Good thing we find out that the perp is an illegal all the way down in the 8th paragraph!

Photo Leads To Suspect In Dragging Death
The stained, tattered photograph shows a couple looking off in different directions -- distracted, or maybe bored. The man has a hand on the woman's shoulder, but with an air of indifference.

It's the sort of photo more likely to be forgotten in a box than to make it into a frame or album. But it ended up at one of the most brutal crime scenes imaginable -- possibly as a key piece of evidence.

The man in the photo, Jose Luis Rubi-Nava, 36, was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of murder in the death of an unidentified woman who was dragged behind a vehicle with a rope, leaving a trail of blood more than a mile long.

Authorities did not say how the photograph ended up near the woman's body, which was discovered before dawn Monday in a suburban neighborhood about 20 miles south of Denver. (Watch police look for clues along a mile-long blood trail -- 1:31)

Nancy Foley, who lives nearby, said the victim had an orange tow rope around her neck and that her face was unrecognizable.

The picture shows a couple who appear to be in their 30s. Investigators said they were still trying to identify the victim, and did not say whether the woman in the picture was the victim.

The photo had been released to the public, and Sheriff Dave Weaver said tips from citizens helped lead to the arrest. Weaver offered no motive for the killing, and the sheriff's department did not respond to repeated requests by phone and in writing for more information.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Carl Rusnok said agents believe Rubi-Nava is an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

At a court appearance Wednesday afternoon, Rubi-Nava, who was jailed without bail, listened through a translator as District Judge Paul A. King formally told him the charge he faces.

King sealed the arrest warrant affidavit, which outlines the preliminary allegations against Rubi-Nava, at the request of public defender Kathleen McGuire. King said he would consider McGuire's request for a gag order.

An autopsy indicated the woman died of asphyxiation and head injuries from being dragged.

The trail of blood led from Interstate 25 to the woman's body, which was found on a street lined with large ranch-style homes on spacious lots, some surrounded by spacious lots of tall prairie grass and trees.

Someone placed a small white cross near the spot where the body was found. On Wednesday, highway crews were spreading fresh tar over the roads to cover the traces of blood.