Former Republican Official Accused of Murdering and Beheading Fiancée

Joseph Roberts, a former San Francisco Republican official, was accused of murdering his 27-year-old fiancée Rachel Elizabeth Imani Buckner, and was arrested and charged earlier this month, according to a probable cause affidavit from local law enforcement.

According to the Alameda Police Department (APD) in California, officers uncovered human remains along the Alameda shoreline, later identified as Buckner, a recent law school graduate, wrapped inside a plastic bag in July. According to the affidavit obtained by local Fox station KTVU, the victim was found dismembered with her head, hands, and feet severed from her body, which remain missing. The investigation into her homicide led to Roberts as authorities said his DNA was found on the duct tape used on Buckner's body.

"Joseph's DNA was on the tape that wrapped her body, which meant he was aware she was dead, he was aware she was dismembered, and he took an active role in wrapping her body, concealing it in plastic garbage bags," the police affidavit stated.

Roberts never reported Buckner missing although they had been together for several years and lived together in an apartment in Pleasanton, California, where Roberts was later arrested on September 7 as authorities claimed to have found evidence that the murder took place there.

Newsweek has reached out to the Alameda Police Department via email for additional comment.

Before being charged with murder, Roberts entered the political sphere while living in San Francisco as he attended law school at Golden Gate University—the same school Buckner graduated from before she was killed.

Roberts was a supporter of former President Donald Trump as he was previously seen wearing a "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) hat, and in 2020 was elected to serve on the San Francisco Republican Party County Central Committee.

This all comes after Roberts was accused by students of verbal and online sexual harassment, and was suspended from Savannah State University in Georgia in 2013. He claimed he was suspended from the school and "denied due process," according to ABC News.

A few years later in 2018, the #MeToo movement emerged and sparked debate about whether men could be wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct.

That year, Roberts appeared on ABC News' Nightline and subsequently meet with Betsy DeVos, then Trump's secretary of education, to share his story as an advocate for men who were wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct on college campuses.

Following his position on the San Francisco Republican Party County Central Committee, Roberts appeared on YouTube's The Exceptional Conservative Show in 2020 where he maintained his stance that men who were wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct on college campuses should be allowed due process.

However since Roberts' arrest, John Dennis, chairman of the local Republican Party, was shocked when told about the arrest since Roberts had resigned from his role some time ago, according to The San Francisco Standard on Friday.

Although Roberts was charged, the investigation continues as investigators have not figured out the motive and have not determined when Buckner was killed, Alameda Police Chief Nishant Joshi told local news station KRON.

"Since July, APD has worked tirelessly to identify the involved parties and understand the series of events that led to this death. We appreciate the community's patience and the support from our law enforcement partners who assisted in this investigation...The Alameda Police Department remains in contact with the Buckner family and we ask for the community to respect their privacy during this difficult time," the APD wrote in statement shared to X, formerly Twitter, earlier this month.

Roberts has not entered a plea, but is currently being held without bail in Santa Rita County Jail.