The Mysterious Disappearance and Chilling Fate of Andreen McDonald (True Crimes Documentary)

[Music] andren McDonald had a very strict regimen that she followed every single day she would be at the gym by 5:30 a.m. and in the office by 8:00 a.m. on March 1st there was no indication that she would be late however she did not show up for work her colleagues discovered that she never attended the gym that morning which she considered a vital part of her routine it was impossible for andrin to be missing what concerned me the most was that her phone was missing but her purse keys and vehicle were all still there given that her vehicle purse and keys were all Left Behind could it be a case of abduction the deputies were just beginning the investigation and didn't know what to think at this point it turns out andron McDonald a beautiful Jamaican woman was brought to the US by her husband Andre with top secret security clearance the Air Force Major and andron started an assisted living facility becoming millionaires within a few years she's not boastful or anything like that she's just that humble person andreen had a great reputation not only in the assisted living community here in San Antonio she was kind of a rising star in San Antonio absolutely very much a rising star there were always laughing and joking around the house didn't seem to be in terrible disarray nothing was knocked over were broken but the wall was stained with blood on a light switch in an odd area there was blood and hair when the months went by and they hadn't found anything in my mind that's not so bad unless they find something that solidifies her death I mean she's alive right and she's somewhere I have Bexar County Sheriff's deputy arrived at andreen McDonald's home in an upscale gated community in San Antonio on March 1st 20 19 after her mother Moren reported her missing the deputy made a disturbing Discovery within minutes Sheriff Javier Salazar says deputies saw blood and hair on the wall in the backyard normally beautifully landscaped there was another troubling clue of fire pile I saw the burn pile here we found a zipper from Andre's blouse in his statement to the deputy andrean's husband said that after waking up he drove their daughter Elena to school before reporting to Lackland Air Force Base as a cyber warfare analyst Andre returned home as soon as he learned andreen was missing believing she may have been treated at a nearby hospital he quickly left the house again Andre's arrival at the hospital was captured by surveillance cameras lead investigator Frank stubs stated when he arrived you can see him asking for McDonald and they tell him there is someone named McDonald in room 3 when he returned home home he told them that she was in the hospital however after calling the hospital the deputy discovered that the McDonald who checked in wasn't andreen McDonald according to Andre he went home before seeing his wife to tell Moren he had found andreen because he had left his cell phone at home despite his efforts it turned out that the Major's hunch was wrong he had some indications that she was there and injured to some extent andrean's mother-in-law Jackie who lived in Florida also had question I called andreen about a thousand times and had been ringing andreen whatever it was please call me back there was concern among everyone that andreen wouldn't just disappear she was known for her sense of responsibility and dedication to her family and business when andreen was 22 she started an assisted living facility called Starlight homes in San Antonio in order to start the business Andre liquidated his 41,000 according to Andre's close friend Andrew Russell Andre bankrolled her dreams even selling his BMW they were doing so well they were doing everything that would make any mother proud under andrean's supervision Starlight Holmes flourished and became a multi-million dollar business in just 7 years andrean's success is attributed to humble beginnings growing up in Portland Jamaica we didn't have a lot we thought we could get somewhere in life in America if we wanted to to achieve something andreen met Andre who was also from Jamaica and a US Air Force captain at the time at 19 andrean's dream of immigration became a reality it was in May of 2009 that Andre returned home to Port Antonio to attend a funeral where he met andreen a 19-year-old girl when they met she was excited about the captain and the Air Force they both decided for her to come to America they married in July he was pleased to know he had found someone with whom he could start a family she would soon become a mother to a baby girl named elen Jackie thinks andreen wouldn't just get up and leave Elena and no one would ever hear from her Elena was at the center of andrean's world which made her disappearance so perplexing that evening a forensic crime unit examined those stains in the bathroom and confirmed the initial belief investigators were hoping Andre had some answers but he said he hadn't seen his wife that night and what Andre described raised more questions than answers he had told them they had come home from the tax preparer office and argued over the business he cooled off by going up the road getting some gas a video was obtained of him going to the Shell station Andre said andreen and he went to separate bedrooms when he returned home according to investigators Andre failed to mention the text Exchange that took place at the gas station according to investigators Andre's text messages revealed a troubled marriage including claims of betrayal those text messages contained accusations of unfaithfulness Robin Hall a businessman living in Port Antonio Jamaica was andrean's ex-boyfriend and possibly her current lover according to investigators despite andrean's threat of divorce Andre texted I don't care if you get divorced you brought brought auin into our lives auin dated andreen when she was a teenager according to investigators the two rekindled their romance on one of Andre's philanthropic trips to the island in 2017 according to her close friend Mandy in andrean's eyes obing was her first love it wasn't something she could get over emotionally she says They carried on their Affair in secret until andrean got two new tattoos in the summer of 2018 she had an initial a tattooed on her hand and a date tattooed on her wrist Andre was suspicious as a result Mandy