BOONE COUNTY – Indiana State Police investigators have arrested a Boone County man following an investigation into the circumstances following the disappearance of his wife.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. Friday, State Police investigators began to investigate the events surrounding the disappearance of 41-year-old Elizabeth N. Wilhoite of rural Lebanon after being requested by the Boone County Sheriff who cited a potential conflict of interest. Boone County investigators had originally taken a missing person’s report earlier in the day and had taken it to social media asking for the public’s assistance in locating her.
During the course of the investigation, detectives were able to determine that during a domestic dispute, 39-year-old Andrew N. Wilhoite, Elizabeth’s husband, had allegedly struck her in the head with a blunt object causing her to lose consciousness. He then placed her into a vehicle and drove to a nearby creek where he dumped her body.
Mrs. Wilhoite’s body was located early Saturday morning, partially submerged in approximately three feet of water, and was later pronounced dead by the Boone County Coroner. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of her death.
As a result of the cooperative effort between the State Police, Boone County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Wilhoite was taken into custody and incarcerated in the Boone County Jail on the preliminary charge of murder, a level 1 felony.
