COLUMBIA - The 19-year-old son of a woman whose body was found inside of a trunk of a car on Thursday night was arrested Friday afternoon on a charge of tampering with evidence.
Daniel A. Sanders was issued a felony warrant on the evidence charge with bond set at $250,000, according to a news release from Columbia police. At 5:30 p.m., Sanders was at the Columbia Police Department waiting to be taken to the Boone County Jail.
"He tried to conceal a body in an official investigation," said Capt. Brad Nelson, explaining why the charge was filed.
The 19-year-old and his brother, 16, are considered persons of interest in the investigation into the death of their mother, Helen C. Sanders, 53. The younger brother was released to a family member at around 2 p.m. Friday.
"We don't have enough evidence to support an arrest at this time," Nelson said.
Earlier Friday, Nelson declined to release the names of either brother, citing the Missouri Sunshine Law, because neither has been charged in connection with their mother's death.
Police found Helen Sanders' body in the trunk of a car around 8:30 p.m. Thursday after Daniel Sanders was pulled over and arrested for driving recklessly near Stadium Boulevard and Audubon Drive. Police also served a search warrant to Daniel Sanders to search for trace evidence on his body, including traces of blood or other evidence.
The 16-year-old son was detained at his mother's home in the 4500 block of Melrose Drive in southwest Columbia after police served a search warrant.
"We certainly recovered a lot of evidence ... both in the home and in the car the suspect was driving," Nelson said.
Nelson said that there were no signs of life-threatening injuries on Helen Sanders' body but that police were awaiting the results of an autopsy.
Boone County Medical Examiner Eddie Adelstein said Friday afternoon that the medical examiner's office completed an autopsy and was waiting to look at tissues under a microscope and to get toxicology reports back. He said he could not elaborate, citing an ongoing investigation.
Missourian reporters Roseann Moring and Naomi Weisbrook contributed to this report.