Alexis Gabe: Oakley woman's disappearance now homicide investigation, police say
Police say they were attempting to arrest Marshall Curtis Jones for murder when he charged at them with a knife.
OAKLEY, Calif. (KGO) -- The ex-boyfriend of missing Oakley woman Alexis Gabe was killed Wednesday during an arrest attempt after allegedly charging at officers with a knife inside a Washington apartment where he was hiding, authorities announced Thursday.
Oakley police said during a press conference on Thursday that Gabe's disappearance is now a homicide investigation and they are searching for her body. "Due to the information that has been yielded during our long and intensive investigation, I must announce at this point, that we believe Alexis Gabe is the victim of a homicide," said Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard.
Oakley and Antioch officers issued a warrant for Marshall Curtis Jones' arrest on June 1 in Kent, Washington. The 27-year-old was charged with the murder of Gabe, 24, who disappeared in Jan. 2022.
Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton said in Thursday afternoon press conference, investigators and the DA's office had sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Jones. They had phone intercept recordings, surveillance footage, cellphone data and DNA evidence.
Despite the mounting evidence linking Jones to the crime, Chief Beard says it took months to piece to together the data before an arrest warrant could be issued.
Jones was reportedly the last person she saw before her disappearance, and she was last seen at his Antioch home along Benttree Way.
VIDEO: Investigators find cellphone case belonging to missing Oakley woman
Gabe's parents say her two nieces found her car in Oakley the day after she was first reported missing with the keys still in the ignition, not far from the ex-boyfriend's house.
Law enforcement officials from the Seattle Police Dept., Snohomish County Sheriff's Office and U.S. marshals were attempting to arrest Jones when he charged at the officers with a knife. Marshals then shot at him and he was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities say.
Gabe's father, Gwyn, spoke for the family on Jones' death during the press conference Thursday. "What happened to Marshall was tragic and unexpected. My wife cried so hard last night upon hearing of his passing. He was our daughter's first love... he became part of our family. We had no idea he was capable of doing something like this to her. We didn't want him dead. We wanted him arrested to pay for his sins. We wanted to meet with him face to face. We wanted to look him in the eye and ask him why, ask him where is Alexis. I know police are saying that our daughter is gone, but our daughter will remain alive in our minds and in our hearts. We will continue to search for her until we find her."
VIDEO: Family of missing Oakley woman Alexis Gabe speaks after suspect killed by police
The family says, despite these new developments, this is not closure.
"We need to find here first before there is closure. We are not giving up the fight. She will remain alive in our hearts until we find her," said Gwyn.
"We will continue to find her. We want her back," said Alexis' mother, Rowena.
A $100,000 reward is still being offered for anyone with information that could lead to the discovery of Gabe's body.
"We do understand the death of Marshall Jones is not what we would have hoped for. We do hope that somebody who has knowledge of Alexis' whereabouts will now feel more empowered to come forward without having to feel a negative response from Marshall Jones," Chief Beard said.
District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement earlier Thursday: "It's been an emotionally wrenching time for the family, friends, and community. I, along with the police agencies who have worked tirelessly to bring justice to the Gabe family, wish to express our deepest condolences for the loss of their beloved daughter. My office will continue to seek justice in finding Alexis so her family can have a sense of closure to this tragic loss of life."
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VIDEO: Police suspect foul play, have person of interest in Oakley woman's disappearance
