Murder suspect told police ex-girlfriend was likely on drinking binge
As police searched for a missing Calgary woman, her ex-boyfriend — the man now charged with her murder — suggested she may have gone on a drinking spree.
The day after Jessica Newman’s roommate reported her missing on March 13, 2015, police spoke to Kevin Rubletz about her possible whereabouts, court heard Tuesday.
“My information was that Mr. Rubletz was the last person to see Jessica,” Sgt. Matt Baker told Crown prosecutor Tom Spark, of the accused picking up Newman from work the evening of March 10, 2015.
Baker said he arranged to meet at the Woodbine home of Rubletz’s then-girlfriend the morning after the missing-person investigation began.
Rubletz, 33, who is charged with second-degree murder in Newman’s stabbing death, was calm during the interview with Baker and his partner, Det. Wayne Virks.
Newman’s half-naked, badly decomposed body was found May 4, off a rural road near Balzac.
In the police interview, the accused said he picked up Newman at 9 p.m. at the Water Grill bar. He said they went for a quick coffee to discuss a court proceeding the following day involving shared custody of their son and he dropped her off at her home at 9:30 p.m.
“She said she was going out,” Rubletz told the officers in a taped interview played before a Court of Queen’s Bench jury.
Rubletz said Newman failed to show up in court the next day.
“I figured she just went out drinking,” he said, adding Newman had an alcohol issue in the past, which led to him getting primary parenting of their son.
“Two Halloweens ago she went to a party. She didn’t come home for two days,” Rubletz said.
Before their son was born, he told the officers, Newman had disappeared for three days.
“She was a blackout drunk,” he said.
Baker asked Rubletz if he was concerned for Newman’s safety. “Now I am,” he said. Two days later, the officers arranged to meet Rubletz at Newman’s workplace so he could take them on the route he and the deceased travelled the night she disappeared. It was during that discussion the accused revealed he didn’t go straight home after dropping her off.
Rubletz told police Newman had kissed him on the cheek and he went for a drive to “clear his head” because he still had feelings for her.
The accused then took police on the route he followed that night, which eventually led to the Balzac turnoff from Highway 2 north of the city.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Brendan Miller, Baker agreed Rubletz only changed his story once his new girlfriend wasn’t present to hear about how he still felt for Newman.
The trial continues on Wednesday.