Blood of missing Eden Prairie woman found on jacket in boyfriend's car

Mandy Matula's blood was found on a jacket in her boyfriend's car, providing additional evidence that she is unlikely to be found alive, but shedding little light on what happened to the missing Eden Prairie woman.

In addition to the DNA results, police Tuesday confirmed that an unfired bullet discovered Saturday near an Eden Prairie church was from the same gun that her boyfriend, David Roe, used to shoot himself before police were going to question him about her disappearance.

The new evidence came on the fifth day of the search for Matula, 24, with police scanning Eden Prairie lakes and her brother, Steven, leading a community search.

"It doesn't really help me find her," he said of the new evidence. "I just want to find Mandy."

Mandy Matula was last seen with Roe a week ago by her family, who said that she was ending their relationship.

They reported her missing the next day, and Roe, 24, was initially described as a person of interest.

But on Thursday afternoon, after being called in for questioning by Eden Prairie police, Roe shot himself in the head in his car parked in the police department's lot. He was pronounced dead early Friday. Police said Roe bought the gun legally April 27 in Carver County.

Roe was studying criminal justice this spring at St. Cloud State University after receiving an associate degree in criminal justice last fall. Before then, the former Eden Prairie High School football star played football briefly at the University of St. Thomas.

Matula, who also graduated from Eden Prairie High School, played softball at and graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Steven Matula has been leading the community searches for his sister and said that Roe "never laid a finger" on her during their relationship.

But in 2007, according to court documents, Roe had a restraining order filed against him by a different girlfriend, who said he had punched her in the stomach at a party where he was reportedly very drunk and then stalked her after their three-year relationship ended.

The 6-foot-2 football player "expects to be allowed to intimidate people and it works," the woman wrote.

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141

Twitter: @kellystrib