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Long Island Man Arrested In 2010 Murder Of Wife

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP)-- A man has been arrested more than five years after the lifeless body of his wife was discovered on Long Island, police said.

Suffolk County police said 33-year-old Joseph Jones was arrested Friday in connection with the 2010 death of his wife Nicole Tessa.

Jones was questioned by detectives after his wife disappeared from their Patchogue home in December 2010. Her body was found days later in a wooded area near their home.

Nicole Tessa
)Nicole Tessa/Handout)

Police would not say Friday what led them to suspect Jones or why he was arrested years after the crime.

Tessa's relatives filed a missing persons report with police on Dec. 19, 2010 after she was last seen two days earlier.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned Monday in Riverhead.

Jones told reporters in 2010 that he loved his wife and was frustrated police hadn't caught her killer.

"She's a caring, loving mother who did all that she could for her children," Jones said, as reported by CBS2 back in 2010. "As soon as I find anything out from detectives, then I can talk to you guys."

During the investigation, Jones said his wife had stormed out before during arguments, but never without her seizure medication, and that she always came back to their three-year-old son.  But before disappearing, she left without her medicine and her cell phone, he said.

"I just want you to come home. Call, let us know you're alright, let your family know you're alright," Jones said. "Please, honey. I love you, I miss you, just come home."

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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