ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The Creve Coeur man accused of murdering his pregnant wife in November 2019 appeared in court Monday for the first time since his arraignment.
Beau Rothwell was mostly stone-faced and barely spoke up when a judge asked, “Do you understand you’re being held with no bond?”
The judge allowed a camera in the courtroom Monday. It was the first time we saw Rothwell since he was arrested in mid-November. He shuffled up to the judge in shackles. He mostly stared straight ahead except when talking to his attorney. We could see him swallow when the judge said a grand jury will review the case next month.
The 29-year-old is charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
On November 12, Beau Rothwell reported his 28-year-old wife, Jennifer Rothwell, missing.
Police found her car abandoned near Olive and Fee Fee in Creve Coeur, about a mile from where the Rothwells lived. Police later found evidence Beau left it there, after reportedly dumping his wife’s body in a remote part of Lincoln County.
Investigators found Jennifer’s body on November 18. Preliminary findings from Jennifer’s autopsy showed she suffered blunt force injury to her head.
Search warrants indicated Jennifer was six weeks pregnant and that she was searching the internet under the topic, “What to do if your husband is upset you are pregnant.”
Those warrants also revealed police found signs beau cleaned up blood evidence and that “…a small window to the garage was open, despite cold temperatures, in an attempt to dissipate the odor.”
Fox 2 recorded video of Rothwell’s arrest on November 13.
Rothwell says he’s not guilty and will return to court in April.
