Eight Years Later: Pennsylvania Man Arrested for Murder in Wife’s Disappearance from Philly Suburb

Pennsylvania State Trooper David Brodeur had a daunting task ahead. He approached Allen Gould in July 2017, seeking a reaction as investigators came to search his home. “We have search warrants for your residence in connection with the homicide of your wife,” Brodeur told him. Gould’s wife, Anna Maciejewska, had vanished nearly four months earlier.

The trooper confronted Gould directly: “We are here because you murdered your wife.” But Gould showed no visible reaction to the accusation, according to court documents. There were no denials or pleas for more information. Surprisingly, no arrest followed that day, or even weeks later. The case seemed to stall.

Anna’s disappearance captured the attention of both her affluent Pennsylvania community and her native Poland. For eight years, the case remained cold, until this week when Gould was finally arrested, charged with her murder based on findings that included puzzling Google searches and a peculiar birthday wish.

Gould, who insists he is innocent, has yet to formally respond to the charges. His attorney, Evan Kelly, commented, “Allen has been living under the specter of this investigation for eight years.” Kelly called it a horrible situation but noted that Gould can finally share his perspective in court.

“To this day, Anna’s body has not been found,” said Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe, emphasizing that the evidence against Gould is still compelling.

Anna immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 to pursue a degree in actuarial mathematics and was married to Gould in 2006. Friends describe her as intelligent, hardworking, and caring, but internal struggles within her marriage surfaced in 2017, around the time she went missing.

Documents reveal Anna had begun attending a “Divorce 101” class months before her disappearance. She expressed feelings of isolation and struggled with her marriage dynamics, especially regarding raising their son. Text messages from this period reflect her despair: “I am a shell of a person and walking on eggshells in my own home,” she confided, highlighting her emotional turmoil.

When Anna didn’t show up for work two days in a row on April 11, 2017, a coworker raised the alarm. That same day, a neighbor also reported her missing after Anna canceled a trip home for her father’s birthday. The police conducted a welfare check but found the Gould home dark and empty.

Interestingly, the investigation revealed three significant clues: no one had seen or heard from Anna for two weeks before she was reported missing; a birthday text sent to her father was written in awkward Polish; and Anna’s car was discovered weeks later, abandoned and with no signs of her.

According to statistics, nearly 90,000 people in the U.S. go missing each year, and many cases remain unsolved. In Anna’s case, her friends and community members participated in extensive searches and efforts to raise awareness. A Facebook page, “Finding Anna Maciejewska,” showcased their dedication and commitment to uncovering the truth.

Despite the challenges, District Attorney de Barrena-Sarobe remains optimistic. He stated, “When you take the totality of this evidence, it shows he was being incredibly deceptive about where his wife was.” As the preliminary hearing approaches, hope persists that justice will be served.

For Anna’s friends and family, the road to closure is still long and fraught with emotion. Ellen Lee, a friend, reflects on the situation: “It was a sigh of relief that it was finally happening,” though she admits, “the trial is something I’m not looking forward to.”

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