The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office learned the next day that Emde was supposed to be in court on the same day he was reported missing.
According to authorities, Emde had pending charges of indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape of a child by an adult in North Carolina.
Sheriff Greg Champagne said, “We immediately became quite suspicious that this may have been a faked accidental drowning and death in order for Mr. Emde to escape charges in Brunswick County, North Carolina. However, we could not publicly expose our suspicions for fear of tipping him off.”
During their investigation, officials learned Emde was wearing an ankle monitor and he visited a Walmart in Louisiana where he purchased two prepaid phones.