ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Jennifer Rothwell disappeared from her home on Nov. 12, 2019. Here's everything we know about the case
Her husband, Beau, has been charged for tampering with physical evidence in connection to her disappearance.
On Nov. 14, 2019 Beau Rothwell was charged with tampering with physical evidence in connection with the disappearance of his wife Jennifer Rothwell.
Jennifer disappeared from her home in unincorporated St. Louis County in the 12600 block of Northwinds Drive. On the same day around 9:45 p.m., her 2011 Hyundai Sonata was found near Olive and Fee Fee. Police said she’s usually in contact with her family and friends daily.
Beau was arrested on late on Nov. 13, 2019. Police reclassified her missing person case to a homicide investigation the next morning.
On Nov. 14, 2019, a spokesperson from the St. Louis County Police Department said he was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. As of Thursday evening, he has not been charged with first-degree murder, according to police.
According to court documents, Beau was seen on video purchasing cleaning products including bleach, carpet cleaner and gloves on Nov. 11, 2019. Police got a search warrant for the home of the couple and on Nov. 13, 2019 detectives found wet carpet soaked with bleach and large areas of blood in carpeting and underlying pad.
Jennifer’s college roommate said she was outgoing and always cracking jokes – a social butterfly.
Friends told 5 On Your Side in November 2019, that Jennifer and Beau were perfect together. They were both engineering majors at the University of Missouri and married a couple years after graduation.
Jennifer Rothwell’s body was found in Lincoln County, some 45 miles away from her Creve Coeur-area home, about a week after her husband reported her missing. Detectives disclosed in search warrants that Rothwell, who was 28 years old, had been six weeks pregnant when she died.
On Jan. 27, Beau appeared in court.
He remains held without bond on charges of second-degree murder and evidence tampering in the death of his wife, Jennifer Rothwell.
Rothwell appeared before a St. Louis County judge, who set another court hearing date for April and confirmed prosecutors are expected to take the case before a grand jury in February or March.
If the jury were to indict him, the April hearing will become moot and he will proceed to trial.
None of Rothwell's family attended Monday’s hearing, where he appeared in a beige jumpsuit with his hands and feet shackled.
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