Pregnant Woman Who Disappeared On Baby Shower 'Murdered By Father Of Unborn Child'

A pregnant woman from Baltimore who went missing on the day of her baby shower in 2017 was allegedly murdered by the father of her unborn child.

Five years after the disappearance of 22-year-old Akia Eggleston, the suspect identified as 41-year-old Michael Robertson, was arrested Thursday in Michigan. Robertson has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the death of Eggleston and her unborn child, the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said that she hopes that the arrest “brings some sense and some measure of hope in the first phase in our pursuit of justice for Akia Eggleston.”

Eggleston, who was eight months pregnant, was reported missing by her family after she failed to appear for her baby shower on May 7, 2017. She was last seen alive on May 3, 2017, and after that day, she has never contacted her family or friends, including her daughter, who was two years at the time of her disappearance.

After an extensive search, investigators determined that Eggleston is no longer alive, and the only person with "the motive, means, and opportunity" to murder her was Robertson, according to a probable cause statement.

Although the remains could not be recovered, her pattern of life and her lack of contact with the family "overwhelmingly indicated" that she is no longer alive, cops said.

Days before her disappearance, Robertson made Eggleston believe that she would be moving in with him soon and tricked her into taking out cash for a security deposit on a new apartment, police said.

Investigation revealed that Robertson was dating another 22-year-old woman who had recently given birth to his second child while Eggleston was pregnant. Eggleston reportedly entered into an argument with this woman on the night of May 2, 2017, after posting pictures of her pregnant belly on Facebook.

Based on phone records, both Eggleston and Robertson were at her residence the following day and the last message sent from Eggleston's phone was to a friend inviting her to the baby shower. However, both Eggleston and Robertson did not show up at the baby shower.

During interrogation, Roberston reportedly lied to the investigators and made several contradictory statements regarding Eggleston's disappearance. According to reports, Roberston made several suspicious online searches after Eggleston went missing. The searches included: "where does Baltimore city trash go when picked up," "BALTIMORE City Dumpster pickup," and "Baltimore city landfill."

"It is my hope that we will now be able to gain some answers to long-standing questions in order to bring closure to this case. We continue to work tirelessly to solve cases, make arrests and hold those responsible for criminal behavior to account," Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said in the press release.

The man faces a maximum penalty of two Life sentences in prison if found guilty of all charges.