The remains found this week are believed to be from a Missouri woman who disappeared in 2019 – allegedly murdered by her husband, according to new reports.
A hiker found the decaying remains – which authorities believe belonged to Mengqi Ji – Thursday at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, near Columbia, ABC 17 reported.
Ji’s disappearance was first reported in October 2019, and her husband, Joseph Elledge, was indicted in February 2020 for first-degree murder, according to the Columbia Tribune.
Elledge also faces child abuse, child risk and third-degree domestic assault in relation to a separate case, the media reported.
“We are delighted and hope that this will serve as a conclusion for the family,” said Columbia’s assistant police chief, Jeremiah Hunter, on Thursday, according to the report. “So many people came together to help us with this investigation. … The detectives are still at the scene and will be around for a long time.”
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It is not yet clear whether Elledge will face additional charges, according to police chief Geoff Jones.
“The investigative process will have to end,” said Jones. “We will be meticulous and whatever we get for additional charges, we will consult the prosecutor’s office.”
This undated archive photo provided by the Boone County Sheriff’s Department in Columbia, Missouri, shows Joseph Elledge. (Boone County Sheriff’s Department via AP, Archives)
During the investigation, the evidence indicated that Ji’s body was in or near the Lamine River, on the Missouri Route 41 bridge, the newspaper reported.
After suspending the search for Ji’s body in June, police resumed in October – the one-year anniversary of the woman’s disappearance – when the reduction in river level revealed that a temporary dyke was still intact, according to the local report. .
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The remains were found in an isolated, wooded area of the state park, about 30 meters from the road, according to the report. No investigative leads had previously pointed to that section of the park.
This Wednesday, December 4, 2019, photo, Missouri law enforcement personnel assisted by the United State Geological Survey team use an image sonar to try to locate the body of Mengqi Ji Elledge near Columbia, Missouri (Don Shrubshell / Columbia Daily TribuneTribune via AP)
A driver’s license, credit and bank cards, as well as other documents and clothing belonging to Ji were found near his remains, according to Hunter. Now, an identification process, including DNA testing and dental records, will proceed, he said.
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“As a parent, I can only imagine how important it is to have some measure of closure in a tragedy like this,” said Jones. “As soon as the evidence goes to the laboratory, we hope to be able to do just that.”