Man drives 17 hours to meet woman he met online while his dead wife was in the trunk of the car

The body of a woman was found in the trunk of her own car after her husband had driven it 1,150miles from Texas to Ohio to meet another woman.

Tamara Harris, 33, and Dequalan Harris, 35, from Cedar Hill, Texas, had been in the process of getting a divorce when Tamara was reported missing Friday.


Cedar Hill Police were notified by relatives who hadn’t heard from Tamara or her young child in several days.

To try and find Tamara, officers used the OnStar system in her 2015 Chevy Traverse. They were able to locate her car in Mansfield, Ohio, about 1,150miles away from Cedar Hill. 

Mansfield Police found the SUV parked on the street and Dequalan inside one of the homes with another woman on Saturday morning.

Officials said he had gone to Mansfield on Friday ‘for love’ or ‘an internet connection’, according to WFAA.

Demika Rucker, Dequalan’s girlfriend, who lived on the street where Tamara’s car was found, said he arrived around 3.30pm Friday after the approximately 17-hour trip.

Dequalan told police he hadn’t seen Tamara since Thursday when he picked up her child from her home.

Mansfield Police arrested Dequalan after he tried to run away. Before towing Tamara’s car, officers found her body in the trunk.

Dequalan is being held on charges including resisting arrest, obstructing official business and abuse of a corpse, which is a fifth-degree felony.

He plead not-guilty at his video arraignment at Richland County Jail in Ohio Monday.

Mansfield Municipal Magistrate Phil Naumoff ordered bond be set at $1million. Naumoff also ordered a personal recognizance bond and electronic monitoring.

The child who was found with Dequalan is in custody of Children’s Services in Ohio while other family members are being tracked down with the help of Texas Child Protective Services.

An autopsy on Tamara’s body will determine her cause of death.

The Mansfield Police Department is investigating Tamara’s death with the help of Cedar Hill Police.

They are investigating any previous incidents of violence involving Dequalan and the victim.

Officials said there had been a previous non-violent call involving Dequalan.

Charges from Cedar Hill Police are pending against Dequalan.