A body believed to be that of a woman named Kimberly Langwell was found Friday at the suspect’s home in Beaumont, Texas.
Tim Miller, founder and leader of Texas EquuSearch, told reporters that the body was buried under the floorboards of a bedroom in the home. report He noted Monday that Langwell was 34 years old at the time of her disappearance in July 1999.
Police arrested 67-year-old Terry Rhodes on Thursday and charged him with murder of a woman. Bail was set at $1 million.
image show The suspect had been in a relationship with Langwell until they broke up six months before she disappeared.
NEW: Arrest warrant photo of Terry Rhodes at the Jefferson County Jail. He is charged with the 1999 murder of Kimberly Langwell.https://t.co/YVbEhSJ7aS pic.twitter.com/FIZgKsJeDO
— KFDM News (@kfdmnews) June 14, 2024
In a social media post on Friday, Texas EquuSearch Said The group searched long and hard for Langwell.
“Sadly, Kimberly has remained missing for 25 years and her family has been waiting for answers,” the group continued.
On Thursday, June 13, 2024, Tim Miller, Founder and Executive Director of Texas EquuSearch, was requested by the Beaumont Police Department to assist in the search efforts for Kimberly Langwell based on new information. After arriving and making an initial assessment, Tim requested assistance from Ground Penetrating Radar Systems, Inc. (GPRS). Within minutes, an area of interest was identified and eventually, human remains were discovered at the described location.
Although a positive identification will take time, Kimberly Langwell’s family may finally have some answers and be able to begin a new grieving process by bringing their beloved Kimberly home. Please continue to pray for them.
After Langwell disappeared on July 9, 1999, her car was found parked outside a shopping center.
“According to the affidavit providing the basis for Rose’s arrest, Rose told a reliable informant that he killed Langwell at his Lindbergh Drive home and buried him on the property,” the KFDM report states.
After a judge signed a search warrant for the suspect’s property, police and the FBI began investigating. They used ground-penetrating radar and eventually found a 3-by-5-foot area under the floor of a bedroom in the home that was missing rebar, Miller said.
Miller continued.
I knew a hole was being dug. I thought, “Oh my goodness, that’s just big enough to bury someone in.” There was no way the wire mesh and rebar were being dug. City workers cut the floor with concrete saws, and then we all started digging by hand with shovels and spades, working very carefully so as not to destroy anything. We kept digging on both sides of the cavity, making it lower.
Authorities continued working at the scene and discovered the body wrapped in a blanket several hours later. Already used According to KOMO, machinery was used to dig up part of the home’s driveway during the search.
FBI digs up driveway as search for Kimberly Langwell takes new turn after 25 yearshttps://t.co/lAs0XSonCs
— KOMO News (@komonews) June 14, 2024
“Tim Miller would like to thank the Beaumont Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for continuing to trust Texas EquuSearch and helping to rescue Kimberly after 25 years,” Texas EquuSearch said in a social media post.
“This is a humbling but great responsibility that we do not take lightly,” the group concluded.
