Left: Brandon Gregory (Maricopa County Jail). Right: Alison Gregory (Azcentral obit).
An Arizona man is behind bars after he allegedly beat his wife to death with a baseball bat and drove 100 miles with her body in the back seat.
Brandon Gregory, 56, is facing charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence, and concealment of a dead body in the death of his 41-year-old wife, Alison Gregory, as confirmed by the Surprise Police Department in a press release. The investigation was initiated on May 14 when the alleged victim did not arrive to pick up a family member from the airport as planned. Family members informed the police that the Gregorys were in the midst of a challenging divorce.
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Upon searching the Gregory residence, officers discovered indications that a physical altercation may have occurred. Subsequently, they launched a search for the couple’s vehicles and located Brandon Gregory in Mohave County, about 100 miles away from Surprise, in the town of Wikieup. His wife’s body was found in the back seat of the vehicle, according to the police report.
Cops took the suspect into custody. He allegedly admitted to killing his wife.
Referencing court records, CBS affiliate KPHO disclosed that the suspect recounted how their home was being sold and his wife had asked him to vacate the premises. An argument ensued, escalating into a physical altercation, the complaint detailed. Allegedly, she struck him in the groin while brandishing a wooden baseball bat, as per police statements. It was further claimed that he managed to wrest the bat from her and she started frantically running around the house, screaming. Reports suggest that he proceeded to strike her multiple times with the bat, and then cleaned the bloodstains on the walls before driving his vehicle to a nearby parking lot.
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After taking an Uber home, he put his wife’s body in her SUV and drove away, according to cops. He ditched her phone and Apple Watch at a gas station, the complaint reportedly said. The defendant then went to a campground in Wikieup and threw the bat in an open field, officers wrote.
Brandon Gregory also wrote a letter to his children asking them for “forgiveness for his actions,” the complaint reportedly said.
Prosecutors noted at a bond hearing how the “brutality of this case is alarming,” according to a courtroom report from KPHO. The victim’s family urged the judge to keep him behind bars and described the couple’s volatile relationship.
“He lied and manipulated his way back into her life. She uncovered more lies, lie after lie,” he said. “The guy’s entire life has been a lie. He’s a manipulator and a murderer. We ask that you deny any bond and don’t ever let him out again.”
Said her mother: “Alison struggled so hard to get away from him, and she was so close to it. He took her away from us,” she said. “Please, please, do not ever let him out again. It’s horrible. My grandchildren, my children, it’s so sickening. He is such a coward. If he wanted to kill somebody, why didn’t he kill himself? I’m sorry, I think that’s it. Brandon, I hate you forever. I hope you never, ever, ever get out of prison.”
The judge set the bond at $2 million. His next court date is scheduled for Wednesday.
An obituary called Alison Gregory a Navy veteran and a devoted mother to two daughters, ages 20 and 14.
She worked as a surgical technician at a local hospital.
“Like her favorite flower, the sunflower, Alison radiated positivity and joy,” the obituary continued. “She was known for always turning toward the light and inspiring others to do the same.”
