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A Maryland man is behind bars after authorities say he is responsible for his wife’s cold case murder over two decades ago.
Dwight "DJ" Rust Jr. was taken into custody Tuesday on charges stemming from the 2002 death of Michelle Rust, the Baltimore County Police Department said in a statement.
Dwight Rust initially told authorities Michelle Rust, 24, had left their home to get supplies in preparation for their 3-year-old son’s birthday party around 9:30 a.m. when she was last seen on July 20, 2002.
However, after speaking with several witnesses, investigators determined Michelle Rust never left her Halethorpe home prior to her disappearance.
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Dwight "DJ" Rust Jr. was taken into custody on first-degree murder charges related to the 2002 death of Michelle Rust in Baltimore County, Md., on April 21, 2026. (Baltimore County Police Department)
Her abandoned green 1998 Dodge Caravan was discovered with the key broken off in the driver’s side door later that day by her father-in-law near Zion Avenue and Clyde Avenue, but Michelle Rust was never found.
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Michelle Rust, 24, was last seen leaving her home to get supplies for her 3-year-old son's birthday party around 9:30 a.m. on July 20, 2002, according to authorities. (Baltimore County Police Department)
Members of her family insisted she "was a dedicated mother and daughter" and "would not have disappeared on her own," leading investigators to determine she was a victim of foul play, police said.
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Michelle Rust’s abandoned green 1998 Dodge Caravan was found with the key broken off in the driver’s side door near Zion Avenue and Clyde Avenue in Baltimore County, Md., on July 20, 2002. (Baltimore County Police Department)
The case ran cold for 24 years, until authorities announced Dwight Rust had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in Baltimore County on Tuesday.
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Authorities did not provide additional details regarding what led them to Dwight Rust.
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He was subsequently booked into the Baltimore County Detention Center, where he is being held without bail.
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The Baltimore County Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
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