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'Person of interest' remains in custody while case is built

By DAVID A. SEATON
Staff Writer

An autopsy completed Thursday did not reveal whether the female body found Tuesday was Jodi Sanderholm, but officials are confident it is her.

"While we believe that it is Jodi Sanderholm, there has not been a scientific positive identification of the body that was found," Attorney General Paul Morrison said in a written statement.

DNA has been sent to the Topeka KBI lab for positive identification, Morrison said.

The cause of death has not been released. The autopsy has been sealed by the court.

The man police suspect in the disappearance and death of Jodi Sanderholm had another restraining order filed against him this week.

The suspect, a 23-year-old Ark City native, remains at the county jail in Winfield on charges unrelated to Sanderholm's disappearance.

Authorities said charges could be filed in the case early next week.

"We have someone in custody and have the luxury of time for building a case and doing careful methodology," said Morrison's spokeswoman Ashley Anstaett.

A memorial service for Sanderholm is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday at the W.S. Scott Auditorium at Cowley College.

Sanderholm, a 19-year-old Cowley student and Tigerette Danceline member, was last seen at Subway about 1 p.m. Friday. The body was found Tuesday morning about eight miles from the Cowley State Fishing Lake, where Sanderholm's car was pulled from Tuesday afternoon.

The case has attracted national media, including from CNN, Fox News' On The Record and Geraldo Rivera's show.

Anstaett declined to comment on the "person of interest" in the case as more details were revealed about his criminal history.

In 2005, the Winfield Courier reported that he was arrested for incitement to riot, felony obstruction of official duty and disorderly conduct.

He was Tased after he broke free from a deputy taking him to custody, Winfield Police Chief Jerry DeVore said.

DeVore said the incidents started when the man insulted customers at two downtown bars. Police were called and when they arrived arguments had spilled out into the street and drew a crowd of about 50 people, DeVore said.

But the felony charges were dropped in the case, leaving obstructing the legal process or official duty, and disorderly conduct -- both misdemeanors. Court records indicate he received a diversion but the diversion agreement was scheduled to be revoked Feb. 17, 2006.

Records show his attorney for that case was Jennifer Passiglia of Winfield. She declined any comment when reached Friday morning.

The case was rescheduled several times and the man finally was placed on diversion Nov. 30 of last year, about five weeks before Sanderholm's disappearance.

The man has been arrested twice since then on misdemeanor charges and was taken into custody on outstanding charges of bond revocation, impersonating an officer and disorderly conduct, after police found him for questioning in Sanderholm's disappearance.

He was seen playing bingo at the VFW hall in Ark City Saturday -- the night after Sanderholm disappeared, a VFW official told the Traveler Thursday.

On Friday, an Oxford woman filed a restraining order on the man. The woman claims the man stalked her at her work.

She said he left a rose and a card on her car while it was parked at work, and that he would text message her 15 times in a two-hour period. She said he showed up early in the morning on Jan. 3 in back of the Ark City Subway and asked for a ride home.

The man worked briefly at the Subway and placed a collect call there Wednesday evening that was not answered, a Subway manager told the Traveler.

Earlier in the week, on Monday, a woman from Ark City filed a restraining order against the man. She also claimed he had stalked her by waiting outside her family members homes and text-messaging her constantly.

The man was known to take interest in Cowley danceline women, police said. Ark City Police Chief Sean Wallace described him as a "groupie" of the danceline.

Police have said they are following up any leads that others may have been involved in Sanderholm's disappearance.