The boyfriend of a missing Michigsn mother was arraigned Thursday for allegedly lying to police about her disappearance, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
Detroit Free Press reports that 32-year-old Deandre Howard Booker is accused of “repeatedly lying to police officers and intentionally providing false and misleading information” during the investigation into Ashley Elkins’ disappearance. Elkins was last seen on January 2, the prosecutor’s office said.
Police found her vehicle in Roseville, prompting them to search the residence of Booker, now considered the main suspect in the case. Investigators believe she may have been murdered.
“We want to bring closure for this family. My heart breaks for them, but we’re confident we can get there and we’re not going to stop until we do get there,” Chief Mitch Berlin of the Roseville Police Department said.
Investigators suspect that following Elkins’ disappearance, Booker fled to Flint, where he was captured and brought back to Roseville. In court, the prosecution revealed that while in Flint, Booker searched online for information about the quickest routes from Flint to Ohio, whether blood can be traced, strategies to defeat a polygraph test, and how to erase Google history.
“This violent act was premeditated. We will seek to enhance the charges once we get there, to exactly that, premeditated,” Berlin said, according to Detroit’s ABC 7.
Police intend to broaden their search at an undisclosed site, aiming to find more evidence that may support additional charges against Booker.
“Once we conclude our search and get these last pieces of evidence, I don’t think that guy will ever see the light of day,” Berlin said
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo via Berlin police]
