A Pennsylvania man was arrested Monday and accused of murdering his wife 34 years ago, state police announced this week, according to CNN.
Carl Rodgers, 62, of Shermans Dale, Pennsylvania, was charged with the 1983 death of Debra Jane Rodgers after the cold case was reopened last year, CNN said. Her body was found in a wooded area the day after her husband reported her missing from the couple's trailer.
"These cases never go away, much like the pain of the family members who lost a loved one," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told reporters Tuesday, per CNN.
"Our investigation, it is important to note, did not hinge on any one piece of new evidence or any bombshell revelation. Instead, a closer examination of the facts and collaborative use of law enforcement resources led us to this day," Shapiro added.
According to a statement from the Shapiro's office, Carl Rodgers' story about his wife on April 22, the last time anyone seen her alive, was inconsistent. Rodgers, who claimed his wife was suicidal because of her job, contacted her parents the next day about her being missing.
Carl Rodgers led the family to a remote area of the forest where they found Debra Rodgers's car. Her body was found by her mother on April 24 in a part of the forest Carl Rodgers had suggested she look, the attorney general's office statement read.
"Since 1983, members of the Pennsylvania State Police have diligently investigated the untimely death of Debra Rodgers," Lt. Mark A Magyar, the Criminal Investigation Section Commander of the Pennsylvania State Police Troop H, said in the statement.
"I commend the investigative dedication to bring resolution to the family of Debra Rodgers. The collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General has been paramount in bringing forth the arrest and upcoming prosecution of Carl Rodgers," the statement continued.
Geoffrey McInroy, Carl Rodgers' attorney told CNN that the arrest was unexpected and based on circumstantial evidence.
"It kind of took him by surprise that the attorney general's office saw fit to arrest him at work on a Monday morning," McInroy told CNN. "Here we are looking at bits and pieces that even the commonwealth had difficulty assembling. It's my position that those same facts fit together to tell a different narrative."
CNN reported that Rodgers is being held without bail and faces life in prison if convicted.
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