5 chilling details about Johanna Hove-Becker's murder

Johanna Hove-Becker's murder in Mons, Belgium, remains one of the darkest and most fascinating cases in United States jurisdiction. It was committed by a Navy Lieutenant, Craig Becker, who allegedly drugged his estranged wife before throwing her off a seventh-floor penthouse apartment shortly after they separated.

The upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will shed light on this case when it premieres on Oxygen on March 7, 2024, at 8 pm EST. The synopsis for the episode reads:

"A Florida father is determined to find out what happened to his daughter after her fatal fall from a penthouse apartment; Dennis Murphy revisits the dramatic events as this dad confronts overwhelming obstacles to learn the truth."

Ahead of the episode, here are five chilling details about the case that shook the United States Navy in 2015.

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Five chilling facts about Johanna Hove-Becker's murder

1) Johanna Hove-Becker's murder was ruled as suicide when authorities first arrived

Johanna Hove-Becker was found dead on the street of her Mons, Belgium, apartment when first responders arrived. She was seen falling through the window of her seventh-floor penthouse. It was initially ruled as suicide, though her family refused to believe that.

It was only after further investigation that authorities suspected foul play.

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2) Johanna's body contained tramadol and zolpidem, indicating that she was unconscious when she fell

On autopsy, it was discovered that Johanna's body contained tramadol and zolpidem, which indicated that she might not have been conscious when she fell. Moreover, a reconstruction of the crime scene also indicated foul play, resulting in a homicide investigation.

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3) Johanna Hove-Becker's estranged husband was the first suspect, and he committed a mistake that the authorities did not neglect

After the homicide investigation began, authorities looked for leads and found one in her estranged husband, Lt. Craig Becker, who separated from her months back.

Craig Becker insisted on his innocence, but authorities found that Craig had impersonated his dead wife from her phone. However, when asked for the passcode of Johanna's phone, he claimed not to know it, putting him at the center of the suspicion.

Moreover, police also found evidence of Craig's involvement in administering the mixture of drugs to Johanna.

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4) Craig Becker allegedly had tendencies to get jealous and had even strangled Johanna Hove-Becker in 2013

Craig Becker and Johanna Hove-Becker's relationship was hardly ideal, as the couple had deep-rooted troubles in their marriage. Craig allegedly had a controlling personality and tended to get jealous.

He had even strangled Johanna in 2013, which also got him an added charge of assault consummated by a battery in his trial later.

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5) Craig Becker got his punishment, though it was a long process

Lieutenant Craig Becker was arrested in 2016 but remained under house arrest for two years in Belgium. Following this, the Navy took control of the investigation in 2018, and he was deported back to San Diego, where he was formally charged.

Though he protested his innocence in the 2022 trial, the jury convicted him of premeditated murder and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

He remains incarcerated as of today.

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The upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable, airing on March 7, 2924, will cover this case in more detail.