says Andre started digging into this tattoo mystery he went and did his own research a photograph of Obin branded with the same tattoo that also appeared on andrean's hand was discovered on social media by Andre those numbers 14376 are aubin's birthday day month and year she claimed claims Andre threatened divorce if andreen didn't stop seeing auin cover up her tattoos or promise never to go to Jamaica without him Mandy made sure to conceal her tattoos not wanting to part with the permanent markings at Andre's 40th birthday celebration it seemed as though the McDonald family was getting along well however just 13 days later on March 1st 2019 andreen went missing the once Lively household was now a crying scene and investigators searched until the early hours of the morning they even checked if there had been any activity on her credit cards or passport since her disappearance but no leads were found all of these inquiries were fruitless Andre McDonald became a person of interest he stopped answering questions and hired an attorney Andre was backing out of the McDonald's driveway when an undercover investigator noticed the garage had been damaged the next day at 2:00 p.m. investigators were called to the scene after following him to a nearby gun shop where Andre purchased a 9mm handgun and ammunition when Andre walked back to his car investigators confronted him their violent takeown may be disturbing to viewers investigators moved to detain the Air Force Major and turned him over to military authorities for a mental evaluation meanwhile investigators returned to andrean's house with a search warrant and and checked her car while there some objects caught their attention a shovel an axe a hatchet Mall trash bags gloves and gas cans were among the items found in the house it turned out that a Low's receipt had been torn up inside the garbage can at the house detectives were able to obtain surveillance footage from the hardware store the items were bought the day after andreen disappeared it looks like his wife's disappearance points to her body being disposed of we found a hammer en close in the garbage in the corner of the garage which investigators said was the most damning evidence of all investigators say they found traces of Blood on the pocket of these genes what's on the claw hammer that's of Interest they determined the presence of blood on the hammer and based on the DNA they obtained this blood sample was from the entranceway that hammer was probably used as the murder weapon which is very significant in 48 hours detective stubs believed he had found key evidence implicating Major Andre McDonald in The Disappearance of his wife the family trash can contained items stained with Andre's Blood The Case of the missing person had become much more Sinister is it pointing towards something the evidence pointed towards a murder but there was a problem none of the evidence collected proved that a murder had occurred it is difficult to turn a missing person case into a homicide case on March 3rd 2019 the Air Force concluded its evaluation of Andre and released him it wasn't for murder that Civil Authorities arrested him according to the torn receipt found at the house listing the items Major Andre McDonald had purchased from the hardware store he was arrested for tampering with evidence Jackie Andre's mother was shocked and in disbelief at his arrest as a result of Andre's decision to cease cooperating with detectives everyone was shocked confused and suspicious the look on Andre's face told us we wouldn't be able to break him and make him tell us what had happened Sheriff Salazar went on local television asking for help we are asking anyone with information on her location to contact us at 210 335 immediately after the community of San Antonio along with family and friends gathered in droves to search for an including a volunteer search party led by former Air Force Airman Bobby green on the same day that search efforts continued Andre McDonald was released from jail with his wife absent while investigators say Andre did not take part in the search efforts days eventually turned into months of dead ends as Andre took over management of Starlight homes the investigation into Andre's disappearance LED investigators to learn that the couple had both business and romantic problems during their relationship in WhatsApp messages shared with friends there are arguments over who really was the brains behind their successful business andreen tells Andre Starlight Holmes is my idea my dream and I would not have made it happen without my drive there was concern at the time about violence among friends like Andrew Russell Andrew told investigators that the couple's war of words turned physical the night before a Christmas party in 2018 when they got into a physical fight at their home just over 2 months later Andre's blood spilled into her home and she disappeared 1033 days after andreen disappeared there was finally a break in the case on July 11th 2019 the Bexar County Sheriff's Office patrol deputies were dispatched to this location around 7:30 this evening in response to a report that human remains had been found a man named Clifton Club Bundy discovered the skeletal remains in a farmer's field just 6 mil from McDonald's house Clifton had used his tractor to retrieve a cow skull that had been found along the property's tree line officials determined the human skeletal remains belonged to andreen McDonald her sister Cindy Johnson in less than 48 hours Andre McDonald would be arrested and charged with murdering his wife for 4 years Andre's family has waited for justice Bear County assistant district attorney St Steven spear Lauren Scott and Ryan groomer would prosecute McDonald for the murder of his wife however the prosecution would have a hard time as a result of the evidence found at McDonald's house including the hammer and blood the prosecution was unable to determine for sure how andreen died in defending McDonald some of the top San Antonio defense lawyers represented him Major Andre McDonald had been living under house arrest since April 2021 but days before his trial started on January 17th 2023 McDonald who would remain silent about the death of his wife began telling a remarkable story Jackie says her son began telling her about andreen McDonald then called Andre's mother and sister Cindy who put the call on