A man in Idaho is under investigation following the alleged murder of his pregnant wife and subsequent abduction of their 10-month-old son, who was later found dead. The suspect, identified as Jeremy Albert Best, was discovered in a state of undress near a black Chevy SUV where the body of the infant, Zeke Gregory Best, was found on Saturday.
The series of tragic events began on Thursday, just before midday, when the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to a naked man wandering through the Swan Valley General Store. The man, later identified as Best, was captured on video slumped over a counter before being escorted out of the premises. Best was transported to a local hospital for medical and mental health evaluation, but was not detained at that time. He was later discharged, according to a hospital spokesperson.
On Saturday, Best was apprehended after hunters reported seeing a nude man on the side of a road. Upon his arrest, authorities discovered the body of Zeke in the nearby SUV. The cause and manner of the infant’s death have not been disclosed.
Earlier on Thursday, at around 11:40 p.m., the Teton County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a disturbance. Deputies arrived at a residence in the 4600 block of Skyline Loop in Victor, near the Idaho-Wyoming border, where they found a woman, later identified as 38-year-old Kali Jean Randall, unresponsive. First responders declared her dead at the scene, and her death is being treated as a homicide.
An Amber Alert was issued for Zeke following his alleged abduction by his father. Authorities also issued a murder warrant for Best, describing him as “armed and very dangerous.”
On Saturday morning, hunters east of Idaho Falls alerted the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office after spotting a man in a sleeping bag by the roadside. The man, who was naked and reportedly making strange comments, was identified as Best and subsequently arrested.
Best is currently being held at the Bonneville County Jail without bond on a warrant for his wife’s murder. No motive has been provided by authorities.
Randall, who was expecting her second child, was remembered by her cousin, Meg Fischer, as a lover of animals and the mountains, and a devoted mother. Fischer expressed the family’s belief that Randall had given her life in an attempt to protect her children.