upfront. Yes. Be use a bail bond man, bondsman. This is what most people do. This is basically alone, but the part you pay is if you won't get back. Example, bells, $5,000. You pay the bondsman 10% 500. They cover the 5,000 of the court. 500 is not refundable and then the person has to show up the court. If you don't show up the court, then they can come after you for the full amount. Interesting. That's crazy. I didn't know that. I didn't know that. For some reason, I thought that the $300,000 or whatever you paid, I thought that they kept. I guess it makes way more sense now that they get it back. I don't know how I'm five years into this and I never looked this up. Imagine you're like a, a, a bondsman for someone who has charges of like financial fraud. Oh, yeah. I bet you, their charges is like taking people's money and not paying it back and going on the run. And then as the bondsman, you're like, you have to show up and also, I bet you they don't get it. I bet you they're like, sorry, dude. I'm not doing this for you. That's funny, actually. Okay. Anyway, it's some good information. Yeah. So obviously he's released. He also can't have any contact with his daughter. And throughout his bond hearing, he's like laughing and smiling. It's, it's odd. Meanwhile, his wife, the mother of his child is still missing and he's at court, presumably because he killed her. So around the same time, the sheriff's office holds a news conference encouraging anyone with more information on Andrean and her whereabouts to come forward. At this point, droves of people around the San Antonio area start coming out to help search for the missing mother. This includes the Texas search and rescue teams and a volunteer search party formed by X Air Force Airman, Bobby Green, who may have known the couple personally. Even the FBI gets involved in the investigation and a $5,000 reward is offered to anyone with valuable information. Unfortunately, none of these, none of these actions turn up anything of value. That is until April 4, 2019. This is five weeks after Andrean's disappearance. That day, a hiker is walking along a trail, adjacent to a highway, and they come across some charred human remains. The sheriff's department is called out to the scene, feeling optimistic that this was Andrean. However, they determine the remains belong to someone of much smaller stature, a female around five foot two or five foot four. They were eventually identified as 39-year-old Norma Pacheco. So while one missing person might have been found that day, the search for Andrean McDonald continues. Still, Andrean's family and friends never give up hope. And on July 11, 2019, 133 days after her disappearance, everything changes. That day, a man named Clifton Clubundi went out to a 50-acre private ranch just six miles from Andrean's home. He said he was wandering around the property looking for a cow's skull to use as a decoration when he was met with an overwhelming stench. He did find a skull. It was just not
a cow skull. He realized it was human and immediately called the police. When the sheriff's office arrived, they found a body buried under wood and other animal parts they believed it had been set on fire. Amongst that was a wig that was believed to be on drains as well as a body part with a cross tattoo which Andrean had. Your remains were collected and examined by a medical examiner shortly after and after confirming dental records, they were certain they had found the body of 29-year-old Andrean McDonald. Now because she had been out in the field so long and partially burned, the medical examiner was really unable to say exactly what caused Andrean's death. But she had many injuries that suggested it had been a blunt object like a hammer, maybe the one that her DNA was on back at home. She also had a fractured spinal cord, a broken rib, a broken jaw. And with that, police wore more than able to secure a new arrest warrant for Andre this time for murder charges. With his GPS ankle bracelet on, it was easy for officers to find him at his house two days later on July 13th. He was taken into custody where this time his bail was set at $2 million. For the next two years, he sat behind bars until his bail was reduced, finally getting out on bond while he waited his court date in 2023. Meanwhile, the prosecution began putting together their theories on what had happened, mainly because Andre was pleading not guilty and was refusing to talk about what had happened the night his wife died. The state was basically hinging their case on domestic violence and the fact that he was essentially losing his wife. She was keeping secrets, opening new business accounts, but when it came time for Andre's court appearance, he took the stand as the only witness for his defense. And he tells a story that paints himself as the victim. So here's what he says at court, of course, date, of course, he claimed that on the night of February 28th, 2019, he and Andrean had that appointment at their tax preparers office where he found out that she'd started a new company without his knowledge. But the way Andre saw it, Andrean was stealing money from him back at the house. The two got into a heated argument, which was when he left to go to the gas station to cool down. That's obviously shown on security footage. However, he said when he was finally home, Andrean was waiting for him, not asleep in the guest