“I put her in the icebox because I didn’t know what to do,” the accused reportedly said, while the 68-year-old woman allegedly overdosed on the drugs they gave her.
A Las Vegas resident is accused of murdering their roommate after allegedly giving her fentanyl-laced cocaine … before locking her dead body in a freezer.
Earlier this month, Jazlynn Roush was arrested on a second-degree murder charge after the remains of Monique Gilbertson, 68, were discovered in the freezer of Gilbertson’s mobile home during a welfare check, according to local ABC affiliate KTNV.
On Wednesday, Roush, 37, appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.
According to a press release shared by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, on November 6, officers responded to a request for a welfare check on an “elderly female.” After authorities did not get a response when they called the woman, they entered her home.
“Officers entered the home and located two individuals inside who could not provide officers with the location of the elderly female,” the release said. “While officers searched the home they located a deceased female in a freezer. Both individuals were detained as investigators determined their involvement.”
Police said they detained Roush, who they believed was “involved in the victim’s death.”
According to KTNV, the person who called the police claimed she had not heard from Gilbertson since October 22. Per FOX 5, the caller was the office manager at Gilberton’s mobile home community.
Per Roush’s arrest report, obtained by KTNV and FOX 5, Roush and Gilbertson reportedly first met at Home Depot. After their conversation, Gilbertson invited Roush to live with her, the report said.
According to KTNV, an acquaintance of Gilbertson said Roush assisted Gilbertson with handy work — adding Gilbertson allegedly had an issue with Roush’s cleanliness, drug paraphernalia, and missing items.
Roush reportedly told police Gilbertson used cocaine and opiates, and was taking pain pills.
“Monique enjoyed her Kahlua drinks and took pain pills, but Jazlynn didn’t know what else Monique took because they didn’t ‘party’ together,” read the report, per FOX 5.
In the police report, authorities said Roush was not consistent about where they allegedly found Gilbertson’s body, and how she ended up in the freezer. Roush allegedly claimed they discovered a stiff Gilbertson at the dining room table surrounded by drugs initially, but later Gilberston was found in another room.
Roush claimed they decided to put her in the freezer because they couldn’t figure out what to do with her body, according to KTNV and FOX 5.
“I put her in the icebox because I didn’t know what to do,” Roush said, per FOX 5.
Per the arrest report, Roush’s wife, Gina Lopez Roush, claimed she had never met Gilbertson, but had previously been to her home “while she was out of town” to clean up after her pets, according to KTNV.
The document reportedly said that Lopez first claimed she did not know anything about Gilbertson’s body being in the freezer, before she said Roush told her Gilbertson overdosed on cocaine laced with fentanyl, which she allegedly purchased from Roush. Lopez also later reportedly confessed to police that she was aware Gilbertson’s body had been stored in the freezer for four days.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, believe Roush “willfully, unlawfully, feloniously, and with malice” caused Gilbertson’s death.
The outlet also reported that officers discovered cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine — along with a razor and digital scale — during their search.
Roush’s preliminary court hearing is set for November 27.