Milpitas police have recovered the body of a 59-year-old woman who had been missing for several days from the backyard of her neighbor, according to a Thursday press release issued by the department.
Earlier this week, officers responded to a welfare check for the woman, as someone reported she had not been heard from in several days. An initial check of the victim's home did not turn up any suspicious evidence, and officers followed up by interviewing family and neighbors.
Some reported hearing a woman scream in the area early Saturday morning last weekend, and on Tuesday, officers discovered new evidence that led them to believe violence had been committed against the victim, and detectives took over the case.
Micah James Dovlet, 34, who lived nearby, was questioned by detectives and physical evidence was collected from his home.
The woman had still not been found, but the evidence was enough to indicate a homicide had taken place. Dovlet was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County Jail on homicide charges. On Thursday, the woman's body was located and exhumed from Dovelet's backyard.
The identity of the victim has not yet been released.
The Milpitas Police Department is asking anyone with information about the case to call (408) 586-2400 or leave an anonymous tip at (408) 586-2500 or via the police department's website at: https://www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/crimetip.
