California millionaire who fled to Mexico after killing wife breaks into tears, pleads guilty

A Newport Beach multimillionaire who killed his wife almost a decade ago before fleeing to Mexico pleaded guilty last week to second-degree murder.

Peter Chadwick, 57, was sentenced to 15 years to life as part of a plea deal that downgraded his case from first-degree murder, the office of the Orange County District Attorney said in a statement.

The British-born real estate developer killed his wife, Quee Choo “Q.C.” Chadwick, in Oct. 2012 at their Newport Beach home following an argument about financial matters and a possible divorce. She was originally from Malaysia.

Police conducted a welfare check on Oct. 20 after neither parent picked up their three sons from school. Officers discovered signs of a struggle in the master bedroom, including broken glass, a bloody towel, and suspected blood stains around the bathtub.

Chadwick called from the Mexico border the next day, claiming a handyman had killed his wife and then forced him to drive south to dispose of the body. He was arrested by San Diego police and charged with Q.C.’s murder but released on a $1 million bond, when he fled to Mexico.

The real estate investor spent the next several years on the run, during which he was placed on the U.S. Marshals Service’s 15 Most Wanted List with a $100,000 reward for his capture. He was apprehended in Aug. 2019 and denied bail.

Chadwick broke down in tears during his sentencing, telling those at his sentencing hearing that he wished he “could take it back” and deserved “whatever the court decides.”

“She was a great person,” Chadwick added. “So loving. She cared for everyone.”