Episode Summary
When a young mother is reported missing, investigators quickly realize she was probably murdered. Their prime suspect is her husband, but a slew of suspicious statements and circumstantial evidence isn’t enough to put him behind bars… until a lucky discovery gives them everything they need.
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Episode Info
28-year-old Mengqi Ji.
Mengqi and her husband, 23-year-old Joseph Elledge.
Joe proposed to Mengqi in 2017 on a trail in Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.
Joe speaking to reporters about his wife’s disappearance.
Mengqi and Joe.
Joe on the stand at his own trial where he is being charged with first degree murder for the death of his wife, Mengqi Ji.
Mengqi Ji.
Episode Source Material
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Police ask public for help in finding missing Columbia woman, by Gregory Dailey.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Husband of missing Columbia woman speaks on her disappearance, by Gladys Bautista.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): One week later, police still searching for missing Columbia woman, by Skyler Rossi.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Police: Disappearance of Columbia woman now a criminal investigation, by Gregory Dailey and Meghan Lane.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Neighbor reacts to arrest of missing woman’s husband, by Gladys Bautista.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Police investigating man in wife’s “suspicious disappearance,” child abuse charge filed, by Gregory Dailey and Kyreon Lee.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Custody hearing for missing woman’s child begins, draws supporters for maternal grandparents, by Hunter M. Gilbert.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Prosecutor: Joe Elledge prime suspect in disappearance, murder of his wife, by Gregory Dailey and Gladys Bautista.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Attorney of missing woman’s parents says ‘limited’ child custody arrangement reached, by Gregory Dailey and Gladys Bautista.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Columbia police seek help from hunters, landowners in search for missing woman, by Hunter M Gilbert.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Joseph Elledge pleads not guilty on child welfare charges, by Emily Wolf.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Divers search Lamine River for missing woman’s body, by Missourian Staff.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Nightfall stops second day of search for Columbia woman, by Missourian Staff.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Search underway again Thursday for missing woman, by Missourian Staff.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Despite freezing temperatures, teams continue search for Mengqi Ji Elledge at Lamine River, by Mark Slavit.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Activity declines in search for missing Columbia woman, by Austin Walker.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Search continues in Lamine River for missing Columbia woman, by Evan Lachnit.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Sonar fails to find Mengqi Ji Elledge, by Morgan Riddell.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Grand jury indicts Joseph Elledge; charge added, by Missourian Staff.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Elledge pleads not guilty to child endangerment following indictment, by Gregory Dailey.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): UPDATE: Elledge jury to be chosen from Warren County residents, by Danielle Duclos.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Knight signals aggressive strategy for ‘proving’ Joseph Elledge killed his wife, by Danielle Duclos.
- AP News (New York, NY): Missouri man charged in Chinese wife’s death despite no body, by Margaret Stafford.
- Associated Press (New York, NY): Joseph Elledge probable cause statement, by AP Staff.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Elledge first-degree murder charge based on strangling scenario, by Jessica Blake.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Mengqi Ji’s family lawyer says they support murder charge against Joseph Elledge, by KCRG 13 Web Staff.
- AP News (New York, NY): Missouri man charged with murder in wife’s presumed death, by Heather Hollingsworth and Margaret Stafford.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): High profile defense attorney to represent Elledge on murder charge, by Maria Miller.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Columbia police to build levee to help find missing woman, by Dan Claxton, Ashley Eddy.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): CPD believes body of Mengqi Ji is entangled in log jam, plans to use net, by Ethan Stein.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): CPD ends excavation process in missing Columbia woman river search, by Katie Athey.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, Mo): Columbia police end search for missing mother Mengqi Ji in Cooper County, by Mark Slavit.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Joseph Elledge denied bond; murder case could go to trial by April, by Hunter M Gilbert.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): November trial date set for Joseph Elledge case, by Kyle Jones.
- Columbia Missouri Police: Property consistent with missing Columbia woman, Mengqi Ji, has been found in Rock Bridge State Park, March 25.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Police believe human remains found near Rock Bridge State Park belong to Mengqi Ji, by KRCG 13 Staff.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Columbia Police confirm human remains belong to Mengqi Ji, by Cameron Barnard.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Prosecutor’s brief in Elledge case paints abusive picture, by Dan Claxton.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, Mo): Prosecutor Knight says recordings are critical to murder case against Elledge, by Kelsy Armstrong.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Trial against Joseph Elledge for murder set to start on Monday, by Jessica Hart.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Elledge trial, Day 1: Jury selection ends Monday after pointed questioning narrows pool, by Anna Watson and Annasofia Scheve.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Day 2: Defense says Elledge killed his wife, but it was an accident, by Anna Watson.
- AP News (New York, NY): Defense attorney: Chinese woman’s death a ‘tragic accident’, by Associated Press.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Day 4: Prosecutor claims a ‘script’ shaped Elledge’s strategy after his wife died, by Anna Watson.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Former Columbia police detective questioned about Elledge notebook, by Meghan Lane.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Day 5: Prosecution calls witnesses in Elledge trial to describe discovery of his wife’s body, by Anna Watson.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Several witnesses take the stand Friday afternoon in the Joseph Elledge murder trial, by Meghan Lane.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Day 6: Experts say material from Elledge’s boots matches plants and soil around his wife’s gravesite, by Anna Watson.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Experts testify about matching Juniper needles on Joseph Elledge’s boots, by Elise Person.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Day 7: Prosecution focuses on Elledge’s diary and cellphone activity, by Anna Watson and Annasofia Scheve.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Testimony over messages, computer searches, “list of grievances” in Elledge murder trial, by Meghan Lane.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Day 8: Elledge testifies that he found his wife dead and ‘freaked out’, by Anna Watson.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Joseph Elledge takes the stand in his murder trial, by Meghan Lane.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Elledge continues testimony Tuesday afternoon, talks about fight that lead to wife’s death, by Meghan Lane.
- Columbia Missourian (Columbia, MO): Day 9: Attorneys in Elledge trial make final push to determine how his wife was killed, by Anna Watson.
- AP News (New York, NY): Testimony ends in Missouri man’s trial in wife’s death, by Associated Press.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Joseph Elledge found guilty of second-degree murder of wife, by KRCG Web Team.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Jury recommends 28 years for Joseph Elledge, by KRCG Web Team.
- Columbia Daily Tribune (Columbia, MO): Joseph Elledge sentenced to 28 years in prison for murder of wife Mengqi Ji, by Charles Dunlap.
- KRCG TV (Jefferson City, MO): Elledge asks court to vacate his conviction, by Dan Claxton.
- 48 Hours: The Tree that Helped Solve a Murder (Season 3, Episode 15).
- CBS News: Timeline: The Disappearance of Mengqi Ji, by CBS News.