LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) – A missing 37-year-old woman from Lawrence was found dead in Haverhill Tuesday after a multi-day search, officials announced.
A suspect was also taken into custody and is currently facing charges, according to Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker.
“This was not the outcome that we were looking for, so we are sad for the loss,” said Lawrence Acting Police Chief Millix Bonilla at a press conference inside Lawrence Police Headquarters.
A mother of two young children, Carol Flaz was reported missing on Saturday afternoon after she was last seen leaving her home on Broadway Saturday morning.
Tucker said police launched a “full court press” to find Flaz, using a state police helicopter and K9 units as part of their search.
After several days of searching, Haverhill Police Chief Robert Pistone said law enforcement officials found Flaz Tuesday afternoon in the area of Kenoza Lake.
“Unfortunately we have a sad ending to report,” Tucker said.
Tucker said major pieces of case came together rapidly in the hours before officials found Flaz. He said the case remained “at the forefront” throughout the entire search, though, noting a “real team effort” involving state and local investigators.
Tucker said officials met with Flaz’s family Tuesday evening and told them she had died.
Tucker said 35-year-old Cristian Montero, of Lawrence, was taken into custody. Currently charged with witness intimidation and misleading an investigation, Tucker said Montero may face a murder charge depending on the results of Flaz’s autopsy.
“The forensic evidence, the digital evidence that we have, the location of where the body was found have all led us to believe that we expect a murder charge to come within the next couple of days,” Tucker said.
Montero is expected to be arraigned on his initial charges on Wednesday in Lawrence District Court.
Tucker said Montero was a neighbor of Flaz.
Other neighbors on Tuesday night said they were shocked by what happened.
“Never in my life have I ever seen this happen with cops and detectives,” said Golden Foxwolf.
Marcos Rios said he saw authorities searching the building Monday night and taking away bags of evidence.
“I feel so bad,” Rios said. “She was a really nice person.”
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