ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KTVI) – Search warrants reveal a frightening timeline before a Missouri man's arrest for murder and tampering with evidence in the death of his wife.
Jennifer Rothwell was approximately six weeks pregnant when she disappeared and was later found murdered, according to KTVI.
According to court records, she’d been using her phone to search topics around the subject “what to do if your husband is upset you are pregnant.”
Two days before her husband Beau Rothwell’ arrest, receipts reveal he bought “rubber gloves and cleaning supplies at a nearby grocery store.
An investigator wrote, “This purchase was oddly at a time during a major snow event involving dangerous driving conditions and was also contradictory to beau Rothwell’s statement that he was home with his wife all night.”
On November 12, Beau called 911 to report Jennifer missing. A search warrant says, “Beau Rothwell told officers he last saw his wife at 6:20 a.m. at their home, when she reportedly left for work. Minutes later, he missed four phone calls from her.”
Police found Jennifer’s phone in her car, which had been abandoned on the side of the road near Olive and Fee Fee.
Meanwhile, investigators noted Beau’s pickup, located at their home about a mile away, had a “strong odor of bleach (that) seeped from the truck bed.” The search warrant continued: “…a small window to the garage was open, despite the cold temperatures, in an attempt to dissipate the odor.”
Investigators also noted evidence of blood and hair in the basement, along with the smell of bleach and open windows despite 30-degree temperatures.
The search warrants indicate the suspect declined consent to allow the search of his home, car, phone, as well as a DNA sample. A court document says, “He declined to further assist the investigation and requested legal counsel.”
On November 18, Beau Rothwell reportedly began to cooperate with police for the first time and investigators later found Jennifer’s body about 45 miles north of St. Louis, near Troy.
Beau Rothwell remains locked up at St. Louis County Jail with no bond. His next scheduled court date is January 27.
