MONROE COUNTY, Mich. – Monroe County Sheriff Dale Malone revealed new information Friday night in the case of 22-year-old Chelsea Bruck.
After an exhaustive investigation over nearly two years, a 27-year-old Newport man was taken into custody at 2:55 p.m. Friday.
Bruck disappeared from a Halloween party in 2014, and was later found in a field dead. Her death was ruled a homicide.
"Yesterday, we received information from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab which connected a 27-year-old Newport man to this investigation," Malone said.
Authorities placed the suspect's home under surveillance and he was taken into custody where he was interviewed.
“During the interview, detectives obtained details that only the killer would have known as this information had never been disseminated to the public,” Malone said.
Malone said open murder charges are pending against the man who is currently being held at the Monroe County Jail.
The suspect is expected to be arraigned Monday.
What Happened
Chelsea Bruck was first reported missing in late October 2014, after she disappeared from a Halloween party in Frenchtown Township.
She was last seen wearing a “Poision Ivy” costume consisting of black pants and a green leafed covered top.
The family of the 22-year-old pleaded to the public to help find Chelsea and a massive search began in hopes of finding her.
Witnesses reported seeing Chelsea with a man at about 3 a.m. the night of her disappearance. The man was said to be wearing a plain black hooded sweatshirt and black eyeglasses.
Bruck didn’t drive, and she left her cell phone in a friend’s car which made attempts at locating her more difficult.
Flyers were put up by the community and a ground search began to intensify in the search for the young woman, but nothing was found until April 24, 2015.
Her remains were found at a home construction site in Ash Township. Construction workers found the body in a wooded area near train tracks.
Dental records were used to confirm the remains belonged to Bruck, and investigators said evidence at the scene indicated a homicide.
Below is a timeline of her disappearance, leading up to today:
Timeline
Oct. 26, 2014: Chelsea Bruck vanishes from Halloween party in Monroe County
Bruck went missing on a Saturday night during a party on Post Road in Frenchtown Township. She was last seen wearing a Poison Ivy costume consisting on black pants and a leaf-covered top.
Oct. 29: Bruck's family, friends continue search
Nov. 2: Chelsea Bruck case: Police search for guards
Police search for the security guards that were hired for the party.
Nov. 4: More info sought from party goers about missing Chelsea Bruck
Nov. 12: Reward now $5,000 in Chelsea Bruck case
Nov. 17: Chelsea Bruck's family appeals for help
Nov. 24: Reward grows to more than $17,000 in case of missing Chelsea Bruck
March 19, 2015: Authorities search Michigan game area for missing Chelsea Bruck
Dozens of law enforcement officers search Pointe Mouillee Game Area in southeastern Michigan amid an effort to find Bruck.
April 5: New clue in missing Chelsea Bruck case
Police say they found what they believed to be a portion of Bruck's costume in the area of Peters Road and Vreeland in Flat Rock.
April 6: Helicopter, K9 search for Chelsea Bruck in Flat Rock
April 8: Family of missing Monroe County woman awaits information from police
April 24: Construction workers find body in rural Monroe County
Construction workers found the body around 2 p.m. Friday in a wooded area near train tracks in the village of Carleton. Officers from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab and Monroe County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene.
The construction crew was doing excavation work on a piece for property where a man is planning to build a house. The crew discovered the body while checking on a piece of equipment, police said.
April 25: Remains found in Monroe County identified as Chelsea Bruck
Dental records were used to confirm the remains belonged to Bruck, and investigators Saturday said evidence at the scene indicated a homicide.
June 9, 2016: Witness comes forward after pictures released in connection to Chelsea Bruck case
After the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office release photos of a person that was at the party and may have had information, the witness made contact with authorities.
July 16, 2016: Monroe County Sheriff to hold press conference