Boulder Police say investigators believe that parts of the body of a mother who had been reported missing earlier this week could be scattered across the country.
"I think the possibilities are limited only by your imagination," said Chief Joe Prentice with the Okmulgee Police Department. "I think there's any number of things that could have happened to dispose of the other body parts."
Adam Densmore, the father of 25-year-old Ashley Mead’s young daughter, was arrested outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma on Wednesday. He is being held on charges of first-degree murder.
He appeared in court Friday afternoon in Oklahoma and waived extradition and is expected to be back in Colorado in the coming days.
Their 1-year-old daughter was with him at the time. She is currently in the custody of Oklahoma Child Protective Services.
Shortly after Densmore was taken into custody, Oklahoma law enforcement found human remains in a suitcase inside of a nearby Dumpster. They have been tentatively identified as belonging to Ashley Mead.
Oklahoma was Densmore’s final destination on a journey that started in Boulder on Sunday and continued to Raton, New Mexico and south through the Texas panhandle and to Haughton, Louisiana.
Investigators believe Mead was at least partially dismembered just outside of Shreveport, Louisiana – and authorities believe portions of her remains could be scattered between Boulder and Oklahoma in a purple suitcase.
"Investigators believe the murder took place in Boulder and at least part of the dismemberment took part in another state, possibly Louisiana," said Chief Joe Prentice. "Additionally investigators have determined that there is a piece of luggage missing from the suspected dismemberment site which matches the suitcase that contained the torso."
Mead and Densmore’s 1-year-old daughter was likely in the car during the drive. She and her mother were reported missing on Tuesday after Mead failed to show up to work. They hadn’t been seen since Sunday.
Boulder Police say if anyone sees a suitcase in an odd location, they should not touch it and instead call local law enforcement.
"Obviously to further the investigation we would like to find, recover the rest of the body and to give the family some closure as well. It would certainly help with the investigation," said Chief Prentice.
9NEWS Psychologist Dr. Max Wachtel says dismemberment usually involves severe mental illness, possibly a personality disorder. He says this is not something done in the heat of the moment and is usually planned.
“He was probably thinking pretty clearly when he was doing this, which is concerning,” Dr. Wachtel said.
Mead most recently worked with a Head Start program in Boulder County. Coworkers remember her as a "dreamer and a goal setter, with lots of love for all."
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Boulder Police Department at 303-441-1974. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. You can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
Here’s a date-by-date look at where Boulder Police say Densmore was:
-Evening of Feb. 12: Densmore leaves Boulder and travels to Raton, New Mexico
-Densmore continues south through the Texas panhandle, arrives in Haughton, Louisiana the evening of Feb. 13
-Densmore spends the night in Conway, Arkansas the morning of Feb. 14 and spends the night
-Densmore leaves Conway the morning of Feb. 15 and stops in Okmulgee, Oklahoma before he is arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma just before 1:30 p.m.
