December 12, 2023
Businessman Convicted Of Millionaire Wife’s 2019 Death Says It Was Result Of Self-Defense
Conviction and all... Andre McDonald is standing on victim-blaming.
Andre McDonald, the Air Force major convicted of manslaughter in the death of Andreen, his millionaire businesswoman wife, blames her for it, according to a “48 Hours” report.
He was convicted of manslaughter after pleading not guilty to the March 2019 murder in which Andreen McDonald vanished in San Antonio. Hundreds of people began to search for her, and her remains were found just six miles from the couple’s lavish home in a gated community.
Andre had told law enforcement that the last time he saw his wife was the night before as they argued about their lucrative assisted living business. He left the house to calm down, and when he returned, he thought Andreen McDonald was sleeping in their daughter’s bedroom.
He was arrested for her murder but stayed tight-lipped about what happened the night of her death. That was until Jan. 30, 2023, the fourth day of his trial, when he testified that their heated argument led to her death. Andre said he learned his wife and business partner had started another business a year earlier without him knowing.
“Basically, that meant to me, pretty much, that she was robbing me,” he testified. This time on the stand, he said that when he returned, Andreen was waiting for him in order to continue their argument. Things escalated. Divorce and the idea of splitting the business in half came up, which he said made Andreen angry.
Andre claimed the argument moved from verbal to physical when she attacked him. He said he was ducking her punches when suddenly Andreen fell. That’s when he kicked her twice.
“The second kick, I think I heard, like, some type of wheezing, you know, coming out of her,” Andre testified. “And then also, like, in the background, I could hear, like, some footsteps.” Those footsteps were those of the couple’s daughter, Alayna. He left Andreen on the floor, injured but alive, to put their little girl to bed.
When he returned 30 minutes later, she was dead.
According to the U.S. Sun, the defense team said Andre committed the crime in self-defense, explaining that he feared for his life since Andreen was a powerlifter, lifting close to 300 pounds. A jury didn’t buy it, however, and sentenced Andre to 20 years in prison.
Watch how the entire case unfolded on CBS’ “48 Hours,” above.