PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (rbs news now) — A Pittsylvania County man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance and murder of his wife.

Ruperto Escalante, 56, of the 2900 block of Moorefield Bridge Road, was charged with one count of Class 5 felony abduction and kidnapping and one count of Class 2 felony first-degree murder.

His wife, Soledad Najera, who was 46 at the time of her disappearance, had been missing since March 2016.

Najera was originally from Durango, Mexico.

According to court documents, Escalante called 9-1-1 on March 21, 2016, to report that his wife had left him for another man.

There were no other developments in the case until October 2022, when Najera’s sister contacted authorities for an update.

Investigators interviewed Escalante multiple times, and on November 20, he confessed to his involvement in his wife’s death.

Court documents state that Escalante admitted to helping duct tape Najera’s eyes and hands, forcing her into a vehicle, and taking her to a field in the county, where she was murdered and buried.

Escalante is being held without bond at the Pittsylvania County Jail.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not disclosed whether Najera’s remains have been recovered.

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