Arizona husband arrested after wife mysteriously disappears

Daniel Paduchowski, 58, has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault as authorities continue to search for his missing wife

Flagstaff Police Department

Kelly Paduchowski

The husband of a missing Arizona woman has been arrested, and police are investigating her disappearance as a possible homicide.

The Flagstaff Police Department said in a news release Tuesday, July 2, that officers arrested Daniel Paduchowski, 58, on a charge of aggravated assault. The disappearance of his wife, Kelly Paduchowski, is ongoing.

“The investigation is ongoing and the number one priority is to locate Kelly. However, based on current evidence and information, it is believed that Kelly may be the victim of a homicide,” police said in a statement.

Flagstaff Police Sergeant Jerry Rintala reiterated this at a July 2 news conference, according to NBC News, saying they believe Kelly, 45, may have been murdered and that officers are focusing on finding her body.

“With further evidence and investigation, additional charges may emerge,” Rintala said.

Police also released a timeline of events surrounding Kelly’s disappearance on Sunday, June 30. They said they were able to track the location of her cell phone on the day she went missing, and her cell phone was recovered in the area of Schultz Creek Trail at approximately 10:20 a.m. Her cell phone was then returned to her home, which she shared with Daniel in the Coconino Estates neighborhood, at approximately 11:30 a.m. that morning.

Police say Daniel was also spotted in the Schultz Creek Trail area around 11:30 a.m. and in the Coconino Estates neighborhood around 12:13 p.m. Police say Daniel, as well as Kelly’s white Mazda CX-5, were spotted at the Campbell Mesa Trailhead around 1:30 p.m.

Photos taken at the trailhead and obtained by the sheriff’s office allegedly show Daniel wearing a dark T-shirt, shorts and a cap, looking at an object.

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But it wasn’t until several hours later, at 7:39 p.m., that Daniel reported Kelly missing, “possibly in the Lake Mary area,” located about 17 miles south of the Schultz Creek Trail.

The Flagstaff Police Department said it “coordinated efforts” with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue to locate the 45-year-old woman, but her whereabouts have not yet been determined. After interviewing family members and witnesses, police said they “processed evidence, which led to the arrest” of Daniel.

However, it was not said what evidence led to their arrest or why the aggravated assault charges were filed.

Daniel’s attorney was not immediately identified. His bail was initially set at $500,000, according to the Arizona Daily Sun.

Police are asking anyone who had contact with Kelly and Daniel or saw Kelly’s white Mazda CX-5 on June 30 to contact the police department at 928-774-1414.

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