SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — A Scottsdale man has been arrested for allegedly killing his girlfriend during a fight and then erasing the memory on her cellphone before calling 911, according to authorities.
Scottsdale police said 53-year-old Jeffrey Vandermate was jailed on suspicion of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.
Vandermate has been released on $200,000 bond pending court appearance.
It was unclear Wednesday if Vandermate has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf.
Police said officers responded to Vandermate’s apartment after he reported that his girlfriend wasn’t moving or breathing.
The woman, whose name hasn’t been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.
First responders said the woman had signs of decomposition and had bruising around her neck.
Police said Vandermate changed his story several times, saying he and his girlfriend had been on a two-week drinking bender and the two had argued over several days prior to her death, escalating several times into physical altercations
Vandermate later said she had tripped and fell and he carried her lifeless body to a couch, according to court documents.
The documents also show that before calling police, Vandermate wiped out the memory on his girlfriend’s phone and returned it to the factory settings.
