Body of New Jersey Mother Missing Since New Year’s Eve Found in Maryland

Investigators say they have found the body of a New Jersey mother missing since New Year's Eve by using a GPS device in her husband's vehicle.

Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi said Wednesday that the body of 26-year-old Erica Crippen was found Tuesday afternoon underneath a pile of branches and limbs off of Old Frederick Road in Carroll County, Maryland. The Mount Laurel woman had an electrical cord around her neck and duct tape binding her hands and feet; the cold weather preserved the body, said prosecutors.

Crippen's husband, Kyle Crosby, stands accused in the murder of his 26-year-old wife. Crosby and Crippen had a child together -- that child was 2 months at the time of her mother's disappearance -- and Crippen had a 7-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Just days after Crippen's disappearance, Crosby vanished following police questioning. Crippen's family said during that time, Crosby sold his wife's clothing for drugs. He filed a missing person's report on Jan. 7 and first faced charges of child endangerment on Jan. 10 -- that is the same day authorities believe he dumped Crippen's body near a rural Maryland farmhouse.

Once Crosby was in custody, investigators began to look at 8,600 locations entered into his Garmin GPS -- narrowing their search down to about 30 locations. They then went through those locations until they found Crippen's body.

"Her family can now give Erica the proper burial that they have longed to provide, said Bernardi. "Domestic violence is a terrible scourge on our society. The result in this case was the ultimate evil. Kyle Crosby took the life of his wife."

The grisly discovery comes as Crosby's 67-year-old mother, Jo Crosby, faces charges in connection with her disappearance. Authorities said Crosby got help from his mom after he allegedly killed his wife, and she was charged with hindering and tampering with physical evidence. Prosecutors allege she deleted texts sent from her son from the morning police believe Crippen was killed.