The disappearance of 47-year-old Rana Nofal Soluri, a Texas-based flight attendant, has taken an especially interesting turn.
Authorities have stated that Soluri, who vanished in March, was allegedly slain by her roommate during an argument.
A second suspect was later tied to the case after an accidental butt dial captured a potentially incriminating recording.
Soluri’s friends raised the alarm after she vanished without explanation
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Prior to her disappearance, Soluri lived with a roommate, Dennis William Day, who was 66 years old.
When Soluri’s co-worker reported her missing in June, police learned that no one had heard from her since March 19.
Her messages had suddenly stopped, and she never returned to her job at Envoy Air, an American Airlines subsidiary.
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Soluri had recently purchased a new car, a 2023 Mazda, just days before disappearing, according to a People magazine report.
Things began to unravel in early May when authorities were called to Day’s house to tow Soluri’s Mazda.
Day initially told detectives he didn’t know where Soluri had gone. Another housemate echoed the same story, saying they hadn’t seen her in months.
Image credits: Tarrant County Jail
Investigators soon noticed troubling signs. Among them were Soluri’s phone records, which revealed her last call was on March 21.
When detectives searched the home, they uncovered surveillance footage showing Day dragging “what appears to be a lifeless body from the home into the backyard.”
A confession came after, revealing another player in the tragic incident
Image credits: Tarrant County Jail
Day eventually admitted that he had “snapped” after Soluri took a video of him and threatened to call the police.
He then strangled Soluri on the kitchen floor, before dragging her body into the backyard, according to News Nation.
Day reportedly realized that security cameras were recording him, so he disconnected the surveillance equipment and placed her body into a trash bin.
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He claimed that he then transported Soluri’s body more than 60 miles away to Bowie, Texas, where he allegedly disposed of it.
Authorities have noted that Day likely did not act alone. Investigators have alleged that Joni Thomas, 62, drove to his house with her pickup truck to help transport the flight attendant’s body.
While Thomas originally denied involvement, inconsistencies in her statements raised suspicion.
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Thomas initially claimed that Day did not drive her truck at all. She later changed her story, stating that Day did drive her vehicle, but she fell asleep during the drive.
Investigators also found that both Day and Thomas left their phones at the house before heading to Bowie in an apparent attempt to stage a false alibi, according to the New York Post.
“This is a clear effort by both (Day) and (Thomas) to deceive law enforcement and make it appear like they never left (Day’s) house in Fort Worth, Texas, when they were dumping (Soluri’s) body in Bowie, TX,” authorities stated in a warrant.
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A butt-dial ended up unraveling Day and Thomas’ deadly lie
The most shocking detail in the case came from a voicemail that was unintentionally recorded on Thomas’ phone.
In the butt-dialed recording, a male and female voice could be heard conversing while seemingly struggling to move something heavy.
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“Hey… help me,” a man’s voice said, followed by instructions to “Make sure the lid’s on.” The recording also captured an apology: “I’m sorry I got you messed up in this.”
Authorities have stated that the butt-dialed voicemail directly linked Thomas to the alleged attempt to cover up Soluri’s death.
Day was arrested in June for m*rder, while Thomas was charged in August with tampering with evidence.
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Day is currently being held in Tarrant County Jail on a $200,000 bond, awaiting further court proceedings.
Thomas, for her part, has been released on bond as she faces charges of evidence tampering. Attorneys representing the two have not yet provided comment.
Soluri’s body has not been recovered yet, though searches have been underway.
Image credits: Texomashomepage.com – KFDX, KJTL
For Soluri’s friends and family, the haunting case has left a painful void. Nez, Soluri’s sister, shared her grief in a comment.
“It’s been torture. Every other day, I keep dreaming or wishing… maybe she bumped her head, had amnesia, something,” Nez stated.
Netizens shared their thoughts on Rana Nofal Soluri’s case on social media
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