Santa Cruz: Police ID Woman Whose Boyfriend Confessed To Killing Her, Led Police To Body In RV
SANTA CRUZ (BCN/CBS SF) -- A woman killed in a homicide last week in Santa Cruz had been involved in a relationship with her killer for several years, police said on Tuesday.
The victim, who was found dead last Thursday inside a parked RV in the 100 block of Front Street, has been identified as 33-year-old Rachel "Elias" Meisenheimer, according to police.
Officers discovered Meisenheimer's body after the suspect, 30-year-old Beau Joseph Paepke, confessed to police to killing Meisenheimer and told officers they would find her body inside the RV.
He told officers he committed the murder on Monday June 28 while the RV was parked in the 900 block of Soquel Avenue, police said.
Paepke and Meisenheimer, who were both transient, had been in a relationship over the last five years, police said.
Several of Meisenheimer's friends expressed their grief on Facebook.
In a Facebook post, The Blue Lagoon night club in Santa Cruz on Sunday described Meisenheimer as a "brazenly fierce, always real and often wickedly funny individual."
Paepke remains in custody at Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of homicide and is being held without bail.
The murder remains under investigation and police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact Santa Cruz Police Det. Trevor Kendall at (831) 420-5963, or to leave information on the department's tip line at (831) 420-5995.
© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
