In the quiet community of Lothian, Maryland, the life of 40-year-old Anthony Joseph Anastasi Jr. came to a violent end on October 5, 2015. What initially appeared to be a suicide would soon unravel into a story of a troubled marriage, a complex love triangle, and a murder plot orchestrated by those closest to him. When police arrived at the Anastasi home on West Bay Front Road, they found Anthony Anastasi Jr. in the master bedroom with a gunshot wound and a gun nearby. In the basement, they discovered the body of 25-year-old Jacqueline Irene Riggs, who had been stabbed multiple times.
The initial report from Anthony's wife, Ann Marie Anastasi, was that her husband had taken his own life. However, investigators quickly determined that the gun found near his body was not the weapon used in his death. This discovery, along with other inconsistencies, shifted the focus of the investigation from a murder-suicide to a double homicide. The investigation soon revealed a tangled web of relationships within the home. The Anastasis and Jacqueline Riggs were all living together and had been involved in a sexual relationship. However, the marriage between Anthony and Ann was described as fraught with conflict and domestic abuse, and at the time of the murders, Anthony's relationship was with Riggs, not his wife.
The investigation uncovered a sinister plot to murder both Anthony Anastasi Jr. and Jacqueline Riggs. Ann Anastasi, along with her 13-year-old daughter, had conspired to have them killed. The daughter's 18-year-old boyfriend, Gabriel Ezekiel Struss, was enlisted to carry out the killings. The motive appeared to stem from the tension caused by Riggs living in the home and her ongoing relationship with Anthony.
Ann Anastasi, her daughter, and Gabriel Struss were all arrested and faced charges including first-degree murder. Ann Anastasi initially maintained her innocence but eventually entered an Alford plea to two counts of first-degree murder, acknowledging that the prosecution had enough evidence for a conviction. She was sentenced to 60 years in prison. Gabriel Struss also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and received a 60-year sentence for his role as the triggerman. The 13-year-old daughter was charged as a juvenile. The case, which began with a false report of suicide, concluded with the convictions of three individuals who conspired to end the lives of Anthony Joseph Anastasi Jr. and Jacqueline Riggs.
