The Idaho woman allegedly killed by her husband who was the subject of an Amber Alert along with their 10-month-old child, was pregnant, officials say.
In addition to the original count of first-degree murder in the death of Kali Randall Best, the husband Jeremy Albert Best, is charged with first-degree murder of the woman's unborn child.
On Thursday, deputies responded to a 911 call where, when they arrived, they found a woman deceased and reported a 10-month-old child was missing. Police activated the Amber Alert system, as they believed the child was in the custody of his father and in imminent danger.
Police located Jeremy Best on Saturday morning on the side of the road in a sleeping bag and took him into custody. The body of the 10-month-old Zeke Gregory Best was found dead at the scene.
In addition to the two counts of first-degree murder, the complaint filed against Best adds enhancement for the use of a firearm during the commission of a crime. No charges have been made in the death of 10-month-old Zeke, pending autopsy results.
Jeremy Best was arraigned Monday morning. His court-appointed attorney, Jim Archibald, has asked for and was granted a mental competency evaluation for Best. A preliminary hearing has been set for December 18. Best will continue to be held without bond in the Bonneville County Jail. Archibald has previously served as the defense for Lori Vallow Daybell.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Best can receive 10 years to life in prison or death and a $50,000 fine for each count, and an additional 15 years can be added for the enhancement. The state can file a notice of the intent to ask for the death penalty within 60 days of the defendant's original plea.
The initial complaint filed against Best included two charges of second-degree murder, though additional information found during the investigation led to the charges being upgraded to first-degree murder.
The investigation in this case is ongoing.
