News

Ex-husband pleads guilty to Army veteran’s murder

Published July 31, 2018 6:29 AM

The ex-husband of a former Army veteran pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder in her death.

Dalen Ware faces 15 years to life for the murder of his ex-wife, Julia Jacobson, and her dog, the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office confirmed Monday afternoon.

Jacobson, 37, and her wheaten terrier, Boogie, had originally been reported missing in early September. On the evening of September 2, authorities say a friend received a text message from Jacobson’s cellphone stating that she was in the Palm Springs area. That text would be the last time Jacobson was ever heard from.

Despite not initially finding Jacobson’s body, a forensic analysis of her car led Ontario police to conclude she was murdered.

Jacobson’s ex-husband, Dalen Larry Ware, was arrested at his home in Arizona and charged with her death on October 13.

On December 1, information provided by Ware and search efforts conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies led to the discovery of a shallow grave near Cactus City with the remains of Jacobson and Boogie.

A social media page dedicated to Jacobson and Boogie posted the following on Ware’s guilty plea:

We are eternally grateful for the tremendous support we have received from the San Diego Police Missing Persons and Homicide detectives, Ontario Police Departement and the San Bernardino County’s District Attorney’s office, Julia’s colleagues at 7-Eleven, her friends and our own own friends and family.

It is a huge relief for the whole family that we won’t have to relive the tragic events by going thru a trial. This guilty plea will help enable us to move forward with putting our lives back together, as much as we can after they were turned upside down last September. –