A Flight Attendant Vanished, a Cover-Up Followed — and a Butt Dial Led to an Arrest, Police Say By KC Baker

A second person has been arrested in connection with the mysterious disappearance and presumed death of an American Airlines flight attendant – because of a butt dial.

Rana Nofal Soluri, 47, of Fort Worth, Texas, was reported missing on June 11, after a co-worker contacted Fort Worth police saying she hadn’t heard from her since March 19, when text messages with her came to a sudden halt, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by CBS News.

In June, Soluri’s roommate, Dennis William Day, 66, was arrested and charged with murder after he allegedly confessed to strangling her during an argument and throwing her body off of a bridge, according to the warrant obtained by CBS News.

On Aug. 26, a second suspect, Joni Thomas, 62, was arrested and charged with tampering with evidence, according to online jail records.

Thomas allegedly helped Day throw her body off of a bridge, according to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC5.

Soluri’s body has not been found.

The alleged cover-up of Soluri’s murder began to unravel in early May, when police were called to Day’s house to tow Soluri’s 2023 Mazda, which she bought a week before she vanished, according to a warrant obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Initially, Day said he had no idea where Soluri was. He and another resident at the home said they hadn’t seen Soluri — who worked for American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air and was his roommate for about a year — for months, according to the warrant.

Still searching for Soluri, on June 18, detectives secured a warrant for Soluri’s cell phone records, which showed that the last call she made was on March 21.

On June 23, detectives returned to Day’s home, where they obtained his consent to search the residence, according to the warrant.

Looking at the home’s video surveillance footage, detectives found a video from March 21, when Day was seen dragging “what appears to be a lifeless body from the home into the backyard,” at 10:11 p.m., according to the warrant obtained by NBC5.

Day told police he placed Soluri’s body into a trash bin and drove 65 miles away, to Bowie, where he disposed of her body, the warrant alleges.

According to the criminal complaint, Day called Thomas, who drove to his house in her pickup truck, which authorities allege was used to bring Soluri’s body to Bowie.

Initially Thomas told police Day did not drive her truck, before telling them that he did drive it but she fell asleep and had no idea what happened, the complaint alleges.

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But a butt dial revealed the truth about what actually happened, the complaint alleges.

In a voicemail unwittingly left on Thomas’ phone, a male and a female are heard talking while appearing to move something heavy. A male voice can be heard saying “Hey … help me,” “Make sure the lid’s on” and “I’m sorry I got you messed up in this.”

Day is currently being held in the Tarrant County Jail on a $200,000 bond as he awaits his next court date. Thomas was released on bond. 

Attorneys for the two did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.