The estranged husband of a woman who went missing in October 1994 and was found dead days later was charged with her murder on Friday.

Donald Lester, 68, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, Baltimore County Police said. He was married to Linda Lester at the time of her death, but the two were going through a divorce and living separately, according to police.

Linda Lester, who was 31 years old when she was killed over three decades ago, was last seen on Oct. 11, 1994, when she was leaving her job as a Baltimore County 911 operator. She was expected to arrive at her estranged husband’s home in Randallstown that night to pick up her 2-year-old child, but she never showed up.

Her sister reported her missing the following day, according to Baltimore County Police. At the time, Linda Lester’s sister told reporters in 1994 that her sister “always shows up.”

Detectives found her car in Woodlawn days after her disappearance with blood on the driver’s side door, the trunk and the rear bumper, according to archival footage published by WMAR-2 News.

Five days after she was reported missing, officers discovered her body off Interstate 70 in the Woodlawn area. An autopsy ruled her death a homicide, police said.

Donald Lester was interviewed after his estranged wife’s disappearance but was not charged at the time. Stewart credited both forensics gathered from the victim in 1994 and advancements in DNA analysis for leading to the arrest.

Michael Tomko, Donald Lester’s attorney, said his client “vigorously maintains his innocence as he has done for over 30 years.”

“For the last three decades, he has lived in and worked in and contributed to Baltimore County, raising his kids and now helping to raise his many grandchildren,” said Tomko in a statement. “His family stands behind him, and we will fight these charges until we gain his freedom.”

Donald Lester is being held without bond at the Baltimore County Detention Center, said Joy Lepola-Stewart, spokesperson for the Baltimore County Police Department, during a press conference on Friday.

This article has been updated.