A missing Wisconsin woman’s estranged husband was arrested three weeks after she disappeared.
Missing woman’s husband bought a suspicious amount of cleaning supplies
42-year-old Zachariah Rasch, has been charged with identity theft for using Crystal Rasch’s credit cards to buy a suspicious amount of cleaning supplies earlier this month.
Rasch reportedly purchased gloves, stain removers, and carpet and drain cleaners with Crystal’s debit card several times.
Surveillance footage captured at the stores the card was used at were able to identify him as the purchaser.
In total, the excessive amount of cleaning products Rasch bought at different stores totaled to more than $6,500, according to Dodge County authorities.
Three weeks after she was last scene by her family, Dodge County Sheriffs revealed that they tracked Crystal’s phone to Adams County, where Rasch’s family owns property.
A search in the area led to the discovery of his car, which authorities believe holds significant evidentiary value. The vehicle is currently being combed through by investigators at the state crime lab in Madison.
“The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to the investigation into the disappearance of Crystal Rasch and has dedicated every available resource to locating her,” the department said in a statement.
Estranged husband of missing woman stole her cards
Investigators recently examined Crystal’s financial records, uncovering numerous unauthorized transactions.
Security footage showed Rasch making these purchases alone with Crystal’s cards, all occurring after her family last saw her on June 11.
Crystal was reported missing on June 23 by her stepmother, who found her car inexplicably at Rasch’s residence, after not being able to contact her by phone for nearly two weeks.
Family members also claimed they received odd messages from Crystal’s Facebook account, which appeared to be written by someone else.
Authorities questioned Rasch, who has known to harass his estranged wife, about Crystal’s disappearance, but he denied recent contact with her.
After authorities were able to prove that Rasch used Crystal’s cards to purchase cleaning supplies, he admitted to the financial crime and was arrested.
A search of Rasch’s home did not produce any indication of Crystal’s whereabouts, but deputies discovered $2,145 in cash.
They also located two phone numbers belonging to Crystal, which were traced to two different locations.
One phone pinged near Juneau on June 8, and the other was tracked to near where Rasch’s family resides, on June 17.
While Crystal is still gone, the investigation is being pursued as a missing person’s case, however deputies are operating as if a “serious felony” has occurred.
Rasch is currently incarcerated at the Dodge County Jail on a $250,000 bond.
Colorado man slays family after losing job
Elsewhere, the slain family of 83-year-old Reginald MacLaren got justice when he was convicted of the gruesome murders and dismemberment of his wife and disabled daughter, prosecutors announced on Friday.
MacLaren faces life in prison after being found guilty of two counts each of first-degree murder, tampering with a deceased body, and false reporting.
The elderly villain brutally slayed his 70-year-old wife, Bethany MacLaren, and his 35-year-old daughter, Ruth Jennifer MacLaren, with an ax at their apartment in Colorado.
Press Conference regarding the homicide investigation. 3/28/23 at 4:30 p.m. MST pic.twitter.com/WJpVY9Bqp5
— Englewood Police Department (@PoliceEnglewood) March 28, 2023
He then dismembered their bodies with a saw, placing the remains in trash cans he had purchased over a week earlier from Home Depot.
The shocking incident began on March 25, 2023, when MacLaren called Englewood Police around 6 p.m. claiming his wife and daughter had been murdered.
Officers arrived to find two large trash bins in the living room, one containing Bethany’s hacked up body and the other holding Ruth’s remains.
Officers discovered blood across the apartment, a large ax in a closet and a Stanley brand hand saw right by the trash cans.
Both victims had sustained “substantial injuries” and displayed “no signs of life.” They were pronounced dead at the scene.
MacLaren confessed to the murders about three hours after he called the cops. He revealed he had recently lost his job, was bankrupt, and felt compelled to slay his family instead of letting them go homeless.
Chief Deputy DA Jake Adkins condemned the act, stating, “Mr. MacLaren betrayed his family in a gruesome and senseless ambush that he planned for weeks. He violently murdered his wife and daughter and planned to dispose of their bodies like trash.”
MacLaren will be sentenced on July 11 and faces a mandatory life sentence.
