Arrest made in death of missing Monroe County woman

MONROE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Investigators arrested a 65-year-old man in connection with the death of a Monroe County woman who has been missing since 2021.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, troopers and deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office searched a rural pond in the county on Friday afternoon and found human remains.

Around 8 p.m. Friday, investigators arrested Lyle Miller, 65, of Madison, on suspicion of second-degree murder. The patrol said the prosecutor charged Miller in connection with Betty Hayes' death. Lyle is being held without bond.

Hayes was 88 years old when she was reported missing on Dec. 17, 2021. Her family had last spoken with her the night before. She was believed to be at her home in Holliday that night. In the days following her disappearance, law enforcement agencies searched the area around her home. The searches included both air and ground searches.

A couple of Hayes's family members spoke with ABC 17 News in March 2022.

Hayes's family described her as loving, hardworking, and caring. Her family said she was a nurse for more than 35 years and lived in her farmhouse in Holliday for more than 60 years.