Ogden • Before Alexis Rasmussen’s family called to report her missing last September, the teen had already died from a drug overdose and been dumped near the Weber River by the couple she had been baby-sitting for, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
In an afternoon news conference, Weber County Attorney Dee Smith announced criminal charges had been filed against Eric and Dea Millerberg, the couple long suspected in the North Ogden teen’s death.
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Eric Millerberg is charged with a first-degree felony count of child abuse homicide and felony counts of obstructing justice, unlawful sexual activity with a minor and abuse or desecration of a dead body. His wife faces one count of third-degree felony abuse or desecration of a body.
Search warrants have alleged the couple were supplying Rasmussen drugs in exchange for baby-sitting. But Smith on Tuesday declined to elaborate on many of the details of Rasmussen’s death, including who supplied the drugs that killed her and what type of drugs they were. He also declined to explain the sex charge.
"The evidence does not suggest that this was an intentional act to cause her death," Smith said of the homicide charge against Eric Millerberg.
Smith characterized Dea Millerberg’s involvement in Rasmussen’s death as "minimal."
Smith said Rasmussen’s family was briefed last week after the last of the evidence in the case had been reviewed. Attempts to reach the family Tuesday were unsuccessful.
"Now we hope to give the family closure," North Ogden Police Chief Polo Afuvai said.
No one else will be charged, although teens who had knowledge in the case did not initially cooperate with investigators, Smith said.
"Kids were probably worried about some of the things they have been involved in," Smith said.
Rasmussen was last seen Sept. 10 while baby-sitting for the Millerbergs. According to search warrants obtained by ABC 4 News and the Ogden Standard-Examiner newspaper — and later sealed by a judge — the Millberbergs paid Rasmussen in drugs for baby-sitting.
The Standard-Examiner reported that Dea Millerberg drove the girl to buy $100 worth of prescription medication and a small amount of marijuana on Sept. 10, according to the warrant. The document also quoted two people associated with Eric Millerberg who said they were asked to "bring a car and don’t ask any questions" and to help him get rid of something that same night, the document states.
A search warrant said investigators found a car that Eric Millerberg had sold to someone in Utah County and that the carpet had been removed from the car’s trunk, ABC 4 News reported.
Rasmussen’s mother gave her daughter permission to stay at the Millerbergs’ home that night because it was late, police have said. The Millerbergs later told investigators that the teen left between 11 p.m. and midnight to meet a friend at a nearby school, police said.
On Tuesday, Smith said Rasmussen was killed and her body moved to Morgan County late on Sept. 10 or early on Sept. 11.
Rasmussen’s family reported her missing the following day.
Eric Millerberg, 36, was sent to prison last year for a probation violation unrelated to Rasmussen’s death. Dea Millerberg, meanwhile, remains free on bail as she awaits trial on charges of prescription drug fraud and child endangerment — charges also unrelated to the death.
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