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Man in murder of Pierce County mother to face first-degree murder charges

Law enforcement sources confirm that Jonathan Harris, 29, has been a person of interest since White was last seen on June 6. Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist charged Harris with murder in the second degree.

A man who was charged with second-degree murder in the case of a missing Pierce County mother will now face first-degree murder charges.

QUICK FACTS:

  • Mother of two disappeared June 6 after meeting a man at a bar
  • Jonathan Daniel Harris, 29, was charged with her murder
  • Search dogs led detectives to her body
  • Harris will now be charged with first-degree murder

Graham man Jonathan Harris, 29, pleaded not guilty and is being held in lieu of $2 million bail.

>> PHOTOS: Family searches for weeks in hopes of finding missing mother

The mother of two young children was last seen with Harris at Jeeper’s bar in Spanaway on the night of June 6 shortly after the two met online. Surveillance cameras inside showed the two together before she disappeared.

After White’s car was found dumped near an abandoned quarry near Graham, detectives focused on Harris, searching his home.

Search dogs led detectives to the 28-year-old's body in a wooded area of the Pierce County area of Kapowsin. It was wrapped in a tarp.

Detectives booked Harris, 29, into the Pierce County Jail on June 23 after piecing together a combination of surveillance video, electronic signatures and human blood.

A forensic anthropologist determined White had severe facial, chest and arm fractures. The injuries are consistent with being stomped, according to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

KIRO

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