May 20, 2008

CMPD Homicide detectives have recovered the body of Sallie Rohrbach in the Gold Hill Road area of York County, SC. Her family has been notified. Mrs. Rohrbach is the auditor with the North Carolina Department of Insurance murdered last week. Detectives arrested Michael Arthur Howell (WM, 7-6-67) and charged him with her murder.

Mrs. Rohrbach had been in Charlotte to conduct an audit of the Dilworth Insurance Agency that Mr. Howell owned and operated. She was last seen between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, 2008 and was reported missing Friday, May 16, 2008. 

Sunday morning, May 17, 2008, the vehicle Mrs. Rohrbach had been driving was recovered in the parking lot of the Bojangle's restaurant at 300 West Blvd. In addition to conducting thorough ground and air searches looking for Mrs. Rohrbach, detectives searched her vehicle, Mr. Howell's business and his vehicle. This initial investigative work led detectives to seek and obtain a warrant for Mr. Howell's arrest in this case. He was taken into custody Sunday night without incident and is being held without bond in the Mecklenburg County Jail.

Information detectives received late on Monday, May 19, 2008 led them, with assistance from deputies with the York County Sheriff's Office, to search for Mrs. Rohrbach's remains in York County, S.C.  That search was suspended Monday night because of darkness and police went out again this morning. Her body was recovered around 2:30 p.m. and has been transported to the Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy.

First Release: Detectives Make Arrest for Murder of Sally Rohrbach

May 19, 2008

CMPD Homicide detectives have arrested Michael Arthur Howell (WM, 7-6-67) and charged him with the murder of Sally Rohrbach (WF, 6-16-63).  Detectives are continuing the investigation and seeking any information that will lead to the location of Mrs. Rohrbach's remains. Anyone with information should call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

Mrs. Rohrbach, an auditor with the North Carolina Department of Insurance, had been in Charlotte to conduct an audit of the Dilworth Insurance Agency that is owned and operated by Mr. Howell. She was last seen between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, 2008. She was reported missing Friday, May 16, 2008.  

Sunday morning, May 17, 2008, the vehicle Mrs. Rohrbach had been driving was recovered in the parking lot of the Bojangle's restaurant at 300 West Blvd. In addition to conducting thorough ground and air searches looking for Mrs. Rohrbach, detectives have searched her vehicle, Mr. Howell's business and his vehicle. As a result of all the initial investigative work, detectives sought and obtained a warrant for Mr. Howell's arrest in this case. He is currently being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail.