Update: Pleasanton woman found dead on Alameda shoreline allegedly killed by boyfriend
ALAMEDA – A 42-year-old Pleasanton man is suspected of killing the woman he was living with and leaving her body on the Alameda shoreline in July, authorities said Thursday.
"Since July, APD has worked tirelessly to identify the involved parties and understand the series of events that led to this death," police said.
On July 20, officers located the remains, which were found inside a bag along the shoreline. A preliminary autopsy determined the cause of death was a homicide.
"It's a very disturbing case," Alameda Police Chief Nishant Joshi said Thursday.. Buckner's body was dismembered and wrapped in plastic, according to police.
Investigators used the Missing and Unidentified Persons Database and contacted other law enforcement agencies to identify the victim, police said. With the help of DNA evidence, investigators identified the victim as 27-year-old Rachel Elizabeth Imani Buckner of Pleasanton.
Buckner's family has been notified and is devastated, the chief said.
Police said additional evidence helped identify a primary suspect in Buckner's death. Joseph C. Roberts, 42, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the death, by the U.S. Marshals Service and police from Pleasanton and Alameda.
Detectives have not determined a motive in the death, and it hasn't been determined when she was killed, Joshi said.
Roberts is due to be arraigned on Friday morning in Alameda County Superior Court.
While an arrest was made, police said a joint investigation with Pleasanton Police and the FBI would continue.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Alameda Police Department at 510-337-8402.
