Police fatally shoot suspect in Filipina American's disappearance

SCREEN CAPTURE / CBS

Gwyn Gabe, father of Alexis Gabe, spoke at the press conference.

The ex-boyfriend of a Filipina American, who has been missing for six months, was killed by law enforcement officials in the state of Washington as they attempted to arrest him for the woman's death.

This was the first time that law enforcement authorities revealed that 24-year-old Alexis Gabe, who vanished in January, had been killed.

Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard said 27-year-old Marshall Curtis Jones – who used to date Gabe – was shot on Wednesday by members of the Pacific Northwest Violent Offenders Task Force as they tried to arrest him and he charged at them with a knife. Authorities fired upon Jones, who was declared deceased immediately afterwards.

Gabe and Jones had broken up in November 2021.

ALEXIS GABE

But Gabe's father, Gwyn Gabe, said at a news conference that the two had dated for three years and Jones had been the love of his daughter's life."He became part of our family," Gwyn Gabe said at the press conference. "We had no idea he was capable of doing something like this to her."

Oakley and Antioch police officers had issued an arrest warrant earlier that day for Jones, who was found 

in Kent, Wash., for the alleged murder of Gabe, who has been missing since Jan. 26.

The California police departments of Oakley and Antioch had asked the Pacific Northwest team, comprised of the Seattle Police Department, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service, to serve the warrant.

Jones had not cooperated during the investigation by the police departments east of San Francisco Bay. Jones had been the main suspect for a while. Authorities said that DNA and digital evidence linked him to the disappearance and homicide.

Although they had broken up in November, Gabe visited his Antioch home the night of her disappearance in January. Police believe she was killed at Jones home.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney also announced formal murder charges against Jones, despite the fact that he is dead. It was the first time police stated that the former nursing student was killed.

"Due to the information that has been yielded during our long and intensive investigation, I must announce at this point, that we believe Alexis Gabe is the victim of a homicide," said Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard.

With Jones dead, it will make the search for Gabe's body and the motive for the apparent homicide will become more difficult. 

Beard reiterated that there is still a $100,000 reward available for information leading to Gabe's body.

"We do hope somebody who has knowledge of Alexis's whereabouts will now feel more empowered to come forward without having to feel a negative response from Marshall Jones," Beard said.

During the Thursday press conference, Gwyn Gabe spoke about his daughter and Jones' death. "What happened to Marshall was tragic and unexpected. ... We didn't want him dead. We wanted him arrested to pay for his sins. We wanted to meet with him face to face. We wanted to look him in the eye and ask him why, ask him where is Alexis. I know police are saying that our daughter is gone, but our daughter will remain alive in our minds and in our hearts. We will continue to search for her until we find her."

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Alexis Gabe are being asked to call 925-625-7009 or Alexistips@ci.oakley.ca.us.