Arizona man allegedly beat estranged wife to death with baseball bat

AZ man accused of killing wife with baseball bat

A Surprise man is behind bars, after he is accused of beating his estranged wife to death with a baseball bat. Authorities eventually manage to track down the suspect outside of Phoenix. FOX 10's Lauren Clark reports.

SURPRISE, Ariz. - A Valley man is behind bars after prosecutors say he beat his estranged wife to death with a baseball bat.

"The brutality of this case is alarming, your honor" a prosecuting attorney said in court.

What we know:

According to Surprise Police, officers were contacted on May 14 about 41-year-old Alison Gregory, who was missing after she failed to show up at the airport to pick up a family member.

The victim's mother reportedly flew in to help her daughter move out of the home she shared with the suspect. The mother became worried when the victim didn't pick her up from the airport, and failed to pick up the phone.

When officers got to Alison's home, they "observed signs that a physical struggle could have taken place."

Dig deeper:

The suspect has been identified as 56-year-old Brandon Gregory. Court documents state Gregory struck the victim in the head with a baseball bat multiple times during an argument.

Brandon Gregory

After cleaning up the crime scene, Gregory allegedly drove towards Mohave County. Investigators say they located Alison's vehicle off State Route 93 between Wikieup and Nothing. Gregory was found inside the car, along with the victim's body.

Her husband, 56-year-old Brandon Gregory, was inside the car, along with Alison's body. Gregory was subsequently taken into custody, and while in custody, police say he admitted to the crime, and that he wrote apology letters to his daughter for what he had done.

Gregory did not speak in court during a hearing, but the victim's mother, Jan McCumbers, did.

"Brandon, I hate you forever," said McCumbers. "I hope you never get out of prison."

What they're saying:

"Allison struggled so hard to get away from him, and she was so close to it," said McCumbers.

As mentioned earlier, the victim and the suspect were estranged at the time the alleged crime happened. Paperwork filed in January revealed that Gregory would pay child support, and that the victim would receive 100% custody of her 14-year-old daughter. The couple also agreed to sell their home in Surprise, which prosecutors said was set to close on the 19th.

On Friday, neighbors dropped off flowers at the home.

"To throw it all away because you just snapped," said one neighbor, identified only as Vance. "it’s just insane, and I hope he rots in hell for it."

What's next:

Gregory is accused of second-degree murder, manslaughter, concealment of a dead body, and evidence tampering.

He's being held on a $2 million cash bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 21.

What you can do:

Police say if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, resources are available. You can call the National Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit thehotline.org for more information.