A 67-year-old Pennsylvania man was arrested Thursday and charged with homicide after a new lead was uncovered in a 38-year-old cold case.
Maryann Bagenstose was only 25 years old when she went missing from the home she shared with her husband, Jere Bagenstose (now 67), in Pequea Township, Pennsylvania, according to Mahoning Matters. She was last seen on June 5, 1984. Her mother and husband reported her missing two days later when she failed to return home, where she had custody of the couple’s 2-year-old son.
The Bagenstoses were estranged at the time of Maryann’s disappearance, but Jere was at her home when police arrived on June 8, 1984, the outlet continued. He told the police that he went to the home to help Maryann trade in her car, and to take their son to a local park. When father and son returned home, she was gone, Bagenstose told police at the time.
Maryann had allegedly left a note. It said that she’d walked to a store called Turkey Hill, Mahoning Matters continued. “Had to run a quick errand, be right back,” the note read. A five-foot hole was also found in Maryann’s garage, covered by a piece of cardboard, but no body was found inside it.
The Lancaster County District Attorney has announced the arrest of 67-year-old Jerry Bagenstose, who has been charged with killing his wife Mary Ann Bagenstose almost 40 years ago. We’ll have more on what led to this arrest on @fox43 news at 4&5: https://t.co/K5hsEFkD2F pic.twitter.com/POde6cPPdb
— Paola Belloso (@PaolaBellosotv) December 22, 2022
Maryann did not contact any of her friends or family since she disappeared, according to CrimeWatch.
Bagenstose reportedly gave law enforcement inconsistent statements on the note’s contents, the reason for the hole in the garage, and why he was at the house in the first place, the outlet stated.
The investigation went cold until 2018, when Pennsylvania State Police reopened it. Law enforcement searched online for public records and other documents which held writing samples for Bagenstose, Mahoning Matters continued. Forensic analysis suggested that Bagenstose had allegedly written the note he claimed was written by his estranged wife.
Although Maryann’s body was never discovered, Bagenstose was arrested and charged with her homicide on December 22, 2022. (RELATED: Democrat-Run Cities Have More Homicides Per Capita, Data Shows)
“An arrest in this 38-year-old case has certainly been long awaited,” Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said, according to the outlet. “This is not a case solved with DNA. Rather, the arrest of Jere Bagenstose is the result of decades of hard work and dedication by law enforcement.” Bagenstose was denied bail following his arrest, according to ABC27.