Police believe body found in Lincoln County belongs to missing Missouri woman Jennifer Rothwell
Update: The St. Louis County police have found a dead female in a wooded area of Highway 61 in Lincoln County around 11:30 pm on Tuesday that they believe could be the body of Jennifer Rothwell, the Missouri woman who went missing on Tuesday, Police Chief Jon Belmar told Fox Now. DNA tests will be done to confirm the identity.
Original story
Twenty eight-year-old Jennifer Rothwell went missing on Tuesday morning. She was last seen leaving her house wearing formals in Missouri, US.
Beau Rothwell, her 28-year-old husband, took to Facebook that very day to inform the public that she had been missing. He posted a heartfelt message prior to his arrest that stated, "Some of you may have heard already, but last night my wife Jennifer went missing. I’ve filed a police report and the search is ongoing. Please, if you hear of anything or have any information it would be greatly appreciated.”
But in a shocking development in the case on Thursday, Beau was arrested as a suspect for his wife's murder. The St.Louis County Police Department affirmed Jennifer's missing case has been turned into a homicide after the investigators searched the couple's home on Wednesday night.
The police revealed, "Detectives located empty cleaning bottles, wet carpet soaked with bleach, large areas of blood in carpeting and underlying pad. DNA from the victim's mother and father was analyzed and is consistent with the blood found in the carpet."
Beau was also captured on security footage purchasing bleach, carpet cleaner, and gloves prior to his wife going missing. The DNA samples that were taken from Jennifer's parents proved the blood found in the couple's house was their daughter's.
Jennifer who was a chemical engineer and a University of Missouri graduate hadn't been in touch with anyone, which her family shared is unlike her. Her 2011 Hyundai Sonata was found abandoned in a commercial area nearby. According to KMOV 4, Jennifer's mom Robin von Hausen said a co-worker had texted her and said, "Hey, how is Jennifer?" They had assumed she hadn't come to work because of the weather.
Adding to that she said, "So, it wasn’t until late 6 or so in the evening before we even knew she hadn’t made it to work.” Jennifer's mother revealed her phone was found in her abandoned car and her purse was unaccounted for. The St.Louis County Police Department's Bureau of Crimes Against Persons is investigating the case actively.
Beau was first booked on charges of murder in first-degree and tampering with physical evidence.
On Friday the cops issues Beau a charge for one count of murder in second degree. Beau is currently being held without bond. There is a $25,000 reward being offered by Jennifer's family to help them with information leading to her whereabouts.