ROSEVILLE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Roseville police met with law enforcement partners Warren Police Department, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police to chart out the next steps in the investigation of Ashley Elkins' missing persons case.
“We want to bring closure for this family. My heart breaks for them, but we’re confident we can get there and we’re not going to stop until we do get there,” Chief Mitch Berlin of the Roseville Police Department said.
Video: Ex-boyfriend charged with lying to peace officer in missing Warren woman's case
Berlin says they’re awaiting DNA analysis for some elements in their investigation that will bolster the probe into the disappearance of Elkins. The Warren mother of two went missing last week.
Her car was discovered in Roseville, where police searched the home of DeAndre Booker, her ex-boyfriend and the main suspect in her vanishing. Investigators believe she was murdered.
“This violent act was premeditated. We will seek to enhance the charges once we get there, to exactly that, premeditated,” Berlin said.
Booker faced a judge on Thursday, accused of repeatedly lying and willfully providing false and misleading information to police at the onset of the investigation.
You can watch Booker's arraignment in the video below:
Retired Detroit Assistant Police Chief Steve Dolunt spent his career involved in some of Michigan's most violent crimes. He explained why authorities would take Booker in on the charge of lying to a peace officer.
"They want to keep him in custody, so the individual in question cannot destroy any evidence or maybe in this case move the body," Dolunt said. “But still, he’s a flight risk. We haven’t found a body and they felt that there was enough there to get a search warrant for his house and that’s why they were looking for him in the first place.”
Hear more from Ashley Elkins' family after the suspect's arraignment in the video below:
Berlin says they plan to expand the search of an undisclosed location that they’re hoping will secure additional evidence, so they can pin additional charges on Booker if that's where the evidence leads them.
“Once we conclude our search and get these last pieces of evidence, I don’t think that guy will ever see the light of day,” Berlin said.
That is welcomed news for Elkins’ family, but it’s the waiting that’s difficult.
Video: Ashley Elkins' uncle talks with Carolyn Clifford after the suspect was arrested in the video below:
“We still don’t have her body, so yes, we want her remains found as soon as possible,” Maurice Morton, Elkins’ uncle, said. “So, we know police have leads as to where she could possibly be and we know that the chief is searching, so we’re appreciative of that. We know we have a suspect in custody and we are also appreciative of that. Our hope is that we get the right charges soon, murder charges and that he’ll never see the light of day again,” Morton said.
Roseville police plan to wrap up the next phase of their investigation late next week.
