BOULDER, Colo. — A missing Boulder mother is believed to have been dismembered, and police are asking for help across the nation to recover her body.
Officers in Boulder say they believe Ashley Mead, 25, who coworkers reported as missing on Sunday after she didn't show up to work, likely was murdered in Boulder.
They believe her body was at least partially dismembered outside of Shreveport, Louisiana. Officers located part of her body in a dumpster in Oklahoma, not far from where police arrested Adam Densmore, 32, and recovered the couple's 13-month-old child.
Police say they believe Mead's body parts could be strewn across the nation in communities through which the suspect traveled.
Just a day after arresting Densmore, police announced charges of first-degree murder.
In a press conference in Oklahoma, officials issued an update echoing Colorado's call for national cooperation.
Oklahoma police official Joe Prentice said the coroner's office has very likely connected the body to Mead, and the investigation would be helped by recovering the rest of Mead's remains.
Prentice also said it would help the family achieve closure.
— Where Densmore traveled —
Officers say they aren't certain exactly where Densmore traveled, but say they believe he left Boulder on Feb. 12, then drove south to Raton, N.M.
From there, police say he may have driven through the Texas panhandle before arriving in Haughton, LA on Feb. 13.
On Feb. 14, police say Densmore drove to Conway, AR where he spent the night.
Feb. 15 would be Densmore's last day of travel, taking him to Okmulgee, OK, when police located him just west of Tulsa.
— What to look for and who to call —
Police say Mead's body was likely dismembered, and part of it could be in a purple suitcase. Anybody who sees a purple suitcase in an odd location is asked not to touch it, but call police immediately.
Prentice, who spoke on what to look for in his press conference, said police aren't certain everything drivers should be on the lookout for, only that people should keep their eyes peeled.
"I think the possibilities are limited only by your imagination," Prentice said of the possibility of body parts being together or separated, anywhere between several states.
Anybody with information is asked to contact Boulder Police Department at 303-441-1974. Those who find immediate suspicious items can call local police and mention the Ashley Mead case.
MORE: Read more on the story and on Mead's disappearance here.
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