The ex-boyfriend of missing Michigan mother of two, Ashley Elkins, has been arrested on charges of lying to officers after police seized a trash dumpster and other evidence from an apartment complex where he lives.
De’Andre Booker, 32, Elkins’ former partner, has not been charged with anything in connection with her disappearance.
The 30-year-old mother was last seen on the morning of January 2 leaving her Warren city home in a grey 2010 Chevy Malibu to run errands, according to Roseville Police.
But as the search hits its seventh day, she has still not been found.
According to a family flyer, she was last seen wearing black leggings and a “long black coat with fur around the hood”. A day later, she was reported missing and a frantic search has been ongoing ever since reported The Detroit Free Press.
Detectives recovered Elkins’ vehicle in the area of 13 Mile and Little Mack in Roseville as well as a trash dumpster from the Hampton Court Apartments, confirmed Roseville Police Chief Mitchell Berlin to CBS News Detroit Wednesday.
Police informed her family that there was a “strong possibility” that foul play was involved in her disappearance, and suggested that murder was probable, as reported by Local4Detroit.
Family spokesman Maurice Morton told Local4Detroit that just after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Chief Berlin informed Elkins’s family that Roseville Police had recovered “substantial evidence at the home of the ex-boyfriend and also indicated based upon that evidence that Ashley was murdered.”
Elkin’s last known location was revealed to be her ex-boyfriend’s home on the evening of January 2, as revealed by a tracker on her phone seen by her sister, as per CBS.
Morton revealed that police reportedly had strong leads on where her body was suspected to be.
Family said the mother, with two sons, aged 7, and 10, was due to start a new job this week but never showed up, reported Detroit Free.
Elkins broke up with her ex-boyfriend in September but had been “stalking around” in the days leading up to her disappearance, said Morton.
Her phone had also been dead since she disapeared which Morton said was “very uncharacteristic of her”, as per Detroit Free.
The suspect is scheduled to be arraigned at Roseville District Court Thursday morning.
