PLANO, Texas — The siblings of 32-year-old Sarah Dudley told WFAA on Thursday that they're fully dismayed the search for their missing sister ended with her husband being jailed in connection to her death.
"It just still doesn't feel real," Patrick Dowd, Dudley's brother, said. "She was just this openly warm person that was always willing to help anyone. She was so sweet and caring. We wish we could call her out of the blue, and she would answer, you know?"
Dudley was reported missing Saturday night by her husband, 37-year-old Karlton Dudley.
He's now charged with abuse of a corpse in connection to his wife's death and remains in the Collin County Jail. His bond has been set at $500,000.
On Monday evening, Sarah Dudley's body was found at Lake Lewisville near Hidden Cove Park in The Colony.
Her husband initially told the Plano Police Department that she never returned home from work Saturday evening and that he last saw her around 1:07 p.m., per court documents.
He told police that he never saw Dudley leave their apartment but guessed she left sometime before she needed to be at work which was 4 p.m. Dudley would walk to work because she had epilepsy.
Dudley's husband was wearing an ankle monitor in connection with another offense at the time of her disappearance.
Per court documents, Dudley's husband told investigators that he went to the area of Hidden Cove Park on Saturday to kayak but didn't get into the water because his kayak wouldn't inflate.
He told police he left after walking around a bit.
Investigators tracked the data on the ankle monitor. They told WFAA that Dudley's husband actually got into the water near the area where her body was later found, adding that he wasn't being fully transparent regarding his whereabouts.
Patrick Dowd, who spoke with WFAA alongside Sarah Dudley's sister Amy Pattison and sister-in-law Stephanie Dowd, said the development was unexpected.
"We were definitely surprised by it, but we just couldn't think of anybody that could hurt her. We were hoping that she was missing, and that's it. We weren't expecting this," Dowd said.
When WFAA asked if the family wanted the harshest punishment to be levied against Dudley's husband, Pattison replied, "Absolutely."
"We want justice for our sister," Dowd said.
Dowd told WFAA that Dudley was a kind soul, the middle child of the family, always following him around and interested in what he was doing.
"She loved all her nieces and nephews, they were like her kids because she couldn't have any. She would shower them with gifts, and she was just a great person," Dowd said.
"She was just always wanting to be around people. We're not asking for anything but prayers for our family. Sarah wants us to stay strong for her, but it's still tough."
Dowd and his siblings are raising money for Dudley's funeral in Chalmette, Louisiana, where they all grew up. If you'd like to help, you can donate to them via this Venmo account.
The Plano Police Department said Thursday that they don't believe the public is in danger following Dudley's husband's arrest.
At this time, a spokesperson told WFAA that investigators believe he acted alone in connection to the crime he's charged with.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) confirmed to WFAA that Karlton Dudley was a former Correctional Officer IV at the Gurney Unit near Palestine. TDCJ officials said it is no longer in operation and closed a few years ago. Dudley worked for the TDCJ from September 2007 to August 2016.