room. Like he originally said, he said Andrean was angrier than before. He said he spoke about how they should just get divorced, split their business in half, go their separate ways, but that enraged his wife. He claims that's when she charged him. She spit in his face. He grabbed her head. They headbutted each other accidentally, splitting open her face. And when Andrean realized she was bleeding, she began yelling the Andrean attack her. And that's when she began throwing punches. He says he finally got her to the ground and kicked her a few times to protect himself. It's like the whole thing was self defense, which is so funny because, dude, I mean, no offense. I mean, I guess offense because he killed someone so I don't really care. But like she obviously didn't want to be in a marriage. I mean, she was, I mean, a fair with him. So it just, his story is just so ironic, exactly. Also, the next part of his story, he claims that he is self defense. She's on the floor. She's wheezing. And that's when their seven year old daughter enters the room. So Andre is like, Oh, he sees Elena. He picks her up. He takes her back to bed. He sits in there, tries to calm her down for 30 minutes. And by the time he gets back out, his wife has died. Okay. So he wasn't even in the room when she took her last breath. This is what he's saying, a trial to try and support this. The defense played several videos that showed Andrean working out how strong she was. Basically, they were like, even though she's the girl and he's the guy, she was stronger than him. But when the prosecution asked, well, then why did you never call 911? He was like, well, you know, I just had to get my wife out of there before my daughter could see. Andre said he took her to the field, stripped her naked, burned her clothes. But this is not adding up the hammer. And then also like, why would you strip her naked? Like, what is all this? Well, also like a hammer with DNA on it is not kicking someone's belly until they die. No, it's, you're not getting out of this one. It's crazy. And then also we know Andre went to lose the next day to buy all of the products. So there's no way he took the body to the field. Wow. His daughter was asleep because he didn't buy the products to get rid of the body until the next day. It's a whole thing. Basically, the jury returned with a verdict finding Andre McDonald, the Air Force major guilty of manslaughter. He was given the maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars and given an additional five years for tampering with evidence. Wow. So he'll get out in 25 years. Unfortunately. And I don't know exactly what a trial convinced the jury that this wasn't pre maybe because he bought the supplies after it wasn't premeditated. They had to have come up with a reason for it to be managed. Which I guess I could see, but it's still true. Or if they do believe his story, that could still be considered manslaughter. Yeah. That kind of she left him no choice type thing, but not necessarily self-defense. Yeah. Unfortunately, in the wake of Andre's conviction, the businesses were closed. Andrean's parents did get a few small wins. They were awarded custody of their granddaughter. They also pursued a civil suit against Andre. That same year as his conviction in 2023, Andrean's estate was awarded $210 million in damages, which Andre was responsible for. The real interesting reveal to come out of all this was just a day after Andre was sentenced. News broke that his father back in Jamaica was also a waiting trial. So he gets sentenced. And then the news is like, Oh, this guy that just got sentenced for murder murdering his wife. His father is in Jamaica waiting trial for the murder of his ex-wife and the murder of the higher of his current wife. The apple does not fall far from the tree, does it? So in 2024, his father was found guilty of murdering the ex-wife and murder for hire for the current wife and sentenced to life in prison. What are the chances? That's got to be like the first time ever. If we're speaking like analytically, that's got to be like very rare for father and son. Yeah. Crazy. Andre has filed a pill. It's been denied. Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking parts of all this though is that the daughter has been through all of this during Andre's sentencing, hearing his daughter wrote him a letter that was read. It said to my dad, you killed my mother. You took away my life and you broke my heart. You hurt my feelings. You'll pay for what you did. You'll be punished forever. Yeah. Elena has since gotten some help through a foundation called Eagles Flight Advocacy and outreach, which lend support to people living struggling with autism. And if you would like to look into that organization, you can find them at eaglesflightsa.com. And that is the murder of Andre McDonald. It would be really hard to be a child and not to deal with that the rest of your life. I'm like, you are extremely difficult. That whole situation would be extremely difficult. That level of betrayal. Yeah. All right. You guys, that was our episode and we will see you next time with another one. I love it. And I hate it. Goodbye.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Andrine McDonald, a 29-year-old businesswoman and mother, disappeared on March 1, 2019, shortly after a lavish 40th birthday party, sparking a missing persons investigation.
