A man in Wisconsin has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife one year after she went missing.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office announced that Aaron Nelson was arrested in connection with his wife Alexis Nelson’s disappearance in a Facebook statement on Monday, May 18.
The Dodge County District Attorney’s Office formally charged Aaron, 43, with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse.
The department added that he is currently being held in the Dodge County Jail. No additional details will be released “out of respect for the family, the judicial process, and the continued integrity of the investigation,” per the statement.
Aaron was arrested one year after Alexis, 42, was last seen in May 2025, according to WISC. Prosecutors claimed that Aaron was abusive toward Alexis before she disappeared and she previously filed a restraining order against him after they were involved in an alleged domestic incident.
Back in February, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and Beaver Dam Police Department announced they had been investigating Alexis’ disappearance “over the last couple of months.”
“If you, or someone you know, has had contact with Alexis Nelson or her husband, Aaron Nelson (alias James Nelson) over the last year, please reach out to our tipline,” the sheriff’s office wrote in the Facebook post at the time.
Aaron and Alexis were last seen together at a Beaver Dam Kwik Trip via surveillance footage on March 29, 2025, according to a criminal complaint viewed by WISC.
Meanwhile, phone records allegedly showed Alexis’ cellphone traveled to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, one day before Aaron bought a 32-gallon trash can, according to Law & Crime.
Shortly after Alexis disappeared, Aaron allegedly created a new Facebook account under the alias “James Nelson” and listed his relationship status as “widowed,” per WISC.
Authorities also claimed that Aaron met another woman on Tinder in April 2025 and it’s believed he moved in with her by the end of May 2025. Investigators also noticed that the new girlfriend started wearing Alexis’ wedding ring following her disappearance.
In June 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at the girlfriend’s residence and allegedly discovered a 32-gallon trash, which was later tested and came back positive for Alexis’ blood.
Additionally, a cadaver dog was alerted to a shed on the property where the trash can was being stored, per WISC.
Alexis’ remains have not yet been recovered and the Dodge County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed there has been no official documentation of Alexis’ death in the state of Wisconsin, according to the outlet.
Aaron’s bond was set at $1 million cash and he is next scheduled to appear in court on May 28.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
