A Pennsylvania man who reported his friend and business partner missing last month has now been charged with her murder.

Blair Watts, 33, reported 43-year-old Jennifer Brown missing on January 4 when he said she failed to pick up her son — who’d spent the night at Watts’ home — at a bus stop, as CrimeOnline previously reported. Brown’s car was found at her home, and her keys, wallet, and work cell phone were found inside. Her personal cell phone, however, was missing.

Brown’s body was found partially buried in a shallow grave in Royersford, about 8 miles from where she disappeared, on January 18.

District Attorney Kevin Steele said Thursday that the coroner found that Brown had three broken ribs and appeared to have died from asphyxiation, WPVI reported. He said pieces of a broken hair clip were found in her grave and at her home, leading investigators to believe she was killed at her home.

Watts, who was reportedly planning on opening a restaurant with Brown, told investigators he’d taken her son home with him to “give Brown a break.”

“Yet Brown, who was described as an attentive and loving mother, had not sent any clothing or the boy’s necessary daily medications with him for the sleepover,” Steele said.

Steele said that Watts picked the boy up at the bus stop on January 3, telling him his mother was at the grocery store and he was going to sleep over. The two went to Brown’s home, and the boy stayed in the car while Watts went inside, returning with Brown’s cell phone, which her son said he recognized because his photo is her lockscreen.

The DA said a cadaver dog alerted to human remains in both Watts’ and his wife’s cars.

Steele said the story about the restaurant appears inconsistent as well. The owners of the property where the planned restaurant was to be said they had met with Watts about it but never signed a lease, received money, or gave him a key. In December, they said, they told him they decided not to go forward with the lease, and he threatened to sue.

But on January 4 — a day after two cash transfers totally $17,000 were made eto his accounts — Watts showed up unannounced at the property and told the owners he had the money for the lease.

A videotaped statement and an interview with ABC News, Watts’ attorney denied the allegations and accused prosecutors of trying to “litigate this case in the media.”

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[Featured image: Jennifer Brown/Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office]