Tx. EMT Dispatcher Vanished in October — and Husband Is Charged With Murder After Remains Found

A 59-year-old man faces murder charges in Texas, where authorities allege he killed his 29-year-old wife.

The Hood County Sheriff’s Office says Jennifer Pautenis has been missing since October.

Investigators allege Edward Michael Pautenis told them he last saw his wife as she was leaving her home in Granbury, Texas, on October 20, 2019.

Pautenis allegedly told some of her family members he was putting their two young children to bed when he heard her leave the house.

Pautenis was arrested on Wednesday, after the discovery of human remains believed to be his wife’s.

“We are currently working a scene in Hood County where human remains are being recovered and may be the remains of Jennifer Pautenis,” reads a statement from police. “The remains will be sent to a forensic lab for identification and processing for DNA to confirm the identity of the remains.”

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Pautenis has not been arraigned yet, and PEOPLE was unable to determine if he has an attorney.

In addition to murder, Pautenis is charged with tampering with evidence.

“I’m glad to see this case move forward,” Sheriff Roger Deeds said in the statement. “My investigators have worked non-stop since Jennifer was reported missing and my hope is, we give Jennifer’s family some type of closure on this terrible tragedy.”

Jennifer Pautenis’ relatives allegedly learned of her disappearance from one of her co-workers, not her husband.

Before her death, she had been working in a restaurant, recently realized her goal of becoming a dispatcher for emergency medical technicians, according to NBC News.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help cover the costs of her funeral.