Leg found in Northern California lake as authorities search for missing woman

Human remains believed to be those of a missing Northern California woman have been recovered from a lake days after her husband confessed to dumping her body there, authorities said.

Divers were searching the waters surrounding Brandy Creek Marina at Whiskeytown Lake, 14 miles west of Redding, on Friday when they possibly found Bridget Marie Jacobs’ leg anchored to a cement cinder block with a tie strap, according Sgt. Brian Jackson of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

“Based upon the condition of the leg, it appears that Bridget’s body has been dismembered,” he said in a written statement.

The next day, divers discovered additional remains, which also appeared to have been dismembered, Jackson said.

Her husband, Philip Jacobs, directed detectives to the location on Tuesday when he confessed to throwing her body into Whiskeytown Lake, the sergeant said. Philip Jacobs, 56, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after he reportedly told deputies that his wife died during an argument.

Authorities began to investigate the case on March 15, when deputies received a frightening 911 call from the couple’s home in the 3800 block of Westridge Road in Cottonwood. A woman could be heard screaming before the line was disconnected, Jackson said.

When deputies arrived at the couple’s home at 11 p.m., no one was home.

Investigators checked phone records and determined the call came from Philip Jacobs’ cellphone, authorities said. The call was made in the area of Cottonwood, a historic frontier town 57 miles north of Chico.

Five days later, Bridget Jacobs’ father reported her missing. Deputies also discovered she missed two days of work.

When deputies went to the couple’s home again, Philip Jacobs said he made the 911 call during an argument with Bridget Jacobs. He told them his wife had left home with her purse, cellphone and 4-year-old Pomeranian/Yorkshire-mix dog, Abijah, Jackson said.

Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit took over the investigation and began searching the couple’s neighborhood.

Detectives also searched the couple’s home and found Bridget Jacobs’ phone in a safe as well as other “items of evidence indicating foul play,” sheriff’s officials said.

They also discovered Philip Jacobs had driven to Whiskeytown Lake on the night of March 19 with a blue boat in tow, Jackson said.

Throughout the probe into Bridget Jacobs’ whereabouts, Philip Jacobs maintained that his wife had left their home after the argument on March 15, he said. According to deputies, the couple had marital problems.

In an interview with detectives, Philip Jacobs later explained that “he needed to talk about how accidents happen,” Jackson said.

He told deputies that Bridget Jacobs fell down a flight of stairs, possibly broke her neck and died during the March 15 argument, the sergeant said.

Philip Jacobs admitted to keeping his wife’s body inside the home until March 19, when he placed her in the blue boat and drove to Brandy Creek Marina at Whiskeytown Lake, Jackson said.

Jacobs rowed to an area of the lake and dumped the body, which he anchored to a cinder block, and then drove home, Jackson said.

During the interview with detectives, Jacobs showed detectives the area where he dumped his wife’s body, but declined to give details, Jackson said.

Bridget Jacobs’ dog is still missing.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA

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