Emily Lambert, the Richardson schoolteacher who was reported missing Saturday in New Mexico, has been found dead and her boyfriend admitted to the murder, according to police in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Steven Koenig, Emily's father, told News 8 that the lead detective in the case called with the news that his daughter's body was found about 4:20 p.m. Tuesday in a field southeast of Carlsbad.
Police arrested Lambert's boyfriend, Robert Glenn Earley, 33, just after midnight Wednesday in the 600 block of West Mermod Street in Carlsbad for murder and tampering with evidence in the case. Earley had initially reported Lambert missing on Sunday.
According to the arrest warrant, Earley told investigators one version of events on Sunday, but had changed his story by Tuesday.
When Earley initially reported Lambert missing, he said that they had been drinking with his boss at a local bar when Earley and Lambert got into an argument after another man was flirting with the woman. Earley told police Lambert left alone and that was the last time he saw her.
According to the warrant, the story changed on Tuesday when Earley told police he had followed her back to his motel room from the bar. He said he and Lambert had gotten into a fight there, and he beat her until she lost consciousness. He then drove her to another location where she regained consciousness and they began fighting again.
Earley told police he then hit Lambert 'multiple times with an air pump,' according to the document. He took a length of rope, made a loop around Lambert's neck, closed the rope in his car door, and dragged her body behind a barn, according to police. He led investigators to the scene Tuesday in the 200 block of Potash Mines Road, where the teacher was found.
A Facebook page set up by her family said Lambert, 30, had gone missing while visiting a friend in New Mexico.
Lambert is a teacher at O. Henry Elementary School in the Richardson ISD. She has two young children who are now with their grandfather.
The family posted this statement on Facebook:
'The essence of Emily is with God. Our family thanks each and everyone one of you for your outpouring of love, prayers, and support over the last few days. It is with our deepest sorrows that we report her body has been found. We don't know any specific details at this time. The detectives will contact us sometime tomorrow. We will use this time to collect your thoughts with our families. Thank you.'
Earley was scheduled to appear in a New Mexico court on Wednesday afternoon. He is being held at the Eddy County Detention Center on $1 million bond.
E-mail srobertson@wfaa.com