Her husband, Andre McDonald, an Air Force major, was initially suspected due to a violent argument the night before, his purchase of murder-related items at a hardware store, and evidence like a bloody hammer and a burnt patch of grass in their backyard.
Investigators found that Andre had bought tools and supplies consistent with a potential homicide, including a hatchet, gas cans, gloves, and a shovel, all linked to body disposal.
DNA traces on a hammer and clothing found at the home matched Andre’s, and a body was later discovered on a private ranch in July 2019, confirmed to be Andrine’s through dental records and a cross tattoo.
Andre claimed self-defense during the trial, saying he was attacked and injured by his wife, but this was contradicted by evidence and timeline inconsistencies, including purchases made after the alleged attack.
Andre was convicted of manslaughter and evidence tampering, receiving 20 years for murder and five years for tampering, with a total of 25 years behind bars.
The case exposed deep marital issues, including domestic abuse, secret business ventures, and a prior affair with an old flame, which triggered the conflict.
After conviction, Andre’s father in Jamaica was also found guilty of murdering his ex-wife and Andrine, highlighting a pattern of violence across generations.
Summary:
Andrine McDonald, a successful businesswoman and mother, vanished on March 1, 2019, just two weeks after a celebratory 40th birthday party. Her husband, Andre McDonald, an Air Force major, became a suspect after police discovered suspicious purchases—such as hammers, gas cans, and tools—at a hardware store, and physical evidence like blood-stained clothing and a burnt patch of grass in their backyard. A body was eventually found on a private ranch in July 2019, confirmed through dental records and personal tattoos to be Andrine’s.
Andre was arrested for evidence tampering and later charged with murder. Despite claiming self-defense during his trial, inconsistencies in his timeline and statements—including purchases made after the alleged attack—undermined his story. The jury found him guilty of manslaughter and evidence tampering, sentencing him to 25 years in prison.
The case revealed a history of domestic abuse, secret business activity, and an affair with an old flame. After his conviction, Andre’s father in Jamaica was also arrested and convicted of murdering two women, illustrating a disturbing pattern of violence. Andrine’s daughter, Elena, who had autism, endured the trauma and later spoke out, accusing her father of killing her mother.
The case concluded with significant financial damages awarded to Andrine’s family and ongoing support for Elena through an autism advocacy foundation. The entire event underscores the dangers of domestic abuse, marital secrets, and the long-term emotional toll on families.
FAQs
Andrine McDonald disappeared on March 1, 2019, and her body was found on July 11, 2019, buried in a field near her home. She had multiple injuries consistent with blunt force trauma, and the medical examiner confirmed her identity through dental records.
Yes, Andre McDonald was arrested and convicted of murder after his body was found. He was found guilty of manslaughter and received a 20-year sentence, with an additional five years for evidence tampering, totaling 25 years in prison.
Evidence included a hammer with DNA matching Andre's, purchases of items like a shovel, gas cans, and heavy-duty trash bags from Lowes, a burnt patch of grass with a piece of Andre's clothing, and blood traces on clothes found in the garage.
The investigation began when Andrine didn’t show up to work and her husband, Andre, couldn’t find her, leading to a search. Police discovered suspicious purchases and signs of a possible murder at the home, prompting a full investigation.
Andre claimed self-defense, saying he was attacked by Andrine during an argument, that she spat on him, and that he pushed her and kicked her to protect himself. He also said he took her to the field and that she died after being left there alone.
Yes, investigators found evidence of a past relationship with Andrine’s ex-boyfriend, Obin, including matching tattoos. Andre became suspicious when Andrine got new tattoos and refused to explain them, which contributed to the investigation into marital conflict and abuse.
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