As thousands mourn, the key suspect in the case of a missing honor student in California, Chelsea King, will be arraigned today after the teen’s remains were believed to be found in a shallow grave in a swamp.
The body of pretty teen has not been positively ID-ed but San Diego Sheriff William Gore indicated that it was probably the missing girl.
The grisly discovery was made two days after John Albert Gardner III, a 30 year old registered sex offender, was arrested on suspicion of rape in murder .
Fueled by a Help Find Chelsea King Facebook page with 77,000 fans hundreds helped in the frantic search for the straight-A Poway High School beauty.
Gardner, the suspect, had spent five years in prison after he was convicted a decade ago of during a 13 year old girl to his mother’s town house with a promised Patch Adams viewing. After the teen escaped prosecutors locked the sex offender away on charges of molestation and attempted rape.
Chelsea’s supposed remains were not far from the townhouse as well.
Gardner is also under investigation for the disappearance of Amber DuBois, 15, who vanished last February while walking to school. She has not been found.
Brent King, Chelsea’s grieving father, thanked the hundreds of supporters when a planned candle lit vigil for Chelsea turned sudden memorial after police broke the sad news.
"One of the nicknames that I’ve always called my daughter is my Angel," King said.
"She’s my angel forever."
