An Elizabeth man charged with killing his wife told the oldest couple's son that only "he and God know what happened to her," according to charging documents.
Rolando Corte and his wife, Lucrecia Elizabeth Jadan Sumba, were having marital problems before he killed her Jan. 8 in their home on the 400 block of Elmora Avenue and later dumped her body in a trash receptacle in the Allentown, Pennsylvania, area, authorities said.
Investigators found suspected blood in the kitchen area and the hall outside their bathroom in Elizabeth, according to a criminal complaint charging Corte, 42, with murder. His wife died of "sharp force" injuries, officials said.
The couple's eldest son -- 21 -- told detectives of his parents' disagreements after she didn't show up for work on Wednesday. Earlier, Jadan Sumba had dropped off the two youngest of her four children at school, the complaint said.
Corte later admitted to a witness that he killed his wife, the charing document said. He drover her car to Coopersburg, Pennsylvania -- about 80 miles from Elizabeth -- to dispose of her body before it was found around 6 p.m. Saturday.
License plate readers and cell phone pings indicated he traveled from Union County to Pennsylvania.
Corte was scheduled for a first court appearance on Thursday. Attorney information wasn't immediately available.
Jadan Sumba, 39, emigrated to the United States from Ecuador in 2021 and worked in a nail salon, according to a GoFundMe.com established to support her children and cover funeral expenses.
The GoFundme.com described her as a "loving mother" who "always made a positive impact of those around her bringing support, knowledge, happiness and worked always with enthusiasm."