Andreen McDonald case on American Monster - A detailed case overview ahead of the episode

In San Antonio, Texas, Andreen McDonald, a 29-year-old businesswoman, disappeared on March 1, 2019, from the affluent Stone Oak community. A widespread search exposed cracks in her seemingly idyllic marriage to U.S. Air Force Major Andre McDonald. Andreen was a Jamaican immigrant who built Starlight Homes into a multi-million-dollar assisted living business. 

At the point of her disappearance, she had left behind her six-year-old daughter, Alayna, and a life of philanthropy and success. What started as a missed workout appointment quickly turned sinister when investigators found traces of blood in the family home and noted Andre's inconsistent story about her sudden departure after a late-night argument. 

Months later, Andreen McDonald's remains were found in a shallow grave; she had been beaten to death with a hammer in a case of domestic violence hidden behind a facade of prosperity.

This case was explored in American Monster season 13, episode 6, titled The Power Couple. The episode airs on Monday, December 2, 2025, at 9/8c p.m. on Investigation Discovery.

American Monster: The rise of a power couple and hidden tensions

Andreen Nicole McDonald was born September 23, 1989, in Port Antonio, Jamaica, to immigrant parents who later relocated to the United States. The second of three daughters, she demonstrated early ambition, founding Starlight Homes at age 22 to provide assisted living for the elderly. 

By 2019, the business had expanded into a seven-figure operation with multiple facilities, affording McDonald a luxurious home in a gated San Antonio neighborhood, as per CBS News. Andreen met Andre McDonald - now a major in the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland - on a 2009 trip to Jamaica. They married not long afterward, and their daughter Alayna was born about 2012. 

To outsiders, they were the picture of marital bliss: Andre co-managed Starlight Homes, and together they threw parties and took vacations. But friends and relatives would later recall increasing tensions. The majority of business decisions and finances were handled by Andreen, who put almost all of the profits back into expansion. Andre, however, wanted more personal spending. 

Text messages showed his frustration over that, with at least one exchange where he accused his wife of scheming on money matters. Andreen McDonald had told her sister, Cindy Johnson, that she felt controlled and was thinking of divorce, but Andreen put stability first for Alayna. These undercurrents brewed, however, without the open signs of disturbance, according to CBS News. 

Andreen McDonald was sticking to her schedule, which included training and clients, while Andre continued his army work. Social media for the couple was filled with family outings and successes, concealing deeper issues, such as Andre's jealousy regarding Andreen's independence. Subsequent investigations by detectives showed that there were no previous police calls regarding domestic violence.

 A business disagreement on February 28, 2019, led to a heated text argument at close to midnight, and Andreen's phone then went silent. This was the last confirmed contact, setting in motion the events that followed, as per CBS News.

The disappearance and early investigation

On the morning of Friday, March 1, 2019, Andreen McDonald failed to appear for an appointment with her personal trainer. Her mother, Maureen Anderson, reported her missing that afternoon. Bexar County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the McDonald home. Andre told them Andreen had gotten up and left during their argument, packing a bag and driving away in one of their vehicles. 

He said he went to bed alone and wasn't aware she was missing until the next morning, as per CBS News. A walk-through disclosed red flags: Andreen's purse, keys, wallet, and both cars were still inside, contrary to Andre's story. Deputy Frank Stubbs followed a blood spatter on the wall into the bathroom, onto the light switch-an unlikely place for accidental stains. 

The garage had been recently cleaned with bleach still present in the floor drain, and their yellow hammer was missing from their toolkit. Andre was cooperative in giving up his phone; however, full access to the records was delayed, and then he showed that messages regarding marital issues had been deleted, according to KSAT. 

Search efforts mobilized quickly. Helicopters, cadaver dogs, and volunteers combed areas while billboards and social media campaigns spread Andreen's photo. Her family held vigils, and the community rallied in support, never knowing there was a crime scene within the home. Cell data placed Andre's truck near potential disposal sites, but no body surfaced immediately. 

Andre continued to work at the Air Force base and run Starlight Homes, even attending search meetings while under suspicion. By March 2, focus was already on Andre. Receipts indicated he had purchased tarps, trash bags, and lime items used for concealment, days after a disappearance. One hammer in the trash tested positive for Andreen's blood and DNA; thus, it linked to the attack. 

Despite these findings, Andre still maintained that her exit was voluntary. As the investigation now turned from missing person to homicide, Stubbs noted the staged appearance of the scene. For more than four months, tips flowed in, but developments really did not move along until a July breakthrough, as CBS reported.

The discovery, arrest, and charges

On July 11, 2019, a worker on a private ranch about 10 miles from the McDonald home found skeletal remains wrapped in a tarp and trash bags under a tree. Dental records confirmed the identity as Andreen McDonald on July 12. The autopsy determined death by blunt force trauma, with approximately 20 hammer strikes to the head and body, occurring around February 28. Lime nearby suggested an attempt to speed decomposition, as per KSAT.

Andre was arrested on July 13 for first-degree murder. Evidence included blood matching Andreen McDonald in the home, garage, and his truck bedliner. Phone pings traced his vehicle to the burial site hours after her death. He had purchased a replacement yellow hammer post-incident, which also bore her DNA. Additional buys like gas cans and an axe indicated premeditated disposal efforts, as CBS reported.

Held on $1 million bond, Andre pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors argued the attack stemmed from a fight over finances and infidelity suspicions, with Andre striking first, then covering tracks to protect his image and custody of Alayna. He claimed self-defense early on, saying Andreen McDonald initiated violence, but evidence showed no defensive wounds on him. The Air Force removed him from duty pending the case. Andreen's family expressed relief mixed with grief, vowing to care for Alayna. Bail was denied twice due to flight risk concerns, according to KSAT. 

The trial, verdict of the Andreen McDonald case

The trial started in January 2023 in the 399th District Court in Bexar County. Prosecutors, led by Steven Speir, highlighted texts of Andre's resentment and physical evidence that tied him to the crime. Three days before testimony, Andre called Cindy Johnson, confessing, "I killed your sister," and said the same on the stand, claiming Andreen McDonald attacked him with the hammer over cheating allegations. He said he took it away, struck her in panic, then buried her to shield Alayna from shame, as per AETV.

The defense portrayed Andre as a victim of Andreen's aggression, citing no prior abuse history. On February 3, 2023, following deliberation for 13 hours, the jury acquitted murder but convicted him of manslaughter, adding five years for evidence tampering. Judge Frank Castro sentenced him to the maximum 20 years on February 6, with parole eligibility in 7.5 years due to time served. Andre showed little emotion, appealing the ruling, according to CBS News.

In a wrongful death lawsuit in March 2024, a civil jury recognized Andreen's family's loss by awarding them $210 million, of which $110 million was compensatory, and $100 million was punitive. Despite Andre's parents' request, Alayna's maternal grandparents were granted custody of her, as KSAT reported.

Watch American Monster season 13, episode 6, releasing on 2 December 2025 on Investigation Discovery.