DNA testing confirmed that skeletal remains discovered by a fisherman on a Texas creek bank in June belong to Rana Nofal Soluri, a missing Envoy Air flight attendant who was allegedly strangled by her roommate, Fort Worth police said. The identification brings a formal resolution to a missing person case that began in March 2025, while the accused killer awaits trial on a murder indictment.
Fisherman Discovers Remains Under Bridge at Brushy Creek
An unidentified fisherman stumbled upon Ms Soluri’s body under a bridge on the bank of Brushy Creek at FM 1749 in Montague County, Fort Worth Police Department Homicide Unit Detective Tom O’Brien told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The discovery occurred in June, roughly a year after the 47-year-old mother was reported missing. Detectives had searched the exact location a year earlier, but the remains may have been covered in mud at the time, according to Detective O’Brien. The body was transported to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, where DNA analysis confirmed the identity.
Roommate Dennis William Day Indicted on Murder Charge
Police arrested Dennis William Day, 67, after co-workers reported Ms Soluri missing in June 2025 when she failed to show up for work and could not be reached. Mr Day and Ms Soluri were longtime friends who had lived together as roommates for about a year on Grantland Circle in Fort Worth. According to an arrest warrant affidavit cited by the New York Post, Mr Day initially denied knowing her whereabouts during a welfare check on June 10, 2025. He later consented to a police search of his property and the review of home video surveillance footage.
Surveillance Footage Captures Disposal of Remains
Investigators recovered surveillance video from March 21 showing Mr Day dragging what appeared to be a lifeless body from the house into the backyard. Confronted with the footage, Mr Day admitted that he and Ms Soluri fought after she filmed him acting irate and threatened to call 911, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. He allegedly confessed to choking her to death on the kitchen floor with his bare hands, stuffing her body headfirst into a black trash bin, and dumping her from a bridge near Bowie, Texas, roughly 65 miles from Fort Worth. Police also allege he threw her phone into a nearby river.
Co-Defendant Joni Thomas Charged With Tampering
Joni Thomas, also known as Joanne Walters, 63, was charged with tampering with evidence with intent to impair a human corpse for allegedly helping Mr Day dispose of the body, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Mr Day was indicted on a murder charge. Prosecutors filed a notice stating that Mr Day had bragged to people in jail that he could not be convicted if no one ever found the victim’s remains. American Airlines, which owns the regional carrier where Ms Soluri worked for five years, assisted in flying her remains to Seattle so her daughter, Lulu, could complete funeral arrangements.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Investigation
When was Rana Nofal Soluri reported missing?
A colleague reported Ms Soluri missing on June 11, 2025, after she failed to show up for her scheduled shifts at Envoy Air and could not be reached. Investigators subsequently determined she had not been in contact with anyone since mid-March 2025.
Where was the suspect’s alleged co-conspirator charged?
Joni Thomas, also known as Joanne Walters, was indicted on a charge of tampering with evidence with intent to impair a human corpse for allegedly assisting in dumping the flight attendant’s body.
What did the medical examiner determine as the cause of death?
A justice of the peace has not yet provided the police department with a pathologist’s official opinion on the cause or manner of death, though the suspect confessed to strangling the victim during an interrogation.
What Happens Next in the Tarrant County Courtroom
The criminal cases against Dennis William Day and Joni Thomas remain pending. A court appearance is scheduled for October, where the victim’s daughter plans to deliver a statement. Court officials have not yet released the exact trial dates for the defendants.
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