Cops: Body found in Idaho cornfield is likely missing woman

NAMPA, Idaho - Nampa police and Canyon County crime scene investigators have recovered a body believed to be that of missing Nampa woman Selena Thomas, in a cornfield in southwestern Idaho.

Police Chief Craig Kingsbury said it's likely that the body recovered Thursday is that of the 37-year-old Thomas, who was reported missing from her suburban Boise home, but a positive identification has not yet been made.

"The fact that we have found a human buried in the dirt here...gives us a high probability that this is Selena Thomas," Kinsbury said.

Officers were looking in the field south of Melba after Thomas' boyfriend reportedly told officers he hit her in the head with a hammer, stuffed her into a car trunk and buried her in a cornfield with the help of three other men.

The boyfriend, 39-year-old Alfredo Martinez, has not been charged in the death. He has been arrested on an unrelated parole violation.

Prosecutors, however, charged three other people with crimes Thursday, including aiding and abetting murder and failure to notify authorities of a death. In court documents filed in those cases, police contend that Martinez told them he struck his girlfriend in the head with a blue hammer and then buried her body.

No contact information was immediately available for any of the suspects' attorneys.

Martinez's Idaho arrest record includes aggravated assault and aggravated battery convictions.

In 2010, Martinez walked away from his assigned work at the South Idaho Correctional Institution Community Work Center south of Boise. He was caught 13 hours later.

Thomas was reported missing Monday and was last seen Aug. 14.

Thomas' mother, Lori Moon, was the one who filed the missing person report. She told officers that Thomas did not have a good relationship with Martinez and her car and items that she normally carried with her were still at her home.

Later, officers found all the carpet from Thomas' car had been removed and there were blood smears on the left hinge of the trunk.

Officials said Wednesday at a news conference that they were working to collect evidence at a handful of crime scenes.

At the news conference, Thomas' mother urged women to seek help if they are victims of domestic violence.

"If anyone starts anything with you - maybe a push, maybe a slap - get away," Moon said.