St. Louis County prosecutors filed a new charge of second-degree murder against the husband of a woman who has been missing since early this week.
Police believe Beau Rothwell, 28, killed his wife Jennifer Rothwell, also 28, on Monday, and then tried to clean her blood out of the carpet of the couple's home, according to court documents filed today.
The husband reported her missing the next day, at 9:44 p.m. on Tuesday, police say. Jennifer, an engineer at DuPont, didn't show up for work that morning and couldn't be reached by friends and family members. Police later discovered her 2011 Hyundai Sonata abandoned near the intersection of Olive Boulevard and Fee Fee Road in Creve Coeur, less than two miles from the Rothwells' house. Her body has not been found.
Police arrested Beau on Wednesday night and searched the house. Inside, they found carpet still wet with bleach and blood that had soaked through to the carpet pad. The husband was originally charged only with tampering with physical evidence, but prosecutors now say a DNA test matched the blood with samples provided by Jennifer's parents.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY POLICE
Jennifer Rothwell.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Jennifer Rothwell," St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said in news release. "This is a tragic incident, and my office will do everything we can to see that justice is served in this case."
Bond for Beau was originally set at $100,000, and then upgraded to $500,000 this morning. Now that he has been charged with murder, a judge has ordered him held in jail without bond.
We welcome tips and feedback. Email the author at [email protected] or follow on Twitter at @DoyleMurphy.