speaker phone he explained to his family what had happened for the first time according to him it was a phone call that stunned his defense team McDonald would tell the story but not before the prosecution laid out its case the defense claims that andrean's death was an accident there is evidence of an accident a mutual fight that occurred the prosecution also called forensic pathologist Dr James fig to testify in his testimony fig stated that andrean's skeletal remains were severely damaged as if she had been struck by a blunt object although andreen suffered fractures to her spinal cord broken ribs and split Jaws the pathologist was unable to determine what exactly caused her death I have therefore stated that her death was a result of homicidal violence after 6 days of testimony and 33 Witnesses the prosecution rested there was only one witness for the defense Major Andre McDonald McDonald described the evening of February 28th 2019 in the office with his wife he discovered that andreen had started a new business a year earlier without his knowledge McDonald said that after a heated argument that evening he left to cool off at a gas station they continued to argue over text McDonald said when he returned home he brought up the prospect of divorcing and dividing their business she became extremely irate at the thought of splitting the business charges into the room to confront me as soon as I turn around she comes right up in front of me so at that moment she spits in my face because she was right in front of me I grabbed her so I grabbed her head there was a clash of heads and I think it opened up like a cut somewhere on her face in his testimony McDonald claimed andreen attacked him after seeing her bloody face in the mirror he claimed andreen ran into the bathroom and turned on the lights some viewers may find his testimony disturbing like I said she's throwing punches when she comes so I'm ducking down and trying not to get hit she fell and I kicked her twice because I grabbed her and tripped her in the background I could hear some footsteps as well as some kind of wheezing during the second kick as their daughter Elena followed in McDonald's footsteps McDonald left to put Elena to bed but when he returned about 30 minutes later his wife was dead during cross-examination prosecutor spear asked whether McDonald had considered calling 911 he admitted to dumping Andre's body in a field stripping her naked and burning her clothing after putting their daughter Elena back to bed Andre's Blood on the yellow Hammer contradicted McDonald's claim of an accident McDonald explained that after investigators finished searching his home he returned to the field Before Dawn leaving a burn patch in in the backyard I was angry and armed with a yellow Hammer a can of gasoline and a plan my plan was to hit the person who caused this whole situation when asked if he blamed andreen he responded it is her fault for everything that's happening when inquired about the gasoline he said I poured it on her and then ignited it with a lighter after the flame subsided McDonald said he attacked his wife's corpse with the yellow hammer the last blow I gave her was just like hitting her again as I was walking away when asked why he replied I guess I was still angry when I was walking away following this gruesome testimony the defense shifted gears attempting to refocus the jury on their theory of the crime during the trial the defense questioned McDonald's actions that night for the first time from the beginning I believed I acted in self-defense the defense showed videos of andreen giving her husband been a piggyback ride in working out they asked would you describe andreen as a strong powerful woman when asked if he was afraid of being harmed if she attacked him McDonald confirmed yes I was he testified that his wife could lift up to 300b in closing arguments the defense urged the jury to disregard McDonald's actions and view the case as self-defense the prosecution countered this isn't self-defense it's time to hold this man accountable for what he did and find him guilty of murder the defense maintained I believe Andre McDonald acted in self-defense and it is your duty and obligation to vote not guilty after 6 days of testimony and nearly 11 hours of deliberation the jury sent a note to the judge stating we're hopelessly deadlocked the jury deadlocked after almost 11 hours of deliberation unable to decide if Andre McDonald was guilty or Not Guilty by self-defense juror Brandon mellan shared I voted for murder and I saw that we were six and six the problem was the wording no juror thought Rudy Ruiz was innocent or that it was self-defense the wording allowed people to really pick apart the definition of murder and recklessness the jury of Six Women and six men spent hours debating whether McDonald killed andreen intentionally or recklessly which was constitute manslaughter Cindy Andre's friend reflected on a call from McDonald made 4 years ago now seeing it as a calculated ploy to deflect blame during the trial it took him 4 years to realize what he had done she said it's all a lie suddenly he's reaching out to us trying to make us believe he's to blame even though he didn't mean anything he's lying about everything Cindy asserted Sheriff Salazar reached out to andrean's father with an unusual offer after the verdict the tragedy makes no sense to Andre's mother my daughter and the Beautiful Life she had created are gone you are greatly appreciated she said Andre and McDonald came to America and became a successful entrepreneur serving others through her business which is now closed most times when I think about her I feel like giving up her mother continued Moren and Cindy lean on each other during these times we're blessed to have have each other to carry us forward on this sad Journey when I'm weak my mom is strong when my mom is weak I am strong Elena needs us to be strong now 12 years old Elena holds this fractured family together a family that still includes Andre's mother Jackie who is left with memories and pains of the past I think I hurt for Alina more than I hurt for everyone no child should ever be forced to go through what she did Moren said Moren and Cindy are now raising Alina it's bittersweet because alinaa reminds us so much of andreen thanks for watching this video today subscribe for more on True Crimes only [Music]