New court filings say Jon French, the Portland man accused of killing his fiancée, told police he tried to pin her disappearance on a drug dealer known only as “Julius.” Prosecutors allege French is responsible for the death of 47-year-old Jeannie Enyeart, whose body was found in January 2024 inside a vehicle in rural Skamania County. The documents, filed ahead of a Thursday bail hearing, lay out surveillance footage, physical evidence and witness accounts that prosecutors say connect French to the killing.
Court Filings: 'Julius' Story, Cameras And A Broken Mug
According to prosecutors, French told investigators he last saw Enyeart on Jan. 28 and floated the “Julius” story when pressed about what happened next. Neighbors’ statements and video surveillance do not line up with that account, the filings say. Footage from a Vancouver dispensary allegedly shows French pulling up in Enyeart’s car on the same night investigators believe she vanished, and detectives say they later discovered her body in the back seat of that vehicle after obtaining a warrant. The court papers also describe pieces of a broken mug recovered inside the couple’s home and a shard found with Enyeart’s injuries that investigators say are consistent with each other. Those details appear in filings prosecutors summarized for the court, as reported by KATU.
Police: Victim Identified And Suspect Arrested
The Portland Police Bureau says detectives located Enyeart’s abandoned vehicle in Skamania County on Jan. 29. A medical examiner later determined her cause of death was homicidal violence. Detectives arrested French on Feb. 5, 2024, and booked him on charges of second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. The bureau’s public statement includes the case number and a call for additional tips from the community, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Family Reaction And Prior Coverage
Enyeart’s family pushed for answers after she went missing and publicly confronted French during early court hearings once her body was identified last February. Those early accounts, which first laid out the basic timeline, traced how the missing-person case turned into a homicide investigation. Around the same time, local television coverage highlighted the medical examiner’s ruling and the search that ended with the discovery of the vehicle, per KPTV.
Legal Status And What Comes Next
The new court filings state that French’s bail hearing is set for 9 a.m. Thursday before Judge Celia Howes. The documents also note that French was found fit to stand trial in June 2025 and that a jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 12, 2026. Prosecutors argue the filings lay out a chain of evidence they intend to stress at the hearing. French has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody while the case moves toward trial, according to KATU.
Local Context
Neighbors told investigators the couple’s relationship was rocky and that arguments were a regular occurrence, details that prosecutors highlighted in the filings. Enyeart’s family has said they want accountability and have kept a close eye on every court appearance. The upcoming hearings are poised to be the next high-profile test of the evidence prosecutors say points directly at French.
