COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Columbus police say they have arrested a man in connection with an aspiring funeral director’s death.

Anthony Pardon, a registered sex-offender, is charged with the murder of Rachael Anderson.

According to the Columbus Division of Police, SWAT officers arrested him at a Linden-area home, on Thursday.

Rachael Anderson’s co-workers said they became concerned when she did not show up to her job on January 29, the day after her 24th birthday.

Officers entered Anderson’s apartment, where they said she was found dead in her closet.

According to court documents, she died of asphyxiation.

Police said a friend or relative last heard from Anderson, the evening before her body was discovered.

Pardon stole her vehicle and began using her debit card to withdraw cash, according to investigators.

He was linked to the crime scene by DNA evidence.

“He [Pardon] has a girlfriend that lives in the neighborhood,” said Sgt. Stan Latta. “She’s not associated with any part of this crime, but it’s within a short walking distance of where Rachael’s apartment is at.”

Anderson was nearing the end of her apprenticeship at the Shaw-Davis Funeral Homes, at the time of her death.

She was also on the verge of becoming the business’s first funeral director not from the Shaw family.

“This was a really big deal for our family,” said Amy Shaw, a colleague and friend. “We knew Rachael was the one. She was the perfect fit.”

Shaw described Anderson as a great listener, a passionate worker and someone who was like a member of her own family.

“Every time I think of Rachael, I see her,” she said. “I just see her beautiful face, smiling, because that’s basically what she was always doing.”

Anderson is a native of Warren, Ohio.

Police said they believe Pardon acted alone in her death, however, the case remains under investigation.