Florida Man Arrested After Allegedly Brutalizing Girlfriend and Spinning a Web of Lies
Authorities have arrested a Florida man accused of carrying out a horrifying attack on his girlfriend, then attempting to cover his tracks with a fabricated story about her fleeing the country.
Andrew Ridgeway, 46, was taken into custody in Georgia on Feb. 7 after an intense investigation into the sudden disappearance of Stacy Powell, his 49-year-old girlfriend. What began as a missing person report quickly unraveled into a gruesome murder case that left even seasoned investigators shaken.
According to the Auburndale Police Department, the alarm was first raised when Powell failed to log in for work on Feb. 4. Concerned, her employer reported her missing two days later, prompting officers to check her home. When police arrived, they found a handyman working on cabinet repairs, who informed them the house was empty.
As officers probed further, Ridgeway unexpectedly called the handyman, seemingly rattled by the presence of law enforcement. The call, authorities say, was no coincidence—Ridgeway had installed security cameras, allowing him to watch the officers in real time. When police spoke to him directly, he spun an elaborate tale, claiming he was in North Carolina with Powell’s grandmother. He further alleged that Powell had flown to Jamaica on Feb. 5 to visit her ailing father and was uncertain about her return.
However, Ridgeway’s alibi crumbled almost instantly. Detectives quickly verified that Powell’s father was in North Carolina—not Jamaica—and that her grandmother actually lived in Florida. Meanwhile, Powell’s father, growing increasingly worried after losing contact with his daughter for two days, reached out to authorities, further deepening the mystery.
A search of Powell’s home soon led to a nightmarish discovery. Investigators found chilling evidence of a brutal, violent struggle—enough to suggest she had been murdered in her own residence. The crime scene was so gruesome that, according to Auburndale Police Chief Terry Storie, officials had to wait until the next day to positively identify her remains. Authorities believe Powell was killed on Feb. 4, the same day she failed to log into work.
Ridgeway was tracked down the following morning, driving Powell’s car in Augusta, Georgia, where he was arrested without incident. He now faces homicide charges in Florida, as well as charges of providing false information to law enforcement. While his criminal history reportedly includes past misdemeanor offenses, nothing could have prepared investigators for the sheer brutality of this crime.
“This was a savage attack,” Chief Storie remarked at a press conference, underscoring the horrific nature of Powell’s murder.
As Ridgeway awaits extradition to Florida, authorities continue piecing together the full scope of what transpired in Powell’s final moments. Meanwhile, friends, family, and colleagues mourn the tragic loss of a woman whose life was cut short in a senseless act of violence.
