GUILTY MO - Mengqi Elledge, 28, found deceased, Columbia, 9 Oct 2019 *husband arrested*

[mlhenn]

Former boyfriend reflects on possible findings of Mengqi Ji

Mengqi's former boyfriend, Dan Culp spoke with KRCG. He said it's hard to imagine her being found in the woods.

“First of all, it brings up images that you don't want to think about when you think about they found her in the woods.”

Culp said he and Mengqi remained friends after parting ways. He said once she got married to Joseph Elledge, they would only talk occasionally.

He said, “It was a long night to process it all.”

....

According to court documents, Mengqi had reached out to Culp not long before she went missing. Those documents were filed when authorities charged Elledge with murder, which said Mengqi contacted Culp in Aug. 2019 to get information on divorce attorneys for herself.

 

[mlhenn]

Property consistent with missing Columbia woman, Mengqi Ji, has been found in Rock Bridge State Park, March 25

Link for reference

 

[KDM92]

Columbia police to release new information in Mengqi Ji case - ABC17NEWS

“Columbia police will hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon related to the case of a woman missing since October 2019.

The Columbia Police Department will announce new developments in the case of Mengqi Ji at 2 p.m. at City Hall. Police have been working on identifying remains believed to be Ji's found at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park on March 25. Forensic experts visited Columbia last week to identify the remains.”

 

[KDM92]

Columbia police identify remains as those of Mengqi Ji - ABC17NEWS

“BREAKING: Police have identified the remains found at Rock Bridge State Park as those of a woman last seen in October 2019, Mengqi Ji.”

“Mayor Brian Treece announced the identification through dental records with the Columbia Police Department during an afternoon news conference at City Hall. The decomposed remains were found at Rock Bridge on March 25. Forensic experts visited Columbia last week to identify the remains.”

“Police said investigators also found items near the remains that appeared to belong to Ji, including bank, credit card documents and a driver's license.

CPD Chief Geoff Jones thanked the hiker for finding the remains and for coming forward with the discovery during the news conference. Assistant Chief Jeremiah Hunter said how Ji died has not been determined.

Hunter said police got word of the identification of the remains Friday but wanted to speak to the family before releasing the information publicly. Police spoke with Ji's family this morning, he said.”

“Jones said it's not clear how long Ji's body was at the state park. Police are still investigating to find out the cause of death, he said.

Ji’s husband Joseph Elledge reported her missing Oct. 10, 2019. Elledge told police he last saw her on Oct. 8, 2019. Prosecutors later charged Elledge with first-degree murder. Elledge's trial is set for November.

Investigators initially focused their search on the Lamine River in Cooper County. Police said they had evidence that repeatedly suggested Ji’s body may have been in the river near the Route 41 Bridge. An initial probable cause statement in the case said cellphone data showed that Elledge drove to the Boonville area on Oct. 9, 2019. The data showed the phone was in the area of the Lamine River for about 45 minutes.

Police held a news conference hours after the hiker found the remains. During that news conference, police said law enforcement did search Rock Bridge State Park but did not search the area where the body was found.

"We used a lot of resources and volunteers to make this happen and will forever appreciate their dedication to this case," Police Chief Geoff Jones said. "The time, energy and expertise that was provided were all necessary to bring this search to an end as well as bring the necessary closure to Mengqi Ji’s loved ones."

 

[mlhenn]

Remains found in Columbia park identified as missing woman Mengqi Ji

Current evidence does not indicate other suspects but Jones said investigators were “keeping an open mind” and would go where the evidence took them.


Prosecutors have speculated that Elledge strangled his wife to avoid a costly divorce and to stop her from fleeing to China with their daughter.

Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight has said little since the remains were found but Jones said Knight is as confident as he was a year ago that Ji’s husband is responsible for her death.

 

[Gibbo214]

Remains found in Columbia park identified as missing woman Mengqi Ji

Current evidence does not indicate other suspects but Jones said investigators were “keeping an open mind” and would go where the evidence took them.


Prosecutors have speculated that Elledge strangled his wife to avoid a costly divorce and to stop her from fleeing to China with their daughter.

Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight has said little since the remains were found but Jones said Knight is as confident as he was a year ago that Ji’s husband is responsible for her death.

And I would bet that he does not value his daughter any more than he did his wife.

 

[mlhenn]

Remains are Mengqi Ji, missing for more than a year, police confirm

Just saying thank you to the hiker who found Ji's body and reported it to authorities does not seem enough, Jones said.

"It would have been very easy to just walk on by," he said. "To force yourself into the middle of a case as high profile as this took courage, and I respect that courage."

Ji's remains are still being examined to determine the cause of death, Hunter said.

"The remains are still being looked at and researched and hopefully we can answer that question soon," he said.

The investigation has the potential to develop more leads, Jones added.

A memorial for Mengqi Ji at Rock Bridge State Park near Rock Quarry Road.

....

Elledge was indicted Feb. 20, 2020, for first-degree murder. His trial is set to start Nov. 1. A status hearing is planned July 12.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Missing wife’s remains found in park, confirmed by dental records; husband charged with murder

 

[Elgana]

So relieved to read that Mengqi has been found at long last. May justice now be done for her and her family. RIP Mengqi.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Thank goodness she was found. I hope justice will be served and her parents will be the grandparents that her daughter loves and leans on throughout her life.

 

[carbuff]

So glad she's finally been found.

Now may justice follow.

 

[tinynest]

New evidence reported in the death of Mengqi Ji

Prosecutors say they have new evidence in the death of Mengqi Ji who they believe was killed by her husband Joseph Elledge.

