On Nov. 4, Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist charged Jonathan Daniel Harris, 29, with first degree murder of Nicole White, 28.

White went missing in early June 2015.

Harris pleaded not guilty and is being held on $2 million bail.

In late June, Harris was originally charged with second-degree murder.

He also pleaded not guilty to those charges.

But after further analysis by a forensic anthropologist, it was determined White was brutally beaten to death, according to a press release from the prosecutor’s office.

Due to the new analysis of cause of death, the charges were amended from second degree murder to first degree.

“Thanks to forensic examination and persistent police work, we now have evidence to support a charge of murder in the first degree,” Lindquist said. “We’re holding the defendant fully accountable.”

On June 6, White had picked up Harris from his home and the two drove to a bar in Spanaway.

Several other bar patrons saw the two leave together but White never made it home.

She was reported missing on June 7.

For the next few weeks, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI and volunteers searched for the missing mom.

A K-9 with a volunteer search group found White’s body wrapped in a green tarp at the bottom of a ravine on June 20.

According to the press release, detectives believe after leaving the bar the two returned to Harris’ home.

They believe that is where he beat her and wrapped her body in a tarp.

According to charging documents, neighbors of Harris reported seeing a woman matching White’s description.

The neighbor also reported hearing a female scream around 4 a.m. on June 7.

Afterward, detectives believe Harris put White’s body in her car and drove to the wooded area where her body was found weeks later.

After disposing of the body, it is believed Harris left her car on the side of the road and walked to his home.

Using cell phone records and data stored on the ignition interlock device in his vehicle, detectives were able to see that Harris drove his car the next day back to where he left White’s body, the press release stated.

A search of his home revealed blood matching White’s was found on a sweatshirt Harris was wearing at the bar.

The forensic anthropologist determined White suffered severe facial, chest and arm fractures.

The press release stated these injuries are consistent with being stomped.

This is not Harris’ first run in with the law.

In 2008 he was charged with second degree assault and in 2011 he was charged with third degree malicious mischief.