Man Reports Girlfriend Missing, Her Final 'If I Die' Text Leads to Body Buried on His Property: Prosecutors

Gregory Groom, 22, is now facing charges of murder, assault and battery, and witness intimidation in relation to the death of Kylee Monteiro, 18, in Rehoboth, Massachussetts. His arrest came less than two weeks after he reported the victim missing to police.

At his arraignment on Wednesday, Groom was ordered held without bail. That order came less than 24 hours after Monteiro's remains were found buried five feet deep, under a pile of brush on Groom's property. She was 11 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.

It was Groom who allegedly told police where they could find her body -- after initially attempting to say she'd run away, going so far as to file a missing persons report.

Prosecutors in Taunton District Court on Wednesday painted a picture of what they believe happened on Monteiro's final day per NBC affiliate WJAR -- as well as how Groom allegedly tried to cover it up.

On August 7, according to District Attorney Jason Mohan, Groom called the police and told them that Monteiro had been at his house the day before. He said she had taken a rideshare and was looking for a place to stay, per CBS affiliate WPRI, which led to a verbal argument between them, after which he said she left.

CrimeOnline reports that prior to going to see her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Monteiro had been living in a shelter for pregnant and homeless women. The Daily Gazette reports that Groom told detectives that Monteiro told him he was the father of her unborn baby.

He told police he hadn't heard from her since. He further emphasized that Monteiro is usually active on her social media but that she had not posted anything since he'd last seen her, according to Law&Crime.

As police and the community began a search for the teen they thought was missing at the time, authorities made contact with her family. It was while talking with her sister that detectives got the biggest break of the case, as revealed in court on Wednesday.

Monteiro's sister shared with detectives one of the final texts she received from her sister, which came on August 6, the same day that Groom had admitted having a verbal altercation with her at his home. The text created a chilling possibility for investigators.

"He threw me on the ground and pulled my hair and strangled me," Monteiro wrote, according to prosecutors in court. "My phone is at 4% and if I die it was Greg."

On August 14, prosecutors went to Groom's 25-acre property with cadaver dogs but reported that "nothing of significance was found." They then returned to their now-suspect on Tuesday, where his story began to change.

This time, prosecutors say he told detectives that he pushed Monteiro during their argument, causing her to fall back and hit her head, according to WPRI. He said he then kicked her phone out of her hand when she tried to contact someone.

When police told him that they were going to return to his property to again search for Monteiro, and "dig if necessary," Mohan said in court, "Mr. Groom then paused."

"He was given an opportunity to tell the police where Ms. Monteiro's body was located either by being taken to his property and pointing it out or drawing a map or telling officers where her body was located, as they believed Ms. Monteiro was dead," Mohan continued.

At this point, Mohan said that Groom drew a "rudimentary" map of his property that showed a shed. He allegedly told detectives that he'd stabbed Monteiro twice in the neck and once in the chest with a kitchen knife on August 6.

"The stab wound to her chest actually broke the blade off," said Mohan in court, as detailed by the Taunton Daily Gazette.

After her death, Groom said that he spent that night and the morning hours of August 7 digging a five-foot grave, where he buried her. It was only after all of this that he called police and reported her missing.

Crime scene investigators then returned to Groom's property, per prosecutors in court, and found the shed. Nearby, they discovered a large pile of brush, under which they found a pool of blood. They believe that this is where the murder took place.

About 20 yards away, detectives detailed a pile made up of "feet upon feet" of cut-down trees. Underneath this pile they found freshly moved dirt -- and this was the grave Groom allegedly said he dug. Inside they found a body they said was "consistent" with Monteiro's. Authorities are awaiting the medical examiner's office for positive ID.

A GoFundMe initially launched to help in the search efforts for Monteiro has turned into a fundraiser for her funeral. "This is closure and we are so thankful for everyone's help in getting here," the family wrote on the page. "Obviously there will be court proceedings but we are taking this one step at a time."

Groom entered a not guilty plea in court on Wednesday, while Bristol Count District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn said in a press conference it's "still too early" to determine a motive, per the Daily Gazette, but "all of the evidence points to the defendant at this point."

Groom is set for a probable cause hearing on September 10.