The Brief

  • Fort Worth police arrested 23-year-old Alexander James Nicholas for murder after finding a missing person’s body in a shallow grave on Monday.

  • Though Nicholas claimed he dropped the victim off safely on Nov. 30, detectives found evidence that allegedly contradicts his story.

  • Authorities have not yet released any information about the victim’s identity.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Fort Worth police arrested a murder suspect after finding the body of a missing person buried in a shallow grave just days before Christmas.

The backstory

Fort Worth police said the victim was reported missing in late November.

Investigators determined the unnamed person was last seen on Nov. 30 after leaving a party with 23-year-old Alexander James Nicholas. The two reportedly have a common acquaintance.

When questioned, Nicholas told investigators he dropped the victim off at another location that night. He claimed the person was alive at the time.

What’s new

On Monday, homicide detectives located the victim’s body in a shallow grave in a wooded area of north Fort Worth in Denton County.

Police said there were signs of foul play, and the missing person is now considered to be the victim of a homicide.

Investigators also located evidence that reportedly contradicts Nicholas’s statements. That’s why he was arrested and charged with murder, police said.

More arrests are possible as the investigation continues, they said.

What we don’t know

Fort Worth police still haven’t released any information about the victim. We don’t know if they are male or female, and no name has been released.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will reportedly determine that person’s official cause and manner of death.

The Source

The information in this story comes from the Fort Worth Police Department and an interview with Fort Worth Police Department spokesman Tracy Carter.