Arrest made after deputies find body in car trunk

DELAND, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Deputies in Volusia County say they discovered the body of a missing Lake County woman in the trunk of a car, and the man driving that car is now under arrest facing a charge of second-degree murder.

He goes by the name Wild Bill, though his real name is William Roberts.  Deputies say his girlfriend, Elizabeth Hellstrom, was found dead inside the trunk of his car, wrapped in a blue tarp.   A shovel and propane tank were next to her body.

"As soon as they opened the door to the car, they could tells something was wrong," explains Sgt. Fred Jones, with the Lake County Sheriff's Office.  "They did find the body in the car."

Deputies got a call earlier this week that Roberts and Hellstrom were missing.  According to the police report, Roberts texted a friend that Hellstrom overdosed on pills, and he revived her once, but she ultimately died.

Roberts allegedly told his friend he put her body -- along with a shovel, propane and pills -- into his car with plans to go out into the woods and kill himself, so he could be with her.

"So for the last few days, our deputies were all over the north end of the county looking for his vehicle,"  Jones added.

Volusia County deputies in DeLand spotted the car on Thursday. They tried to pull Roberts over, but as soon as he saw them, they say he floored it.  Deputies chased him through two counties before he was apprehended.

Roberts has a long criminal history including charges of kidnapping, murder and sexual assault.