Police, family seek Army veteran missing under suspicious circumstances

KNSD-TV reports Dalen Ware, the man accused of killing his ex-wife and burying her body in a shallow grave, setting off a months-long missing person search that spanned Southern California, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 30, 2018, and will face 15 years to life when sentenced in October, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. Ware pleaded not guilty in the murder of retired Army Captain Julia Jacobson at his first court appearance in November 2017, nearly two months after she was reported missing, reports KNSD-TV.

UPDATE Dec. 1, 2017: The remains of missing Army veteran Julia Jacobson and her dog "Boogie" were located in Riverside County, the Ontario Police Dept. announced Friday.

"During the continued search of “Cactus City” area, and with cooperation from suspect Dalen Ware, Ontario Detectives were led to the discovery of a shallow grave. This grave contains the suspected remains of Julia Jacobson and her dog Boogie.The remains were discovered near the I-10 Freeway and Box Canyon Road with the aid of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Cadaver dog Ellie. The remains found are consistent with a female adult and a dog."

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Ontario Police Department at (909) 986-6711, Detective Ruben Espinoza at (909) 395-2894, or Detective Brant Devey at (909) 395-2715.

Sept. 26, 2017:

Julia Jacobson's ex-husband Dalen Ware has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Jacobson, who remains missing.

Anyone who may have seen Julia Jacobson and her dog, or Dalen Ware on or around Labor Day Weekend is asked to contact the Ontario Police Dept. at (909) 986-6711.

UPDATE Oct. 16, 2017: Julia Jacobson's family released a statement on Facebook:

"It is with a heavy heart we must share that we were informed by the Ontario, CA Police Department that Julia and Boogie are deceased. The tireless work by both the San Diego and Ontario Police Departments have led to the arrest of Julia's ex-husband, who has been charged in her murder."

Ontario Police released a statement: "On Friday, October 13, 2017, the Ontario Police Department arrested Dalen Ware for the murder of Julia Jacobson.

"After being briefed by San Diego PD, Detectives from the Ontario Police Department took over as lead agency in the investigation. Based on additional investigative actions, which included the forensic analysis of Ms. Jacobson's car, detectives have reason to believe that Julia Jacobson was murdered.

"Detectives from the San Diego Police Department and Detectives from the Ontario Police Department met with the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office to present their findings. Based on the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Dalen Larry Ware, Ms. Jacobson's ex-husband.

"Through a coordinated effort with the Phoenix Police Department and the FBI's Arizona Violent Crimes Task Force unit, Ware was taken into custody at his home in Laveen, Arizona. Ware will be transferred to the San Bernardino County West Valley Detention Center within the week and will be booked for murder, PC 187(a), the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought.

"At this time, detectives have not found the remains of Ms. Jacobson or her dog, Boogie."

Read the full report here.

Ontario Police tells Crime Watch Daily that detectives are examining surveillance video footage, focusing near the downtown area on the east side of town. Jacobson was reported missing to San Diego Police on September 2. Ontario, California is approximately 120 miles north of San Diego.

Sept. 26, 2017:

In California, a U.S. Army captain who served two tours in Iraq goes missing. And police say the facts in the case are very suspicious.

What happened to missing Army veteran Julia Jacobson?

Julia and her dog "Boogie" just vanished right off the streets of San Diego.

Did she run away? Did she get lost hiking? Or was she kidnapped?

A distraught family in agony, and a little boy lost.

Julia is the youngest of the four Jacobson siblings. But to her big sister Casey, she's the tough one. And big brother Tony says that willingness to do anything is one reason Julia joined the Army after she graduated from college.

"We were always very proud of her for doing that and the fact that she wanted to go and make an impact around the world," said Tony Jacobson. "That's the sister I know."

Who wouldn't be proud of a sister who quickly rose to captain, did two tours in Iraq and performed top-secret missions?

"We do have a great picture of her in Iraq and she's holding a large sum of money," said Casey Jacobson. "Basically her job, she was a finance captain and so she flew around in helicopters and gave money to various people."

Those packages were filled with thousands of dollars in cash. After her hitch was over, Julia went to work for a convenience store chain. And then she married a guy.

"Julia didn't really speak about him much," said Julia's brother Tony.

He remained a mystery man to the family.

"She was living in Denver when she met him, and I think it was some way through social media, I'm not sure how," said Casey.

Casey says the marriage to the amateur mixed-martial-arts fighter didn't last very long.

"He never really had gainful employment and she was just tired of supporting him," said Casey.

Julia Jacobson's divorce had been final for less than a year when her mother was dying from cancer. Casey says her mom's battle brought her back together in a strange way with her ex-husband.

"She was in contact with him a little bit in that he watched her dog," said Casey.

"She did at least say he seemed to be making amends and seeing the errors of his ways, whatever that meant," said Tony.

Julia's focus was on an exciting new job offer in Texas. Before she moved she wanted to visit Palm Springs, Calif., about 140 miles from San Diego.

So on Labor Day weekend just weeks ago, Julia and her dog Boogie were up at the crack of dawn.

"She was seen at 6:30 in the morning in San Diego at a 7-Eleven," said Casey. "She was wearing shorts and a tank top."

An image from a surveillance camera is the last known picture of her

Casey Jacobson says the family first knew something was wrong when Julia didn't make her daily call to her father.

"Julia was very, very close to my father and called him every day to check on him," said Casey.

The family allowed Crime Watch Daily into Julia's apartment: Nothing out of place. It looked as if she had every intention to return home.

The tracking device on her car was triggered and cops found the vehicle five days later on a corner a half-mile from her home.

"Her car was unlocked, which was very unusual because she's been broken into a couple times," said Casey.

And in the car they found something strange: the windows were all down at different levels.

"The windows were down and the keys were inside," said Casey.

Several hours after she left home, Julia was spotted in Ontario, California. Oddly that's in the opposite direction of Palm Springs.

"In that Ontario sighting as well, police have told us that Boogie was with her," said Casey.

As hours turned into days, the family took matters into their own hands. They didn't have to go far to find a private investigator. Julia's older brother John is a P.I.

"He came out here, looked through her house to see if there were any clues about where she might have been or who she was with," said Casey. "There was a camera located fairly close to where her vehicle was found. The video would show the intersection of where the car might have traveled."

Could her ex-husband be on that video? Sources tell Crime Watch Daily he told cops he saw Julia on the day she went missing. But we're told he is cooperating with investigators and is not a suspect or a person of interest.

All San Diego Police can tell us is that this is an active case and they want to find Julia Jacobson.

There have been candlelight vigils in Julia's hometown of Bismarck, North Dakota, and San Diego, pleading for her safe return.

Anyone with information about where Julia Jacobson might be is urged to call the San Diego Police Department Missing Persons Unit at (619) 531-2277. Or you can submit a tip anonymously to Crime Watch Daily.

For more information on the search for Julia, visit Help Find Julia Jacobson Facebook page.

Ontario Police tell Crime Watch Daily that detectives are focusing on surveillance video taken near the downtown area near the east side of town. Jacobson was reported missing on September 2 to San Diego Police. Ontario, Calif. is approximately 120 miles north of San Diego.

UPDATE Oct. 16, 2017: Julia Jacobson's family released a statement on Facebook:

"It is with a heavy heart we must share that we were informed by the Ontario, CA Police Department that Julia and Boogie are deceased. The tireless work by both the San Diego and Ontario Police Departments have led to the arrest of Julia's ex-husband, who has been charged in her murder."