Jessica Funk-Haslam Murder: Alleged Attack On Estranged Wife Led Police To Roberts
ROSEMONT (CBS13) — The estranged wife of an alleged killer helped police crack the case of the murder of a 13-year-old girl.
Officers arrested Ryan Roberts, 23, linking him through DNA to the murder of Jessica Funk-Haslam after his wife accused him of rape.
"I really pray I didn't marry somebody like that," said a woman CBS13 is referring to as Lynn.
She says she's stunned after the arrest of her estranged husband, who is accused of the brutal murder of the Rosemont teenager.
Investigators say DNA linked Roberts to the crime.
"Without DNA, I'm confident that Jessica's murder would not have been solved."
The 13-year-old was found more than a year ago, choked and beaten to death inside Rosemont Community Park. But Roberts' DNA only entered the system recently.
Lynn says his DNA was likely taken when her marriage fell apart. She says Roberts brutally attacked and choked her back in May.
"All of a sudden he just got angry and irate."
She says it happened at a rec area in Fair Oaks.
"He said he was going to break my neck, and her tried, and then he raped me two times."
Lynn says it was like a person she had never met.
"I would never think of him to do that. I mean, this was the first time he'd ever shown any aggression toward me ever."
Lynn says she called deputies, but after investigating, they said there wasn't enough evidence for an arrest.
Still, they had his DNA.
Lynn, who all but stopped speaking to Roberts, says she had no clue about the case. Her husband never mentioned it, but could it be him?"
"I don't know. Had this not occurred to me, I'd say hell no." she said. "I want the truth to come out, however it comes out, whether it's favorable for him or not. I want the truth to come out. I want the person who did this to be penalized, but also the right person."
