Epifanio IX Ramos Gaminde was arrested on October 26 after a grand jury indicted him on a first-degree murder charge in the disappearance of his wife, Maria Gaminde, 44, of DeBary, Florida. Investigators say he went to elaborate lengths to make it look as if she had moved to the Philippines or Japan. Maria’s body has not been found. The indictment is an allegation, and Gaminde is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Who Was Maria Gaminde
Maria lived in DeBary with her husband and their three young sons and worked as a paraprofessional at University High School in Orange City. Investigators traced her last known activity to December 2023. Fingerprint records show she and her children entered Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on December 16.
Her family lost contact with her in early 2024. By July 2024, relatives were telling investigators that text messages, emails and credit-card spending supposedly coming from Maria overseas did not seem right.
“The family starts to contact us and say, ‘Hey, something’s not right. These text messages and emails that we’re getting, the spending on her credit cards, too. Something’s not right,'” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at a news conference Tuesday.
What Investigators Say Happened
Gaminde told investigators the couple was having marital problems and that his wife had left for either the Philippines or Japan. Authorities say they found no evidence she ever traveled out of the United States.
According to the sheriff, Gaminde sent Maria’s driver’s license, credit cards and other documents to a niece in the Philippines and told her what to do with them. Investigators allege the activity, including purchases and communications made in Maria’s name, was meant to make it look as if Maria was alive and avoiding her family, friends and police.
The FBI helped Volusia County investigators and prosecutors work through international legal issues, and a detective and a prosecutor traveled to the Philippines to interview the niece. She cooperated and is not expected to face charges. “She gives up everything,” Chitwood said, adding that she gave investigators information that allowed the FBI to work with international partners to recover digital evidence.
Detectives also reviewed digital and forensic evidence and interviewed neighbors. A neighbor reported seeing Gaminde doing extensive work in the backyard around the time Maria disappeared. Chitwood said investigators also learned Gaminde had been arrested twice before on domestic violence charges.
Search of the DeBary Property
Investigators searched the couple’s DeBary property on Tuesday, October 27, focusing on an area around a nonfunctioning decorative fountain. Authorities reportedly found a pit containing concrete that looked different from the surrounding material. Investigators have not confirmed that Maria’s remains are there, and her body has not been recovered.
Maria’s Sons
After Gaminde’s arrest, the couple’s three sons were reunited with members of Maria’s family. Authorities said relatives had struggled to stay in contact with the children after Maria disappeared.
What’s Next
Gaminde is being held without bond at the Volusia County Branch Jail. The investigation is continuing. This is a developing story, and updates will be added as more information is released.
