Police Search Landfill for Evidence in Missing Michigan Mother’s Disappearance
Police are searching a landfill in Lenox Township, Michigan, for evidence in the disappearance of 30-year-old Ashley Elkins, a mother of two who went missing on January 2. Elkins was last seen running errands and messaging her family members that she was heading back from a beauty supply store.
Her ex-boyfriend, Deandre Howard Booker, 32, was arrested after fleeing to Flint and has been charged with lying to police during a violent crime investigation. Booker was arraigned on January 9 and has been charged with a four-year penalty.
Police spent over six hours scouring the Pine Tree Acres Landfill on Monday, focusing on a six to seven-acre area. Roseville Police Chief Mitch Berlin said the search was moving in the right direction and that officials were confident they would find the evidence they are looking for.
Elkins’ family members say her disappearance is out of character and that no one has heard from her since January 2. Her phone last pinged near her ex’s Roseville apartment, and police found her car in the area the same night. Her ex’s apartment was searched, and he was arrested the next day.
Booker and Elkins broke up in September, and Elkins’ mother told reporters that the family suspects Booker had something to do with her disappearance. Booker’s attorney said that his client was unemployed and asked for a reasonable bond, but prosecutors argued that his searches for fleeing the state and planning to delete his Google search history suggest that he would flee if released on bond.
A probable cause hearing is scheduled for January 22 and a preliminary exam is set for January 29.