Husband Charged in 2002 Baltimore County Woman’s Disappearance and Murder Case

Dwight “DJ” Rust Jr., the husband of Michelle Rust, has been charged with her murder 23 years after she disappeared from Baltimore County in July 2002.

Michelle Rust was last seen on July 20, 2002, leaving her home in the 1800 block of Clarke Boulevard in Arbutus to go to a store to pick up items for her son’s third birthday party. She never returned.

Her green Dodge van was later found empty in the 2400 block of Zion Road, with a key broken off in the driver’s side door lock. Police said her father-in-law located the vehicle during the initial search.

At the time of her disappearance, Michelle Rust was 24 years old. Investigators noted she was a dedicated mother and daughter, and there was no activity on her bank accounts after she vanished, leading authorities to conclude her disappearance was not voluntary.

In 2023, Baltimore County Police reopened the case after determining her disappearance resulted from foul play. During the renewed investigation, detectives used ground-penetrating radar to search the area around her former home on Clarke Boulevard for new evidence.

On April 20, 2026, a grand jury indicted Dwight Rust Jr. On a charge of first-degree murder. He was arrested the following day, April 21, 2026, and is being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center.

Police have ruled out Michelle Rust’s biological parents as suspects in the case. No other individuals have been publicly named as persons of interest in the investigation.

The case remains under active investigation by the Baltimore County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau. No further details about potential evidence or motives have been released publicly.