Man accused of killing Dodge County woman, hiding her body

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – A new criminal complaint accusing the estranged husband of a missing Dodge County woman of killing her describes how the investigation evolved from a missing person case to a death.

Zachariah Rasch, 43, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder, domestic violence and concealing a body. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of life in prison.

The eight-page criminal complaint filed Friday states that a family member of Crystal Rasch reported on June 23 that they had not heard from Crystal since June 11. Crystal's phone immediately went to voicemail. On the day she was reported missing, officers spoke with her estranged husband, Zachariah Rasch, and he said he did not know where she was.

Crystal filed for divorce in 2023 and requested a restraining order against Zachariah.

Surveillance footage from a Goodwill in Oconomowoc showed Crystal and Zachariah Rasch together around 11 a.m. on June 11, the criminal complaint states.

Authorities obtained a search warrant for Zachariah's residence after midnight on June 26. The complaint said the home was located on Wood Road, off Highway J, in Clyman Township. Officials said several vehicles were taken to the search.

A Mitsubishi Eclipse owned by Zachariah was found on a property in the Adams County town of Springville. It was parked in a way that concealed it from passing vehicles, according to the complaint. Investigators reported seeing several stains that were later determined to be blood. Authorities analyzed the blood's DNA, which matched Crystal Rasch's DNA profile.

The lawsuit states that police searched Zachariah Rasch's Wood Road property in Clyman late in the afternoon of June 26 and found fire debris on the ground. A coroner and police officers visited the fire scene again on June 30 and reported finding bones and a tooth. A coroner later confirmed that the tooth belonged to Crystal Rasch, according to the lawsuit.

The criminal complaint states that an expert who examined the bones determined that officers could not determine who they belonged to because of their small size. The cause of Crystal Rasch's death was not stated in the complaint.

Authorities also seized Zachariah Rasch's cellphone and listed several searches he allegedly made. The searches listed in the complaint, dated Tuesday, May 28, included inquiries about gunshot wounds to the chest and head.

The complaint notes that on June 11, the last day he was heard from, Crystal Rasch allegedly searched on Google for “Will a 9mm gun kill an animal if you shoot it in the head?” The next day, according to the complaint, he searched for “carpet cleaner.” On June 24, according to the complaint, his searches were related to sulfuric acid, including “Is sulfuric acid flammable?”

On the day Rasch was reported missing (Sunday, June 23), he reportedly searched for “Can police get search warrants on a Sunday in Wisconsin?” On June 25, he searched for “missing person report in Wisconsin.”

Zachariah Rasch was previously arrested for using his estranged wife's bank card to make unauthorized purchases of chemical-resistant gloves, stain removers and carpet cleaners, according to the indictment. The indictment also says he purchased an industrial liquid drain cleaner that is 93% sulfuric acid.

Authorities questioned Zachariah Rasch about the vehicles he owned, and he initially denied owning the Eclipse. The lawsuit says he later admitted he was the owner and did not know where it was. The lawsuit says police asked him about discrepancies in his interview, and he allegedly responded, “I don't know where it is.”

When asked why he bought large quantities of drain cleaner, he replied that he wanted to get rid of chipmunks that had been digging holes on his parents' property.

According to court documents, Zachariah Rasch will be back in court for a preliminary hearing on October 3. He previously appeared on the unauthorized purchases charge on June 28 and his bail was set at $250,000.

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