In a shocking turn of events, Gregory Allen Showalter, a 63-year-old man from Ottumwa, Iowa, vanished just moments before a jury could announce his guilty verdict for the first-degree murder of his wife, Helen Showalter. The incident took place on Friday, leaving authorities scrambling to locate the fugitive who is now considered "armed and dangerous" by the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Showalter had been out on bail since August 2021, after a judge allowed him to post 10% of his $250,000 bond. However, this freedom came with conditions, including attending court hearings and wearing a GPS ankle monitor. It was this ankle monitor that police later discovered to have been cut off after Showalter's disappearance.

The trial, which had been ongoing, finally reached a conclusion when the jury reached a verdict just after 1 p.m. on Friday. Showalter's attorney promptly contacted him, instructing him to come to the Wapello County Courthouse. However, when Showalter failed to show up, his attorney alerted the judge and officers were dispatched to his home.

Upon arriving at Showalter's residence, police encountered a woman outside who claimed to be his friend. She informed them that Showalter had given her the keys to his vehicle and made a comment about not needing them anymore. She had assumed he was planning to walk to the courthouse and was unaware of his whereabouts. Authorities attempted to track Showalter through his cellphone but were informed by the phone carrier that it had been turned off at around 1:30 p.m.

Further investigations led to the discovery that Showalter had also cut off his GPS monitor, adding to the urgency of the manhunt. Police conducted a thorough search of the area, utilizing trained tracking canines. The dogs traced a scent to the nearby Stardust Motel, situated around 1,000 feet from Showalter's residence. However, they were unable to locate the fugitive.

It is important to note the circumstances surrounding Helen Showalter's murder. Prosecutors alleged that the couple, who had been married for 40 years, were in the process of a divorce. Gregory Showalter allegedly lured his wife to a job site, where he committed the heinous act of strangulation. He then returned home and told his family that they had gotten into a fight, claiming he left her to walk home before sending them out to search for her. Suspicion grew when traces of Helen's blood were discovered in Showalter's car, which he had allegedly used to transport her lifeless body to the Des Moines River, where it was found floating the following morning.

The judge presiding over the trial wasted no time in issuing an arrest warrant for Showalter after his absence during the reading of the jury verdict. The jury had found him guilty of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, willful injury causing serious injury, and domestic abuse assault by strangulation or impeding blood circulation. The judge also revoked Showalter's bond, ensuring he remains behind bars once captured.

In the state of Iowa, first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Showalter's sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October 16, although it remains uncertain whether he will be apprehended by that time. This daring escape follows a similar incident just days earlier when a Louisiana fugitive was captured in Mexico after spending 32 years on the run. Greg Lawson, also 63 years old, had disappeared on the same day a jury was set to announce his guilty verdict for the attempted murder of his lifelong friend.