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'He was our daughter's first love:' Fugitive killed by police in Kent accused of murdering missing California woman

The man was wanted for murder after the disappearance of Alexis Gabe, who was last seen Jan. 26.

KENT, Wash. — A fugitive wanted for murder in the disappearance of a California woman was shot and killed by law enforcement in Kent Wednesday evening.

The Contra Costa District Attorney's Office filed murder charges May 26 against Marshall Curtis Jones III, 27, in connection to the disappearance of Alexis Gabe, 24, a resident of Oakley, California.

Police said Jones was shot and killed by officers serving a murder warrant at a Kent apartment in the 3500 block of South 22nd Place.

Officers from Seattle, Snohomish County and the US Marshals Service fired their weapons when the suspect charged at them with a knife, according to a Seattle police spokesperson. No officers were injured.

Law enforcement and the Kent Fire Department tried to give Jones medical aid, but he died at the scene.

The Seattle Police Department Force Investigation Team is investigating the shooting.

Jones' death comes months after Gabe was last seen Jan. 26 at his home in Antioch, California, which is about 45 miles east of San Francisco. 

Jones told investigators he was with Gabe at his home in Antioch until 9 p.m. the night she went missing but claimed he saw her leave the house in her blue Infinity Coupe. 

The woman's family found her car about a mile from her Oakley home the day after her disappearance, police said. Within days of her disappearance, investigators said Jones went back to Washington where he had friends and family. 

A months-long investigation uncovered digital and forensic evidence connecting Jones to Gabe's murder, police said. The 24-year-old's cell phone case had Jones' DNA on it, surveillance video captured the suspect and her car's GPS system showed the route from his Antioch home to Oakley, where investigators believe he dumped her body.

Police are now investigating the woman's disappearance as a homicide. 

“What happened to Marshall was tragic and unexpected," said Gwyn Gabe, the woman's father. "My wife cried so hard upon hearing his passing. He was our daughter’s first love. They were together for three years. He got along well with the two brothers and her cousins. He became part of our family. We had no idea he was capable of doing something like this to her. We didn’t want him dead. We wanted him arrested to pay for his sins. We wanted to meet him face-to-face and look him in the eye and ask him, ‘Why?' Ask him, 'Where is Alexis?’"

WATCH: Father of missing California woman reacts to murder fugitive's death 

Oakley police said Jones was uncooperative with the investigation, refusing to speak with law enforcement several times. 

“This investigation has been both heartbreaking and frustrating," said Paul Beard, Oakley police chief. "It has taken an emotional and physical toll on everyone involved in the investigation.”

The Oakley Police Department has over a $100,000 reward for people with any information on Gabe's suspected homicide. The reward was initially posted at $10,000 but has increased due to public attention for the case, Beard said. 

"I know the police are saying that our daughter is gone, but our daughter will remain alive in our minds and in our hearts," Gwyn Gabe said. "We will continue to search for her until we find her."

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