Ex-boyfriend of missing Detroit-area woman returns to court on murder charges
(CBS DETROIT) - DeAndre Booker, the ex-boyfriend of missing mother Ashley Elkins, was back in court on Wednesday on murder charges.
Booker, 32, of Roseville, appeared for a probable cause conference in the 39th District Court on Wednesday. In addition to the murder charge, he is also charged with lying to police, tampering with evidence, mutilation of a dead body and concealing the death of an individual.
However, it was decided to move the hearing to March 7 while the prosecution and defense review the evidence.
"I'm asking for this date, first week of March, I guess more to advise you of where we're at, how much discovery there's been, how much I've gone through. [I'm] just kind of keeping track of things as we go along before we end up having an exam, which could be months from now," defense attorney Robbie Lang.
Elkins, a 30-year-old mother of two, was last seen leaving her home in Warren on Jan. 2. Her family reported her missing the following. Investigators searched a landfill in Macomb County but her body has not been found.
Investigators searched Booker's apartment on Jan. 7. An officer testified last week finding a large amount of blood in the bathroom. The officer claims DNA testing confirmed the blood was from Elkins.
Last week, Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido said there's a path to get a conviction even without a body. But the search for Elkins continues.
Family spokesperson Maurice Morton said people should remember Elkins as a "beautiful young lady."
"Remember mostly that she is a mother. Mother of a 10-year-old and a 7-year-old, so you have two young boys out there who don't have a mother. So, the community should feel for those children," Morton said.
Booker waived his right to a probable cause conference within 21 days of arraignment, meaning lawyers could thoroughly examine any evidence that could either send this case to trial or dismiss the charges.
