Body of Missing N.C. Mom Is Found Weeks After She Texted That Boyfriend 'Is Going to Kill Me'

Facebook Emily Montgomery

The body of a young North Carolina mother who vanished just before Thanksgiving has been found, say authorities.

On Saturday, police located the body of Emily Montgomery near the 7300 block of ACC Blvd. in Raleigh, according to a release from the Apex Police Department.

Montgomery, a 26-year-old mother, was last seen on Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving, at about 10 p.m. at her home in Apex, near Raleigh, according to a release from the Apex Police Department.

Her family reported her missing on Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving.

On Dec. 9, police served Jose Carlos Jacome-Granizo, 29, of Raleigh, with an arrest warrant in connection with Montgomery’s death, police wrote in the release. He is charged with first-degree murder.

Raleigh Police Department Jose Carlos Jacome-Granizo

U.S. Marshalls helped arrest Jacome-Granizo at his apartment in Raleigh, WNCN reports.

Jacome-Granizo has not yet entered a plea, according to the Wake County Court clerk. He is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 31.

His attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

He is being held without bond in the Wake County jail.

Montgomery’s body has been sent to the Medical Examiner’s office in Raleigh, where an autopsy will be performed.

She leaves behind a 5-year-old son.

'He is going to kill me'

Search warrants obtained by The News and Observer show a timeline of events that led up to her slaying.

On the night of Nov. 25, Jacome-Granizo picked up Montgomery at her home, the warrants state, The News and Observer reports.

On Nov. 26, Thanksgiving, she sent a friend a text message saying that she and Jacome-Granizo, her boyfriend, were arguing, the warrants say.

One message she texted said that “She was going to kill Jose before he killed her,” the warrants state, The News and Observer reports.

Hours later, she sent another text saying, “It is going to happen he is going to kill me first,” the warrants show.

On Nov. 28, police questioned Jacome-Granizo, who said he brought Montgomery to his mother’s house for Thanksgiving, but that she wouldn’t go inside, the warrants state.

He told police she vanished 30 minutes later, the warrants state.

GPS reports from each of their phones allegedly undermine Jacome-Granizo's alibi, the warrants state.

Facebook Emily Montgomery

“This disproves Jose’s story that he was not with Emily when she left his parents’ home,” the warrant said, The News and Observer reports.

When investigators searched his Jeep Wrangler, they found “large amounts of blood” on the front seat, the warrants state, WRAL reports.

“We are very sad for the family,” Apex Police Department Deputy Chief Mitchell McKinney tells PEOPLE. “We hate that this happened.”

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The suspect's neighbor, Carolina Niblock, told WNCN that she had seen Montgomery at the suspect's apartment a handful of times since October.

“I did not know she was murdered,” she told WNCN. “I’ve seen her around prior to her murder to it’s really shocking.”

As police continue to investigate, Montgomery’s family is mourning her loss.

Amy Montgomery told WRAL that her daughter "was a pure joy ... There are countless memories of how proud she made me."

Anyone with information about the case can call the Apex Police Department at 919-362-8661.