The family of a San Diego woman, reported missing and then found dead 15 years ago, were overcome with emotion after hearing the woman's husband has been arrested in connection with the murder.
San Diego County Sheriff's detectives arrested Russell Upton Monday in Reno, NV for the August 1995 murder of his wife Marilane Abueg. A homicide detective and a representative of the San Diego County District Attorney's office traveled to Reno to make the arrest at Upton’s place of work.
Fifteen years ago, Upton told police Abueg left their Mission Valley apartment during an argument to take a walk. He said she never came back, but he never reported her missing. Her parents eventually did so. Four days later, her body was found in Pine Valley eight miles north of Interstate 8 on Kitchen Creek Road.
Family members just learned of the arrest. According to Abueg's cousin, Marichu Thomas, she contacted Abueg's mother only to hear her aunt crying uncontrollably on the other end of the phone.
The couple had a 3-month old son at the time of Abueg’s murder but homicide investigators aren’t aware of the child's current location.
Investigators are not saying what type of evidence led them to an arrest. Upton is now awaiting extradition to San Diego to face a murder charge.
