Bronx Man Accused Of Murdering, Burying Pregnant Daughter In Closet Held Without Bail

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A 61-year-old man charged with the murder of his pregnant 39-year-old daughter was ordered held without bail by a Bronx judge Thursday morning.

Andrea Caruth's body was found covered with gravel in a hole dug into the floor of a closet in the basement of her Baychester home on Corsa Avenue Wednesday. She was 4 1/2 months pregnant and had been missing since Sunday.

The hole was covered with a piece of plywood, with a carpet over it.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Caruth's father, William, was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. He occupied the basement apartment in the home where the body was found.

In court Thursday, prosecutors argued that the hole where Andrea Caruth's body was found had been hollowed out before she was killed, showing planning.

Authorities said the two had an ongoing dispute over money prior to the murder, apparently linked to a second mortgage William Caruth took out on the home.

Caruth had injuries to her forehead, according to a police source. She appears to have died due to blunt force trauma to the head.

A hammer was found in the basement apartment, but it is not clear if that hammer is the murder weapon. The New York City Medical Examiner's office will determine the official cause of death.