Recovered; Mar 06, 2010

On March 7, 2010, Escondido police announced that the search for Amber Dubois had come to a close after they identified remains found the day before. Authorities say that the missing teen's skeletal remains were discovered on the Pala Indian Reservation -- nearly 20 miles away from where Amber lived. Dental records were used to positively identify the remains. The following day, cops issued a one sentence press release stating that the accused killer of Chelsea King, John Gardner III, was the current focus of their investigation. Finally, on April 16, 2010, John Gardner pleaded guilty to killing both Amber Dubois and Chelsea King and sexually assaulting another woman in December 2009.

AMW has learned that just days after cops arrested Gardner in Chelsea King's case, he led them to the location of Amber's remains. Gardner admitted to the court that on he took Amber to a remote area in Pala, Calif., where he raped and stabbed her to death before burying her in a shallow grave. The plea agreement will spare Gardner from facing a death penatly, but perhaps the most significant reslut is that it will also spare the victims' families from the ordeal of a long trial. Prosecutors will seek two consecutive life sentences and demand that Garnder waive his right to appeal - ensuring he never has the opportunity attack again. "As you can imagine, this turn of events came as a suprise to us when we were informed about the details yesterday, " Brent Dubois, Amber's father, told reporters at a news conference. "I am thankful for the work by the DA's office and the defense team in coming forth to a resolution in the case, allowing us to have justice and closure for Amber's case," he said. Gardner is scheduled to be sentenced June 1, 2010.