A Newport Beach multimillionaire who spent years on the run after he was accused of strangling his wife and dumping her body in a trash bin pleaded guilty Wednesday to second degree murder and was immediately sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

Peter Chadwick, a former real estate investor who was facing a first-degree murder charge, appeared in a Santa Ana courtroom to accept a plea deal on a lesser count during a hearing that took place nearly a decade after the slaying of 46-year-old Quee Choo Chadwick and seven years after he skipped a court hearing and became an international fugitive.

Chadwick, a British-born and American-naturalized man, allegedly argued with his wife, who was originally from Malaysia, about financial issues and a possible divorce prior to her slaying.

Had Chadwick, now 57, been convicted on the more serious first-degree murder charge he would have faced up to 25-years-to-life in prison.

Officers on Oct. 20, 2012 went to the Chadwicks two-story ocean view home in a gated community to carry out a welfare check after neither parent picked up their three sons from school.

No one was home, but officers discovered signs of a struggle in the master bedroom, including broken glass, a bloody towel and suspected blood stains around a bathtub. The woman’s ring and cellphone had been left behind, though a safe had been emptied.

Chadwick surfaced the next day, calling San Diego police and telling them he was near the Mexican border in San Ysidro.

Chadwick initially claimed a handyman killed his wife and then forced him to drive to Mexico to dispose of her body. Officers were suspicious, noticing scratches on Chadwick’s neck and dried blood on his hands.

Chadwick led Newport Beach investigators to his wife’s body, which was wrapped in her own comforter and dumped in a trash bin in Lakeside, a suburb in San Diego County. He then admitted to making up the story about the handyman, according to court filings.

Chadwick was arrested and charged with his wife’s murder. A special circumstances enhancement alleging it was a murder for financial gain – which if proved would have led to a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole – was later dropped by prosecutors.

While awaiting trial, Chadwick was released on a $1 million bond, giving up his British and American passports and agreeing to stay with his father, a wealthy investor, in Santa Barbara.

On Jan. 5, 2015, Chadwick missed a court hearing and police went to to the Santa Barbara home. Family members told the officers that they didn’t know where Chadwick was. When police returned with the U.S. Marshal’s a month later, Chadwick’s father reportedly said his son had left for Seattle.

But investigators looking through the home noticed several books Chadwick had apparently left behind: “How to Change Your Identity,” “How to Live on the Run Successfully,” and “Surviving in Mexico.”

Security video from a Santa Barbara airport showed Chadwick arriving in a taxi and then leaving six hours later in a different cab wearing different clothes. His cellphone had been shut off, and would later be found in a dump. His bank accounts had been cleaned out, including $600,000 that had been drained from an account named Chadwick Family Trust shortly before his disappearance.

Chadwick – who was frequent traveler to China, Malaysia, Canada and Thailand prior to his arrest – was placed on the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted list. A $100,000 reward was offered for his capture, and Newport Beach Police created a podcast to raise publicity about the case, drawing hundreds of tips from around the world.

In Aug. 2019, Chadwick was captured in Puebla, a city southeast of Mexico City.

Authorities said Chadwick had been living in Mexico under a variety of aliases since his disappearance. At first he reportedly stayed in luxury hotels and resorts, but had to turn to more modest accommodations when the high-end retreats began requiring passports.

Chadwick is believed to have moved throughout Mexico during his years on the lam, at times working odd jobs and never taking up a steady residence. His three children were left in the United States to live with family members.

After Chadwick’s return to local lockup, the court process resumed, though he was denied bail. In July, Chadwick waived his right to a preliminary hearing, where a judge decides whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial.

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