Woman preparing son's 3rd birthday party killed by husband who told cops she went to the store and didn't come back: Police

A antheral successful Maryland is accused of sidesplitting his wife arsenic she made preparations for their son's 3rd day enactment and past telling authorities that she disappeared.

Dwight Rust Jr., 48, has been charged with first-degree murder successful the decease of his wife, 24-year-old Michelle Rust, the Baltimore County Police Department announced.

The lawsuit stretches backmost decades to a summertime day. On July 20, 2002, Michelle Rust was astatine the joined couple's location connected Clark Boulevard successful Arbutus, Maryland, "making preparations" for their 3-year-old son's day party. By 3 p.m., she was gone, and constabulary responded to the residence "for a reported missing person."

Officers made interaction with Dwight Rust Jr., who told them that his woman "had near their residence astir 9:30 a.m. to spell to the store to prime up items for their son's 3rd day enactment and had not returned." She had taken a greenish Dodge van, helium added.

As investigators began interviewing witnesses, however, they learned that "no 1 saw Mrs. Rust really permission her location connected Clark Boulevard successful Arbutus, and nary 1 ever saw her down the instrumentality of her vehicle, a greenish 1998 Dodge Caravan."

Authorities and loved ones searched "various neighborhoods," and Michelle Rust's father-in-law recovered her Dodge minivan "parked and unoccupied" a fewer miles distant "with a cardinal breached disconnected successful the driver's doorway lock." The probe continued.

Investigators realized determination was nary enactment "on immoderate of the missing woman's fiscal accounts." Her recognition cards and items she was wearing the time she disappeared — specified arsenic covering and jewelry — were not found.

"Finally, household members accidental that Michelle Rust loved her three-year-old son, and would not person disappeared connected her own, leaving the kid behind," the constabulary section said. "She is besides a diabetic and babelike connected insulin. This adds much value to the decision that she has been the unfortunate of foul play."

According to authorities, a expansive assemblage connected Monday indicted Dwight Rust Jr. connected the execution charge. He was arrested the pursuing time and booked into the Baltimore County Detention Center without bail.

The indictment against him remains sealed. Police did not accidental whether caller grounds prompted the apprehension truthful galore years aft Michelle Rust's disappearance.

A adjacent nonmigratory suggested that the apprehension whitethorn travel arsenic catharsis for the victim's family.

"It's conscionable precise scary," a Baltimore national told country NBC affiliate WBAL. "This household has been waiting for justness for 24 years."