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A grand jury in Idaho has indicted a man on second-degree murder charges after his ex-girlfriend disappeared five years ago.
When Rae Allison Berwanger disappeared in 2019, her ex-boyfriend Jardon Jarrad Law was considered a person of interest early on in the investigation. On Wednesday, the 46-year-old was arrested in Spokane, Washington, by Bonner County Sheriff’s deputies, according to the Idaho Statesman.
They did not say whether or not Berwanger had been located.
Berwanger was 54 when she disappeared in March 2019 from Bonner County, according to the Charley Project, which maintains profiles of missing people. Months later, Law was arrested after police discovered he had allegedly used Berwanger’s debit card to take money from her account the day after she disappeared.
He withdrew $1,200 and $400, and security footage caught him driving Berwanger’s car, according to authorities. He received a withheld judgement in that case, according to the Bonner County Daily Bee.
As well as having previously dated, Law and Berwanger had lived together before her disappearance, according to the Charley Project. She was last seen at his home, KREM said.
Family members told the broadcaster that Berwanger had been struggling with addiction at the time of her disappearance but was making progress towards sobriety.
Jimmie Bailey, Berwanger’s brother-in-law, told investigators that he went to Law’s house after the couple had a “falling out,” KREM stated. Berwanger had also told Bailey that she wanted to move to Washington state.
After she disappeared, Law suggested to police that she may have left the state to visit a friend, and that she had sold her car for $800 three days before her disappearance.
In addition to the second-degree murder charges, Law has also been charged with two counts of rape, which law enforcement officers said was “relevant to an additional victim that was discovered during the investigation.” No further details regarding the alleged rape were provided in the release.
