Winfield police have recovered the body of Diane Chambers and arrested a 47-year-old man in connection with the woman’s death, authorities said Friday.
David T. Webster, was booked into the Cowley County Jail Thursday evening and faces a charge of first degree murder, according to Cowley County attorney Chris Smith.
Webster’s court-appointed attorney is Lee Valasquez of Arkansas City. Bond was set at $1 million at proceedings held Friday afternoon.
Chambers’s body was recovered in a rural area of the county about 12 miles east of Winfield, Smith said. An autopsy was scheduled for 10 a.m. this morning in Wichita.
Chambers and Webster had dated for four or five months. He told police he’d last seen her late Monday and her family ? some of whom attended Friday’s press conference ? reported her missing Tuesday.
Family members became concerned when Chambers failed to make a scheduled family visit to Manhattan.
An interview with Webster Thursday afternoon provided police with sufficient information to locate the body of the victim.
Police and the county attorney said they would provide little additional information until a preliminary hearing is held.
CO-WORKERS MOURN LOSS OF FRIEND
It was just last week that Diane Chambers told co-workers at J. C. Penney that she had never been happier.
"She was just really in a good place as far as happiness is concerned," Tanya Chancellor, a store supervisor, said.
Chancellor and other employees held a candlelight vigil last night for their friend who was reported missing Tuesday afternoon. They gathered at the store Friday morning after learning that the 46-year-old woman’s body had been found east of Winfield and her boyfriend arrested for her murder.
"All of the associates are here now. None are on the clock," Chancellor said. "We’re just one family. We’re trying to comfort each other and do the best we can."
Chambers worked at the Winfield store about four years. She was well known and liked by customers for her friendly service, Chancellor said.
"Everybody who came through the store said what a nice person she is," she said.
Chambers was associate of the week both last week and this week. She was to be named associate of the month.
"We hadn’t gotten a chance to tell her she was associate of the month. That’s kind of disappointing," Chancellor said.
Chambers was married to a member of the military who sought a divorce in late 2008 after being overseas. She was devastated, but was rebuilding her life.
"He lives in Wichita. He’s a good guy. It just didn’t work out for them," Chancellor said.
The couple have a son and a daughter. The daughter lives in Manhattan and the son is on active duty in the military, according to Chancellor.
Chambers’ friends planned to continue holding candlelight vigils every night after the store closed "until she found her way home."
David Webster had been dating Chambers since October. She talked of some problems but Chancellor declined to say more. She thought Webster, 47, worked out of town.
"I guess some of our prayers were answered but it was not the outcome we were all hoping for," she said. "We would appreciate everybody’s prayer for us and her son and daughter as well."
