A woman with three children was reportedly enticed to her demise by a man who persuaded her to leave her life behind for a job opportunity over 100 miles away from her residence.
Angel Whitaker, aged 37, departed from Bristol, Virginia, in January of this year to start a new job in Bluefield, West Virginia, approximately 100 miles away. This move came after her former colleague, Donald Pennington, aged 59, allegedly offered her a position as an assistant manager at a car parts company. Angel had initially met Pennington at an automotive shop in Bristol in 2018, leading to a romantic relationship and her eventual relocation to West Virginia to live with him.
However, Angel’s family lost contact with her in April, prompting her sister Angela to report her as missing on May 4. Authorities suggested that the relationship between Angel and Pennington had deteriorated after she moved in with him.
Angela informed the police that her sister had checked into a hotel in Princeton a few weeks before disappearing, seeking distance from Pennington due to ongoing strains in their relationship. Angel was last seen on April 17 when she showed up to work under the influence. Pennington claimed he drove her home that day but found her missing upon his return from work.
Over a week after Angel went missing, Pennington’s ex-partner informed the authorities that “he murdered her” during constant arguments in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. Pennington allegedly confessed to his ex that he choked Angel to death after she threatened him, showing her a photo of Angel’s lifeless body taken with the victim’s phone.
Investigators alleged that Pennington disposed of Angel’s phones by soaking them in bleach and destroying their SIM cards. The ex-girlfriend disclosed that Pennington purchased multiple bags of concrete before driving approximately 18 miles to Bastian, where he purportedly buried Angel.
Despite efforts by Virginia State Police cadaver dogs, Angel’s remains were not located in the area. The ex also admitted to deleting messages from Pennington regarding the alleged murder.
Pennington was apprehended on May 13 and is currently detained at West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority, pleading not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and concealing a body. Angel is survived by her children Braiden, 18, Daizy, 17, and Christopher, 12.
Braiden has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to assist with the expenses of his mother’s funeral. In a poignant message, he expressed the family’s devastation and financial struggle to arrange a proper farewell for Angel, emphasizing the need for support during this difficult time.
