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North Ogden • Friends and family of 16-year-old Alexis Rasmussen are waiting to see if a body discovered in Morgan County may answer a month's worth of questions since her Sept. 10 disappearance.
North Ogden Police Chief Polo Afuvai said Wednesday morning investigators found the body late Tuesday afternoon in a rural area based on a tip from a confidential source. Detectives spoke with the source more than once, and information given by that source on Tuesday led them to the grave site, Afuvai said.
Afuvai declined further comment, only saying that suspects have been identified and police are continuing their investigation. An autopsy was performed on the body Wednesday morning.
Weber County Attorney Dee Smith said there was a "strong possibility" that the body is that of Rasmussen. The teen's best friend, Brenna Cain, was so distraught over the news she couldn't go to school.
"She is here with me no matter what," Cain said as tears fell down her cheek at her North Ogden home.
Cain and Rasmussen have been inseparable for the past two years, but Cain wasn't with her the night she disappeared. "I know if I were there that night, it never would have happened," Cain said.
Rasmussen was last seen while baby-sitting for Eric and Dea Millerberg, who live about a mile from her home. The teen's mother had given her permission to stay at the Millerbergs' home that night because it was late. Between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m. Rasmussen told the Millerbergs she was leaving to meet a friend at one of the area schools, police have said.
Rasmussen's parents called police about 24 hours after their daughter didn't return home on the night of Sept. 11, explaining that although she had ran away previously she had always let her mother know she was safe. Police alerted the media of the disappearance on Sept. 23, saying the girl had a history of running away.
Bonnie Cain, mother of Brenna Cain and a neighbor of the Millerbergs, said Rasmussen began baby-sitting for the Millerberg family — who have a 5-year-old girl and a newborn — about a month ago. Bonnie Cain said she knew by the third day Rasmussen was missing something bad had happened to her.
"She was a good girl," Bonnie Cain said adding that when she ran away she would always call or let someone know where she went.
Bonnie Cain said she confronted Dea Millerberg about a week after Rasmussen's disappearance to ask what happened that night. Cain said Dea Millerberg told her she picked up Rasmussen from a party in Pleasant View earlier that night to watch her kids at her house. During the evening, Dea Millerberg took her to a pharmacy in Layton, while the husband watched the children. When they got home the couple went to sleep. About a half-hour later Dea Millerberg said Rasmussen woke the couple and said a friend had offered her a ride home. That was that last anyone heard of her.
The Millerbergs were recently arrested on drug charges and as of Tuesday afternoon were being held in the Weber County Jail. Dea Millerberg was charged on Oct. 7 with two counts of prescription fraud, both third-degree felonies. Eric Millerberg on Oct. 3 was found to be in violation of the terms of his probation in connection with a 2010 credit card fraud case.
Attorney Smith on Tuesday said police had "put a tremendous amount of time and resources" into the missing teen's case and "worked around the clock." It was their investigation that led them to the grave site, he said.
Rasmussen's step-father, Mike Miera, said Wednesday afternoon during a brief interview at his home that although the search for his step-daughter has gone on for more than a month he trusts what police are doing.
"I think they have done the best they can," Miera said.
Tammy Reed, Rasmussen's aunt said the family is trying to take care of each other as they wait for more information. "I couldn't tell you how I feel. I'm still taking it in. Today I am numb, yesterday I was angry," Reed said.
Neighbors in the area said since the Millerberg family has lived on the street for the past three years there has been a strong police presence. One neighbor in the area said there isn't a day that goes by that there isn't at least one police car slowly driving past the street.
North Ogden Police Det. Paul Rhoades said as of Wednesday no one had been arrested "in relation to this [Rasmussen's] case."
The FBI, North Ogden Police, Weber County Sheriff's Office, Weber County search and rescue teams, and Adult Probation and Parole have all been involved with the case.
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