Kelli Bordeaux Remains Found, Suspect Arrested, Charged With First-Degree Murder
Authorities believe they have found the remains of missing Fort Bragg soldier Kelli Bordeaux in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They have searched for the Army Private First Class soldier since she went missing on April 13, 2012.
Lt. Todd Joyce of the Fayetteville Police Department told the press that detectives received a tip and searched an area near Interstate 295, where they found remains they believe belong to Bordeaux. The remains are currently with the chief medical examiner for confirmation. In the meantime, authorities have arrested 27-year-old Nicholas Michael Holbert in connection with the murder; he could face additional charges.
Bordeaux was last seen leaving a bar in Fayetteville. She was reported missing when she failed to report for duty.
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She was described as a "very good soldier, not the type of person that would come up AWOL (away without leave) or missing," police chief Tom Bergamine told WRAL-TV in April. "She may be in danger."
"There is some information we've gathered that makes us concerned for her safety," spokesman Gavin MacRoberts told ABC News.
Holbert was one of the key suspects in the case. He was brought in for questioning in April, not long after Bordeaux went missing. He is a registered sex offender who now has been charged with first-degree murder. Authorities will not say exactly what led them to suspect Holbert or make the arrest.
"As soon as you drive into the entrance to Meadowbrook, she said, 'stop right here,'" Holbert told ABC News in April. "So I stopped and she said, 'I'll walk home.' I said, 'Are you sure?' She said, 'Yeah.' I said I figured she didn't want me to know where she lived, or somebody was there and she didn't want to be seen together."
Last year, the U.S. Army formally declared Bordeaux dead, and her family began receiving her military death benefits. There is still a void, though, for all those who knew Bordeaux.
"She and her family have remained close in our hearts since Kelli last stood in our formation in April 2012," Lt. Col. Heather A. Kness told Fox News. "We honor her memory and will always remember her vibrant spirit, her love of life, and her loyal and dedicated service to our Army and nation as a combat medic."
