23 years after his wife disappeared, a Baltimore County man is charged with her murder

A Baltimore County husband has been charged with the murder of his wife, 23 years after she went missing, police said Tuesday.

Dwight "DJ" Rust Jr. was arrested Tuesday and is being held without bail in connection with the 2002 disappearance of Michelle Rust. Michelle Rust was last seen on July, 20, 2002. 

2002 missing person investigation

During the initial police investigation, Dwight Rust told police that his wife had left their home in the 1800 block of Clarke Boulevard around 9:30 a.m. to go to the store. He told officers that she had gone to pick up items for their son's third birthday party, but did not return. 

Michelle Rust was 24 years old at the time she disappeared. 

She was last seen driving a green Dodge van, police said. However, during their initial investigation, police also said they interviewed witnesses who said no one saw her leave her home or drive her car on the day she disappeared. 

During the search for Michelle Rust, her father-in-law found her vehicle in the 2400 block of Zion Road. It was found empty with a key broken off in the driver's side door lock, according to police. 

Revisiting the Baltimore County cold case

In 2023, police revisited the case after concluding that her disappearance was the result of foul play. 

"There was no activity on her bank accounts, no checks written. She was a dedicated mother, dedicated daughter to her family. She wouldn't have just disappeared, so it was pretty evident that she was the victim of foul play," said Cpl. Dona Carter, from the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

During the renewed investigation, police returned to the 1800 block of Clarke Boulevard and used radar to search for new leads in the disappearance. 

Detectives were able to rule out Michelle Rust's biological parents as suspects during the investigation. 

"We would like to know what happened so we can basically put her to rest," Rust's father said in a 2023 interview with WJZ. "You know, you get up every day and you feel worthless because there is nothing I can do for my daughter."

Police have not yet shared any information about a motive for the alleged murder.