The Disappearance & Murder of Heather Gumina

Heather Gumina (33) vanished in Pleasant Valley, California on July 16th, 2019. The mother-of-three vanished shortly after leaving a Pleasant Valley hospital, where she was treated for a collarbone injury. She was never seen or heard from her loved ones again.

It was later revealed that Heather's collarbone injury had been caused by her new husband, Anthony Gumina, whom she had only been married to for a few months. Domestic violence had been present in their relationship since the beginning of their relationship. In fact, Anthony was arrested on January 31st, 2019, after he reportedly tackled Heather to the ground. Heather was able to call 911, and Anthony was subsequently charged with felony domestic violence.

Heather and Anthony reconciled after he was released on bail. The couple ended up getting married in February 2019. Unfortunately, the domestic violence continued after their wedding. On July 15th, 2019 - a day before Heather's disappearance - Heather went to the hospital to treat her injured collarbone. She sent a text message to her mother stating that Anthony had tried to kill her by "strangling her multiple times until she almost passed out."

Heather returned to the home she shared with Anthony after being released from the hospital. The following day, the two argued about the incident in front of Heather's mother. After Heather's mother left the residence, Anthony reportedly strangled Heather to death. He then buried her on a nearby property in Pleasant Valley. Later, he drove Heather's car to El Dorado County and abandoned it in that area.

Anthony told Heather's family members that she had run off. However, her loved ones never believed this to be true, as they did not believe Heather would abandon her children. Suspicions about Anthony were present from the beginning of the case, but he denied involvement in Heather's disappearance. 

On September 6th, 2019, authorities found Heather's remains on the property in Pleasant Valley. Shortly thereafter, Anthony was arrested and charged with Heather's murder. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In June 2021, Anthony ended up pleading guilty to first-degree murder and two counts of felony domestic violence. Months later, he was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

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Sources:
CBS News
El Dorado DA