Michelle Young Murder: Husband Arrested Three Years After N.C. Mom's Death

Dec. 15, 2009, 2009— -- The husband of a pregnant woman who was found beaten to death three years ago has been arrested and charged with her death, police said today.

Jason Young, 35, was picked up Monday and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the 2006 death of his 29-year-old wife, Michelle Young. He is being held without bond by the Wake County Sheriff's Office and is due in court today.

Jason Young, who long proclaimed his innocence, was long considered a suspect in the case by both police and Michelle Young's family. After her mother and sister filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him, the lead investigator on the case testified in civil court that detectives believed he killed his wife in front of their young daughter Cassidy.

Michelle Young's family was awarded $15.6 million in damages in March.

Neither Michelle Young's mother, Linda Fisher, or Jason Young's attorney, Roger Smith Jr., could be immediately reached for comment.

"The pretty obvious point was, this is not the way to end a marriage," Jack Michaels, Fisher's attorney in Raleigh, told ABCNews.com in March after the civil court ruling. "There are divorce courts for that."

Officials announced in November, on the third anniversary of the murder, that they were taking their time with the case to make sure than an arrest would stick.

"We realize it's been three years and we've been working hard, but we try not to impose artificial deadlines on ourselves," Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby said in November in an interview with ABC's Raleigh-Durham affiliate WTVD-TV.

Michelle Young's family and friends had said after the civil ruling that even though they never expected to collect anything from Jason Young, they were glad he was found responsible.

"The money doesn't mean anything," Michelle Young's best friend Jennifer Powers told ABCNews.com. "It's all about justice for Michelle."

Michelle Young's sister, Meredith Fisher, was awarded primary custody of the couple's nearly 5-year-old daughter, with visitation rights for Jason Young on weekends, holidays and other occasions.

Neither Jason Young nor his attorney appeared in court for the wrongful-death ruling. He was deemed responsible for his wife's death in civil court by default last year when he failed to respond to the suit.

"The focus there is on escaping criminal testimony," Michaels said of Jason Young's absence.