A suspect has been arrested in the death of a woman whose body was found Aug. 1 in a Prince George's County creek.
County police arrested Joseph Foster Jones, 31, on Friday, after extensive interviews with family and friends of the victim, Shavon Phillips.
Phillips, 22, was last seen alive July 30 while dropping off her small daughter at a D.C. daycare center. Her body was found two days later in a large gym bag in a Fort Washington, Md., creek.
Jones, of the 6900 block of Mountain Lake Place in Capitol Heights, Md., is charged with both first and second degree murder.
The victim's mother told NBC4's Shomari Stone that Jones was Phillips' boyfriend. Investigators found Phillips' DNA in his Honda Odyssey.
Stone reports that police say there is a lot of forensic evidence in the minivan, and that they believe it was used to transport Phillips' body to the creek.
At the time of her death, Phillips was on her way to buy a car and was carrying $3,800 in cash.
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Authorities believe the cause of Phillips' death was asphyxia. Her death was officially ruled a homicide on Aug. 14.
The night Phillips' body was found, police say someone broke into her apartment, and stole her computer and some other items. It is unclear whether police think Jones was involved, or the break-in was a coincidence.
Police said Jones acted alone in the killing.
