Ex-boyfriend pleads guilty in killing of pregnant woman who went missing

Bethany Decker had been reported missing in Loudoun County, Va., in 2011

A man pleaded guilty to killing a pregnant woman who went missing in Loudoun County, Va., more than a decade ago, authorities said.

Ronald Roldan, 42, pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder in the disappearance of Bethany Decker in 2011, according to the Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Roldan, formerly of Loudoun County, was Decker’s live-in boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Decker, 21, was five months pregnant when Roldan said he last saw her at their Ashburn apartment, according to the news release.

Decker’s family reported she was missing less than a month after that, according to the sheriff’s office. Her body has never been found.

Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj (D) said she was proud Decker got justice. Decker’s family did not respond to requests for comment on the case.

“On behalf of Loudoun County and our office, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Bethany Decker,” Biberaj said in a news release. “We appreciate their patience and support.”

Roldan’s plea comes after he pleaded guilty in 2016 to shooting another girlfriend in the face in Moore County, N.C., according to WTOP.

Roldan is scheduled to have a sentencing hearing in February. The Loudoun County public defender’s office, which represented Roldan, did not respond to a request for comment.