Air Force Airman Arrested In Death Of Former North Texas Schoolteacher
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Authorities say an Air Force airman has been arrested for the death of a Mennonite woman whose body was found off a forest road in Arizona two months ago.
Mark Gooch was taken into custody at Luke Air Force Base, where he is stationed. The 21-year-old was being booked into jail in Maricopa County and eventually will be transferred to Coconino County, authorities said.
Citing the ongoing investigation authorities released few details about the case, but it is known that Sasha Krause was last seen on January 18 while picking up items from the Mennonite Church where she taught Sunday school.
Her body was discovered Feb. 21 near Sunset Crater Volcano outside Flagstaff, more than 270 miles from where she last was seen. She had injuries to her head.
Authorities said Gooch traveled from Luke Air Force Base to Farmington during the time Krause went missing. They were still looking into any possible connection between the two.
Mercy Hoyt, who started an online support page for Krause and is friends of her family, said she is grateful for the efforts of law enforcement.
"Ultimately our prayer is for this young man to never harm anyone else but to also find forgiveness and salvation through our Lord Jesus," she said.
Hoyt said Krause taught her own children to not be afraid of thunderstorms and how to milk a cow when Krause was a schoolteacher in Grandview, Texas.
A Luke Air Force Base spokesman referred further questions about Gooch to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, which did not immediately return a message.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
