A Texas man is being held without bond after allegedly murdering his estranged wife while their young children were in the apartment.
Jake Bigoni, 37, was arrested Wednesday in Plano, Texas, after officers conducting a welfare check discovered Eliana Bigoni, his estranged wife, dead inside his apartment. He was initially booked on a felony abuse of corpse charge before authorities later added a murder charge, according to a police news release.
The welfare check was initiated after one of Eliana’s friends reported that she had not appeared for a scheduled breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and could not be reached, according to an arrest warrant obtained by FOX 4. The friend informed authorities that Jake and Eliana Bigoni were separated and that Eliana had been on her way to pick up their 2- and 5-year-old children.
The couple was in the process of a divorce when Eliana was found dead. Jake Bigoni’s mother later called police, saying her son had phoned her and allegedly said, “I have something to tell you. She’s dead. We got in a fight and she’s dead.”
Upon arriving at Jake Bigoni’s apartment, officers allegedly observed what appeared to be a large blood stain on his shirt. He claimed the stain was the result of cleaning. Eliana Bigoni’s body was found in the trunk of a white Hyundai in the apartment’s garage, with officials noting she had major damage to her head and face.
Police said the couple’s children were in the apartment during the alleged murder and were not harmed. According to the report, Jake Bigoni allegedly has a history of violent behavior.
Jake Bigoni is being held in jail with no bond.
In the viral moment that preceded the arrest, the case began with a routine welfare check that quickly escalated into a homicide investigation. The discovery of Eliana Bigoni’s body in the trunk of the vehicle, combined with the blood on Jake Bigoni’s shirt and his alleged confession to his mother, formed the basis of the charges against him. The presence of the couple’s young children in the apartment during the alleged killing added another disturbing dimension to an already grim scenario.
The case has drawn attention to the dangers faced by women in the process of leaving abusive relationships, with court documents and police reports indicating a pattern of alleged violent behavior by Jake Bigoni prior to the killing.
Jake Bigoni remains in custody without bond as the investigation continues.