Rothe covering his face during his questioning | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
It is not unheard of for killers to insert themselves into an investigation and even give the officers clues. Perhaps, some simply can’t keep themselves from walking on edge and getting the adrenaline rush, or maybe, they are trying to appear as simple bystanders. However, this man couldn’t fool the police when he came in for questioning.
Not much is known about Linda Riley’s life before her disappearance on February 27th, 2012, and what we do know comes mainly from the interviews of Jay Rothe.
Linda Riley | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
A photo of Linda Riley | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
The man came to the police station Springfield Police Department in Missouri supposedly to find out about the disappearance of his friend. According to Youtuber “Mind of A Criminal,” when the man appeared at the police station, he seemed to be a genuinely concerned friend of Riley’s.
A day before, Riley was reported missing by her neighbor, who was disturbed by the unanswered calls in her house. Upon going to check on her, the neighbor found her house unlocked with her nowhere to be found.
Riley’s house | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
A photo of the crime scene | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
After finding her phone and purse to still be in the house, the police immediately suspected foul play. A missing endangered person alert was issued, stating that Riley disappeared from her home “under suspicious circumstances.”
According to the “Mind of A Criminal,” Rothe requested a voluntary interview and was not initially a person of interest. However, the police did know the man was in contact with Riley two days before her disappearance.
Jay Rothe | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
Rothe at the interview | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
In the snippet of the interview footage, Rothe said he left around 3:10 a.m. with the woman’s garbage to throw it out and texted her he made it home safely upon arrival. Apparently, he didn’t suspect anything when she didn’t answer his call in the morning, because she “did it all the time.”
Rothe’s worried behavior was attributed to his wish to find Riley quickly. The first 24 hours after a victim’s disappearance are crucial, so it was natural for a friend to assist in the search. However, the police’s attitude changed when the man started giving his side of the story.
Rothe’s van | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
Rothe informed the police about Riley being “stressed out a little bit” about men who had been coming over, especially about “Floyd.” This claim was supported by the scribbles of his name found at the crime scene. The man mentioned seeing “Floyd” one time. He didn’t know his last name.
“I don’t know what happened, anything could happen with that neighborhood…”
The photo of the crime scene | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
Rothe slipped when the officer implied that the concerns over Riley’s disappearance could be exaggerated. “Mind of A Criminal” explained that the officer used this strategy to see if the man’s concern was merely a facade. “Do you think that she maybe just left?” the officer asked.
“No, she wouldn’t leave without her dogs and stuff, man…”
Riley with a puppy | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
“Would they still be there you think?”
“Oh, I imagine so.”
This was the revealing mistake that alerted the officer as at the time Rothe had no way of knowing whether the dogs were still in her apartment.
Rothe at the questioning | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
In the same interview, Rothe admitted to having a sexual relationship with Riley and denied their arguments ever going physical. When asked if he had anything to do with her being gone, the man replied , “No… how would I?”
The next day, Rothe showed up at the police headquarters again, this time to introduce new information to the story. First, he told the officer about her abusive ex, who would pull her hair and leave her arms bruised.
A photo of the crime scene | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
A photo of the crime scene | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
Then, he recalled a man named “Roger” staying at her place for a week or so. According to Rothe, “Roger,” whose last name he didn’t know either, hid in the bathroom when the police came to the door because he was wanted.
As “Mind of A Criminal” commented , at that moment the officer had already recognized that Rothe was putting together a story. He mentioned three conveniently suspicious men — the ex, “Floyd,” and “Roger” — to turn the police away from himself.
Rothe looking defeated | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
That day, Rothe also recalled an accident where Riley “thought” he hit her in the mouth. Allegedly, the man brought her to see “these guys that she wanted to see” and later decided to take her home abruptly, which resulted in the woman colliding with his hand.
Prior to her disappearance, Riley also filed a formal complaint against Rothe alleging assault. The people also reported that she was afraid of the man.
A photo of the crime scene | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
“Upon becoming aware of the ongoing police investigation into these allegations, Jay proactively returns to the police station with the intention of clarifying his side of the story.”
Rothe linked her suspicion of him to the accident he had already retold.
Three days later, Rothe was called into the police station again. This time, he was there to undergo a polygraph test. The man knew it was essential to prove his innocence and demonstrate his concern and agreed.
Rothe taking a polygraph test | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
Rothe responded negatively to three questions: “Were you physically responsible for Linda Riley’s disappearance from her residence on February 27th, 2012?”, “Did you physically remove Linda Riley from her residence on February 27th, 2012?”, and “Did you physically cause the death of Linda Riley on February 27th, 2012?” Nevertheless, he failed it miserably.
Seeing that Rothe was looking defeated and possibly ready to cooperate, the officer informed him that the crime scene technicians had been searching his house and found items that were “not looking good” for him.
Ruthe’s house | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
Police evidence | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
“We need to get this over with, quit these games. We know something happened. How it happened? I don’t know.”
The footage shows the officer moving closer to Rothe to get on his good side. “A mistake occurred,” he said . “We all make them, okay?”
Rothe slowly started recalling how the night really went in detail. They were having an argument. “She went and just smacked me,” he said. Then, the man “smacked her,” Riley fell and hit her head.
A photo of a crime scene | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
A photo of a crime scene | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
“I guess she didn’t… she didn’t come around.”
“Mind of A Criminal” explained that even with the confession, there was still concern that Rothe would change his mind and claim this to be a false confession. The only way to prove he was indeed the killer was to make him show the body.
The place where Rothe took the body | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
Rothe tearfully disclosed that he took Riley’s body to the last place they went, Aldrich, and burned it.
“I couldn’t even watch it happen… made me sick. I didn’t know what to do…”
On March 4th, 2012, a week after Riley’s disappearance, Rothe led the police to the site where he incinerated the body.
The site of the incineration | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
Rothe crying during the interrogation | Source: youtube.com/@mindofacriminal
Rothe was charged with felonious restraint, kidnapping, and second-degree murder due to lack of premeditation. He pleaded guilty in 2013 and was serving his life sentence in Jefferson City Correctional Center up until his death in 2022, 3 years before he would be eligible for parole.
