Arizona man allegedly killed wife, hid body in closet, and then buried her in the desert

TEMPE, Ariz. (TCD) -- A 51-year-old man is accused of leaving his dead wife’s remains in his closet and then burying her body in the desert and reporting her missing.

According to court documents cited by KNXV-TV, Eugene Zamora and his wife Claudia Moreno got into an argument Nov. 10, 2021, at their home in Tempe. Zamora allegedly pushed Moreno, which caused her to fall and hit her head on the bathtub. She reportedly died at their residence due to her injuries.

In the police report cited by KSAZ-TV, Zamora "checked on the victim and found that she had no pulse and was not breathing." He allegedly then placed his wife "in a plastic tub" and "hid her in the master bathroom closet."

Not long after her death, Zamora reported Moreno missing to Tempe Police. According to the missing person alert, the 39-year-old Moreno "went missing after receiving information regarding a child custody dispute." Zamora told Tempe Police that Moreno left her personal belongings at home but took her cellphone.

Zamora reportedly admitted to Tempe Police that he moved his wife’s remains to a storage unit and then transported them to the desert. AZFamily.com reports Zamora destroyed Moreno’s cellphone by throwing it into a lake.

According to KSAZ, Zamora directed Tempe Police to the general area of the remains, which were located on Feb. 7. Police said they are working on confirming whether the remains are Moreno’s.

KNXV reports Zamora was booked on charges of manslaughter, tampering with evidence, concealing a dead body, and making false reports to law enforcement.

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