An Oregon man has admitted responsibility in the death of his fiancée, whose decomposing body was later found hidden in the back of her car.
Jon French, 35, pleaded no contest Friday, Sept. 4, to first-degree manslaughter in the death of 47-year-old Jeannie Enyeart. He also pleaded guilty to second-degree abuse of a corpse.
French is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 14.
Enyeart, a mother of two, disappeared from her Northeast Portland home in January 2024.
When police first spoke with French, he allegedly told investigators he had seen her the day before and said her vehicle should still be at their home.
But her car was later found on a rural road near Stevenson, Washington, after it apparently hit a snowbank.
Investigators learned the vehicle had been towed.
French later tried to claim the car, but was denied because he was not the registered owner, according to reports.
Inside the vehicle, authorities discovered Enyeart’s decomposing body in the back seat, hidden under a blanket and other large items.
Police also found French’s driver’s license and wallet on the floor near the driver’s side of the car.
An autopsy determined that Enyeart died from blunt force trauma to the neck.
Investigators also found a shattered ceramic mug on the bedroom floor at the couple’s home.
According to court records, a piece of that mug was later found lodged in Enyeart’s back. Authorities believed the shard most likely became embedded after her death.
French was arrested on Feb. 5, 2024.
Enyeart’s younger sister, Kristin Eddy, later said family members had started noticing problems in the relationship around December.
“We just had a feeling that things weren’t going well in the relationship,” Eddy said.
She added that Enyeart had reassured the family that everything was fine.
“I think that is who Jeannie was,” Eddy said. “Whatever he was going through, she wanted to help him.”
French will now return to court for sentencing later this month.
