Man Accused of Killing and Dismembering His Ex-Girlfriend Allegedly Made Chilling Google Searches amid Her Disappearance

A Michigan man on trial for killing his ex-girlfriend allegedly made disturbing Google searches before and after she went missing.

DeAndre Booker, 32, of Roseville, was arrested on January 8 in connection with the disappearance of 30-year-old Ashley Elkins. Elkins, a hairstylist and mother of two, was last seen on January 2 leaving her home in Warren to run errands.

Her body has not been found, despite large-scale searches. Booker is charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, dismembering and hiding a body, and concealing a death, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.

During an August 8 court hearing, Roseville Police Detective Chris Moran testified that Booker’s phone showed troubling Google searches around the time Elkins vanished. According to WDIV, the searches included:

• “Telling god I want to kill someone”
• “9mm silencer Roseville”
• “Shoot gun through pillow”
• “Can you track location when phone is off”
• “What happened to trash after it’s picked up”

When asked why these searches were important, Moran said they matched possible scenarios police were investigating.

Moran also testified that blood was found in a dumpster at Booker’s apartment. He said the search about trash pickup might be linked to a theory that Booker placed Elkins’ body in the dumpster, adding, “He would definitely be very concerned as to where the trash would go with the body.”

In January, law enforcement searched the Pine Tree Acres landfill in Lenox Township for Elkins’ remains.

Booker’s defense attorney, Robbie Lang, previously told PEOPLE he had no comment on his client’s internet activity. “I don’t have any real comment on what people search or don’t search [online], and I don’t know where that quantifies as guilt,” Lang said.

Booker has pleaded not guilty. His trial is set to continue on August 15, according to Law&Crime.