New court documents describe audio recordings of conversations between Ji and Elledge. The new documents detail 12 secret audio conversations, two recorded by Ji and 10 recorded by Elledge. Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight said the recordings show months of verbal abuse by Elledge, including Elledge "gaslighting" Ji by talking over her and lying to her to manipulate her.

Some of the recordings, Knight said, include Elledge demanding Ji listen to what he says as the head of the household. A recording allegedly shows Elledge admitting to holding back feelings of wanting to hit Ji when the two fought.

Prosecutors say the evidence is necessary to play at trial to show Elledge's motive in killing Ji. Knight wrote that without this evidence in court, the jury will be unable to understand why Elledge killed Ji, or the significance of other evidence that developed after he allegedly killed her. Knight said the recordings also show he may have lied to police and reporters after Ji went missing in October 2019.

"[Elledge]'s lies were intended to deflect any suspicion that Mengqi had been killed and to deceive the police and the public into believing that Mengqi left the marriage voluntarily," Knight said.

In those documents, prosecutors say Elledge most likely killed Ji at their shared apartment, in the late evening of October 8th, 2019. Investigators previously claimed Elledge may have strangled Ji since they did not find any blood at the apartment. Police said cell phone records show Elledge drove to several different "remote" locations around mid-Missouri in the days following her disappearance. Elledge told police he wanted to find trails to walk with his daughter.

Police found Ji's remains at Rock Bridge State Park in March. Investigators had spent thousands of dollars searching the Lamine River in Cooper County after cell phone records allegedly showed him in that area and cadaver dogs alerted to something in the river.

Elledge's attorney in the murder case, Scott Rosenblum, did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday. A hearing is set for July 12 in Boone County, with the trial beginning Nov. 1.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Court weighs whether to allow recordings in Elledge murder trial

When the trial starts in November, it could take several weeks.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Judge rules recordings can be used as evidence in Elledge murder trial

Court records Tuesday evening showed Judge Hasbrouck Jacobs will allow audio recordings presented by the prosecution as evidence in the Joseph Elledge murder trial.

Elledge’s next court appearance is a status hearing scheduled for September 23. His murder trial is set to begin on November 1.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight said the secret audio recordings were necessary for the murder trial because they would show the jury Elledge’s motive for killing his wife. Defense attorneys said the judge shouldn’t allow the evidence because it was hearsay.

Prosecutors said Elledge killed Mengqi Ji in their Columbia apartment in October 2019 after becoming enraged at her. Hikers found her body in March of this year near a ditch in Rock Bridge State Park. Prosecutors said cell phone audio recordings revealed a deeply disturbed husband who was abusive and controlling, and who threatened his wife on numerous occasions. Some of the recordings were made by Elledge. Some were made by Mengqi Ji. MU Law Professor Ben Trachtenberg said the judge made the right decision to let jurors hear the recordings.

Trachtenberg said, “The old saying that, anything you say can and will be used against you in court, is certainly proving true for Mr. Elledge in this case.”
Legal experts: Judge made correct decision on Elledge murder trial recordings

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Prosecutors said exclusive interview footage with KRCG 13’s Gladys Bautista showed Elledge was lying when he said he didn’t know his wife’s whereabouts after reporting her missing. Bautista currently works for a television station in Louisville, Kentucky and prosecutors want her to return to Columbia for the trial. Prosecutors claim Elledge killed Mengqi Ji in their Columbia apartment in October 2019 after becoming enraged at her. Hikers found her body in March of this year near a ditch in Rock Bridge State Park. Court officials want Elledge’s trial to last no more than 2 weeks.

Boone County Prosecutor Dan Knight said, “The judge is hoping that we can try this case in two weeks. I’m hoping that we can do the same. We’ll see. It could go a little bit longer. It’s just always difficult to tell with jury trials how long they are going to last. There are a lot of variables involved. We’ll just have to see on that.”

Elledge did not appear in court for Friday’s hearing. His next court appearance is a status hearing scheduled for September 23. His murder trial is set to begin on November 1.
Prosecutors want former KRCG reporter to testify in Joseph Elledge murder trial

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Prosecutor says vegetation on boots puts Elledge at site where wife's body was found - ABC17NEWS

 

[JerseyGirl]

[URL="https://krcgtv.com/news/local/trial-against-joseph-elledge-for-murder-set-to-start-on-monday"]Trial against Joseph Elledge for murder set to start on Monday
[/URL]
On Nov. 1, 125 people will be called to the Boone County Courthouse, but only 100 of them will be seated in the courtroom.

Judge Brouck Jacobs said 200 people were allocated for this trial, and he expects to have a complete jury by Monday. If not, Jacobs said jury selection will continue on Tuesday with the remaining 75 people.

Last week, Judge Jacobs said he is allowing three weeks for the trial but hopes it can be wrapped up in two weeks.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Elledge pre-trial: Judge denies motion to suppress statements Elledge made to CPD

 

[kelsie]

Elledge pre-trial: Judge denies motion to suppress statements Elledge made to CPD

Elledge arrived at the station on Oct. 15, 2019 and detectives sat him in a recorded interview room, according to court documents. Elledge was not handcuffed or physically restrained in the interview.

Court documents filed by the prosecuting attorney say Elledge “spoke virtually without interruption for about 45 minutes.”

According to court documents, the defense argued Elledge made the statements without the benefit of being read his Miranda rights. The defense said detectives asked "guilt seeking questions in a custodial interrogation."

According to Cornell Law, a custodial interrogation involves the questioning of a detained person by the police in connection with a criminal investigation. A person is not only detained when under arrest, but also whenever not free to leave.

The prosecuting attorney argued Elledge made all statements during an entirely voluntary encounter with police. According to court documents, the prosecutor argues the defendant was never in custody, real or imagined, and never subjected to a custodial interrogation.