Body found in WilCo may be missing Austin man Justin Haden: APD
AUSTIN, Texas - The US Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested a man in connection to an Austin missing man. Austin police said Justin Haden has been missing since Nov. 1.
On Nov. 23, US Marshals arrested Gavin Roberts, 26, who was wanted by the Austin Police Department (APD) for tampering with physical evidence of a human corpse.
On Dec. 1, the Austin Police Department said a body found near Ronald Reagan Boulevard and I-35 in Williamson County may be Haden. Autopsy results are pending from the Travis County Medical Examiner's office.
Gavin Roberts (Denver Police Department)
Justin Haden, 34, was last seen alive just after midnight on Nov. 1. Security cameras showed him in his apartment complex at the Domain.
He was reported missing on Nov. 7. It is currently unknown why it took six days for him to be reported missing.
APD has received backlash over their investigation. On Nov. 30, they released this statement: "On November 1, 2022, Austin Police Department (APD) officers received a check welfare call to the 3000 block of Esperanza Crossing. We are aware of the incident and the allegations made regarding the police response. We are looking into this at this time."
Justin Haden (Austin Police Department)
According to court documents, security camera video showed Haden in a Halloween costume returning to his apartment complex with another man.
In the afternoon of Nov. 1, Roberts was spotted wearing a hoodie, latex gloves and a face mask. He was seen struggling to drag a large, blue plastic bin with a suitcase on top of it from Haden's apartment. Blood was later found in Haden's home.
Robert's vehicle was also seen on surveillance video in the apartment parking garage, and at businesses in Austin and Jarrell. He admitted to removing items from Haden's apartment and being in Jarrell, but denied any knowledge of Haden's whereabouts.
According to court documents, the same day Haden went missing, police received a 911 call from one of Haden's neighbors claiming there was a man in the hallway screaming "oh my God."
Police responded to the call but did not find the person involved in the disturbance.
On Nov. 4, police performed a welfare check on Haden's apartment after a family member called concerned. The officer found no one in the unit, but noted what they believed to be a "wine stain" next to the bed before leaving.
On Nov. 9, a private investigator hired by Haden's family entered Haden's apartment. After pulling back the bedsheets, he discovered what appeared to be blood.
The next day, APD executed a search warrant and found a large quantity of blood saturated through the mattress and sheets.
APD conducted an investigation and immediately requested assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force-Austin Division to find and arrest Roberts, who had fled the Austin area.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- APD looking for man last seen at The Domain
- Police asking for help identifying person of interest in missing persons case
The LSFTF initiated a fugitive investigation and learned Roberts had traveled to Thornton, Colorado. A collateral lead was sent to the U.S Marshals Violent Offender Task Force in Colorado, requesting assistance to arrest Roberts.
In Thornton, the USMS Colorado Violent Offender Task Force found Roberts outside a home in the 9500 block of Pecos Street and took him into custody.
Roberts is facing charges of tampering with a human corpse. He was booked into the Denver Detention Center where he awaits extradition to Austin.