Authorities found a missing college student’s car in a lake, hours after finding a female body, and friends said a man had been stalking members of the woman’s dance team.
Police were not saying whether the body discovered Tuesday was that of 19-year-old Jodi Sanderholm. But NBC affiliate KSNW-TV in Wichita has confirmed through multiple law enforcement sources that the body of 19-year-old Jodi Sanderholm has been found.
She had been missing since Friday, leading to a massive search. The female body was found Tuesday morning in a wooded area near the Cowley County State fishing lake, according to Cowley County officials. They have not released an identity, but KSNW has confirmed that is that of Sanderholm.
The body was taken to a Wichita forensic center for identification and autopsy, police said.
Authorities were preparing charges against “a known suspect” in custody on unrelated charges, police said in a news release.
Investigators also are following up on information “that another individual and/or individuals may have also been involved in” Sanderholm’s disappearance, police said. The news release Wednesday did not elaborate.
Sanderholm’s car was found at the bottom of the lake in southeast Kansas. Divers spent Tuesday searching the lake about 15 miles east of Arkansas City, which is just north of the Oklahoma line about 46 miles south of Wichita.
At the Ark City Dance Studio, where Sanderholm worked and taught, fellow members of the Cowley College dance team said a man had been stalking several team members.
“It is just scary. It could have happened to any one of us,” said Ashley Cochran, who graduated from high school with Sanderholm last year.
Cochran said the man had gone to the place where she worked.
Nearly 200 people held a prayer vigil Tuesday night outside the dance studio.
“This must be the darkest night in downtown that we have ever had,” said the Rev. Mark Boxman, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church.
Police said Sanderholm’s family did not want to speak to the media.