A recently-released criminal complaint sheds new light on the disappearance and death of a Wisconsin woman.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Crystal Rasch was reported missing on June 23, and investigators said her cell phone last pinged in Adams County, near where her husband owns land.
Zachariah Rasch’s 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse was found in the the area, and investigators said it had “significant” evidentiary value. Police added that they found a tooth on his property believed to be Crystal’s.
On June 11, the last day Crystal was seen, her husband allegedly searched online for “Will 9mm kill an animal if shot to the head.” The following day, he searched “carpet cleaner,” and then on June 24, he searched for “is sulfuric acid
Surveillance footage from a Goodwill in Oconomowoc showed Crystal and Zachariah Rasch together around 11 a.m. on June 11, the criminal complaint notes.
The Rasches had a divorce hearing scheduled for August 8, and Zachariah Rasch had a domestic abuse restraining order filed against him in September 2023.
The complaint against him also listed several cash withdrawals. A detective also obtained video showing him making the purchases.
Rasch initially denied taking any money from his wife’s accounts or using her credit cards but admitted he was lying when investigators showed him pictures from the surveillance video.
Police questioned Zachariah Rasch regarding his vehicles, and he initially denied owning the Eclipse. According to the complaint, he later confessed to owning it but claimed he didn’t know its location.
According to Fox 11, the court document further alleged that when officers pointed out inconsistencies in his statements, he reportedly responded, “I don’t know where she is.”
When asked about purchasing large amounts of drain cleaner, Rasch explained he was trying to eliminate chipmunks that had burrowed on his parents’ property.
Police arrested Rascb and charged him with first-degree intentional homicide with a domestic abuse enhancer and hiding a corpse.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: Crystal Rasch and Zachariah Rasch/Dodge County Sheriff’s Office]