SAN BERNARDINO – A man suspected of killing his wife in November surrendered to authorities on Saturday in Tampa, Florida in a high profile case in which he was able to elude police at a local railroad station just days after the crime. San Bernardino police said that Edly Atherley, 29, was booked by the Hillsborough (Fla.) County Sheriff’s Dept. over the weekend on charges that he stabbed his wife, Ashley Atherley, inside their North San Bernardino apartment on Nov. 30, just two days after Thanksgiving.
Strong evidence of domestic abuse has been discovered during the investigation.
Ten days after the crime, authorities announced that the suspect was being pursued not only in the San Bernardino area, but also in Florida and the Central American country of Belize, where he was known to have family connections. Authorities claimed they were closing in on Atherley in the Tampa area this past weekend, but he showed up at a local FBI office with an attorney. He is expected to be returned to California, either by extradition or returning with San Bernardino police sent to Florida.
A $10,000 reward, offered by the FBI for his capture, had been offered in late December.
The Atherleys, who had moved to San Bernardino from Florida last year, had two children. Police said that family members believed the couple had a history of domestic violence involving Edly’s abusive behavior toward Ashley, who was attempting to move to Los Angeles where she was employed.
When Ashley Atherley hadn’t contacted family members since Thanksgiving, police were alerted. Late on a Saturday night, they discovered her body inside their apartment, her throat slashed, and with other evidence of a physical beating. An apartment security guard had reported seeing Edly Atherley one night earlier covered in blood, which led to police issuing a warrant for his arrest.
In addition to facing murder charges, authorities will also pursue federal charges of warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He is facing at least 26 years in prison, according to authorities.
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