LPD: Missing woman found safe in Lincoln, suspect in custody after hours-long search

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A missing woman was found safe Thursday night after a domestic incident involving an “armed and dangerous” man, police say.

At around 11:30 p.m., Police Chief Michon Morrow announced that the Lincoln Police Department’s SWAT team had entered a home near First and Adams streets.

Through the investigative process, LPD said a singular breadcrumb led investigators to determine 36-year-old Christopher Collins was at the house, which was a rental property of his.

When the SWAT team entered, they noticed a “heavy odor of natural gas,” according to Morrow.

The team quickly removed 42-year-old Jesserae Beck and Collins from the back bedroom of the home.

Orgeta Zeqiri and her family live near Collin’s home and describe seeing the operation from a few houses away.

“It was really scary, truthfully,” said Zeqiri, “The whole house shook like, we thought something hit us… checked it out and we just see the garage getting ripped open, the window getting broken and then just a few minutes later, we see them having the man in custody.”

Beck was taken to a hospital to be treated for significant, but not-life-threatening injuries, and Collins was taken into custody.

LPD said a brief struggle took place with Collins. Once in custody, he was escorted from the home, LPD said.

“While I’m very proud of the team effort here, I want to lift up Jesserae Beck,” Assistant Chief Jason Stille said. “This is why we do this job is for the Jesseraes of our community and she was a warrior. And she turned seconds into minutes and stretched minutes into hours to allow us to find her.”

Crews from Lincoln Fire & Rescue and Black Hills Energy arrived to clear the area of gas.  That area has now been deemed safe.

Nearby homes were also evacuated due to the natural gas.

“Thursday was a true show of the grit and determination of the officers and investigators at the Lincoln Police Department,” Morrow said.

The incident started on Wednesday at around 10 p.m. when Beck told one of her children, she was going to Collins’ home near 95th Street and Eagleton Lane.

At around 8 a.m. the next morning, two of Beck’s children went to the home looking for their mother.  When they couldn’t find her, they called the police.

Officers were familiar with Beck, as they had been investigating previous allegations of domestic assault and a violation of a protection order, Morrow said.

The two had been in a relationship, and Beck had a protection order granted last month, according to police.

The SWAT team entered Collins’ home and found a “significant scene.”  Morrow noted that it appeared there was a struggle and Beck was “likely seriously injured.”

This began a search for Collins, who police said was believed to be “armed and dangerous,” and Beck, which led them to the home near First and Adams streets.

“We want to be clear: victims are never to blame for the actions of their abusers.,” said Special Victims Unit Lieutenant Michelle Jochum. “Domestic violence is complex, and decisions made by survivors are often shaped by fear, hope, or difficult circumstances. Our focus remains on holding offenders accountable and connecting survivors with the resources and support they need to stay safe.”

Neighbors near the scene of the crime also felt gratitude for the way law enforcement handled the incident, “I’m glad they did their job. I’m glad they did a good job too. They didn’t harm anyone that wasn’t supposed to be harmed from what I saw, so I’m very glad for them.”

According to booking records, Collins is facing several charges, including first-degree domestic assault, first-degree false imprisonment and kidnapping.