What to Know
- Jade Gillette Babcock was arrested Tuesday and charged with abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence and obstructing justice.
- Babcock allegedly confessed to murdering his ex-girlfriend Brenda Jacobs.
- Jacobs went missing in 2003. Family members said her remains were found in a Philadelphia storage unit on Monday.
The ex-boyfriend of a Pennsylvania woman who went missing nearly 16 years ago admitted to murdering the victim after the woman's remains were found inside a Philadelphia storage unit, according to her family and the District Attorney's Office.
Jade Gillette Babcock, 49, of Philadelphia, was arrested Tuesday and charged with abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence and obstructing justice.
Pennsylvania State Police first received a tip on the investigation of the disappearance of Brenda Jacobs, a mother of two from Montoursville, Pennsylvania, who went missing on Dec. 29, 2003 but wasn't reported missing by her family until 2013, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said.
Montoursville is located approximately 174 miles from Philadelphia.
Acting on the tip, police searched through a storage unit near Westmoreland Street and Frankford Avenue Monday at 3:30 p.m. where they found human remains. While police have not yet identified the remains, family members told NBC10 they were of Jacobs. They also said Babcock was Jacobs' ex-boyfriend.
"She was a happy go lucky girl," Randy Jacobs, Brenda's brother, told NBC10. "I'm feeling more relieved for the kids."
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On Wednesday, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced that homicide charges are also expected to be filed against Babcock who allegedly confessed to murdering Jacobs.
“When there is no swift resolution to an investigation, perpetrators do begin to believe that they can get away with murder," District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "With the help of our State Police, that won’t be true for Jade Babcock. May those who have been missing and mourning Brenda Jacobs for years know some peace in the very near future.”
Despite the remains being found, Jacobs' family said they are still searching for answers.
"There's always going to be questions," Randy Jacobs said. "Where did he kill her? When? Those are the kind of answers that we would want."
Babcock was arraigned and is being held without bail.
