A 46-year-old man who Anchorage police have identified as the former boyfriend of Irma Williams, who was reported missing about two weeks before her body was found near a Mountain View park, has been charged with murder in Williams' death.
An Anchorage grand jury returned an indictment on Tuesday against Michael Memeo on three charges: first- and second-degree murder, and tampering with evidence.
"As a result of an investigation conducted by the Anchorage Police Department Homicide Unit, Williams' former boyfriend, Michael Memeo, has now been charged for her murder," APD said in a brief news release Tuesday evening.
Williams, 54, was reported missing to police on Sept. 30. She had last been seen by her family about two weeks earlier, police said.
The family told officers that Williams was in regular contact with them and friends, and that not hearing from her for weeks was unusual.
Williams' body was discovered Oct. 15 near Lions Park in Anchorage's Mountain View neighborhood, and the police department's homicide unit began an investigation but would not say the death involved foul play.
The State Medical Examiner Office took custody of the body and conducted an autopsy, which revealed "Williams was the victim of a homicide," police reported in late November.
Asked about the length of time between the discovery of Williams' body and the charges against her former boyfriend, police spokesperson Dani Myren said detectives were conducting a thorough investigation.
"As with any investigation, interviews were conducted and evidence was collected. All of those pieces were part of what led detectives to charge Mr. Memeo," she said.
Myren said she believes Memeo was already in custody for unrelated reasons.
Memeo's initial court appearance in the murder case is set for Wednesday, police said.