David Ethan Anthony was born David Anthony Deutsch. He later became a trainer at a gym. In 2017, he got in trouble with the law after he tried to rob a Blockbuster video store with a squirt gun. During the incident, he also assaulted a police officer. This led to a short time in jail for him.

David was fired from his job in 2017. However, his manager allowed him to return in 2020, but he was let go again shortly after. At the time of his wife's murder, David was 44 years old.

In March 2015, David married Gretchen. Their wedding took place at a chapel in Las Vegas. The couple had five years of marriage but faced challenges. In late 2019, they separated and filed for divorce on February 28, 2020. This was just weeks before Gretchen was murdered.

In March 2020, news about the COVID-19 virus broke out globally. David believed that this pandemic was a sign of the end of the world. He attempted to convince Gretchen to move with him to Costa Rica, hoping to escape the virus. She did not agree to this plan. Around the same time, David was involved in another troubling incident where he followed teenage girls at a shopping center. He faced charges for this and was reported to have resisted arrest after hitting an officer with a car door. David spent a few days in jail before being released on a $3,000 bond, just three days before Gretchen's murder.

In the early morning hours of March 21, 2020, David Anthony entered his estranged wife Gretchen's home in Abacoa, Florida. Surveillance footage showed David near her patio, and audio recordings revealed Gretchen attempting to call 911 using Amazon Alexa, though she couldn’t get through. A neighbor reported hearing her scream, “No! No, it hurts!”

When Gretchen missed a lunch appointment and didn’t show up for work, her family grew concerned. They received text messages from her phone claiming she was quarantining due to a positive COVID-19 test, but her workplace confirmed she had not been there in years.

The police discovered signs of a struggle at Gretchen’s home, including broken items and bloodstains. Her car was found parked at a medical center with blood on the steering wheel.

David was arrested on March 31, 2020, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Initially, he denied any involvement but later admitted to killing Gretchen in her garage. Her body was found on December 21, 2020, about three miles from her home.

David was sentenced to 38 years in prison on January 14, 2021, for the murder and kidnapping of Gretchen. He will be eligible for release in 2058 when he is 81 years old.