Homicide investigation leads to an arrest

Published on September 07, 2023

On Thursday, July 20, the Alameda Police Department located human remains inside of a bag along the shoreline near the Bay Farm Island Bridge. The Alameda Police and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau responded to investigate.

A preliminary autopsy determined that the manner of death was a homicide. Due to limited identifying factors, the victim’s identity was unknown. APD Investigations Unit immediately assumed the investigation and began searching the Missing and Unidentified Persons (MUPS) Database and contacting law enforcement agencies to identify the victim.

On Wednesday, August 30, DNA evidence identified the victim as 27-year-old Rachel Elizabeth Imani Buckner of Pleasanton. Additional evidence helped detectives identify a primary suspect. On Wednesday, September 6, the United States Marshals Service arrested Joseph Roberts, a 42-year-old Pleasanton man with the assistance of the Alameda Police Department and the Pleasanton Police Department.

A joint investigation into the death of Ms. Bucker will continue with the Alameda Police Department and the Pleasanton Police Department and with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Since July, APD has worked tirelessly to identify the involved parties and understand the series of events that led to this death. We appreciate the community’s patience and the support from our law enforcement partners who assisted in this investigation, including Alameda County’s Search and Rescue Team, Alameda County Crime Lab, and the Contra Costa County Crime Lab. The Alameda Police Department remains in contact with the Buckner family and we ask for the community to respect their privacy during this extremely difficult time.

If anyone has any information that may further assist in the investigation, please contact the Alameda Police Department at 510-337-8402.