BATON ROUGE - Three days after a woman’s badly decomposed body was found in a Baton Rouge home May 12, police got a warrant for her husband’s arrest in an unrelated crime. Joseph Solar III has not yet been arrested, and the cause of Bridget Boutwell’s death has not been determined.

Boutwell’s sister Danielle Boutwell told WBRZ that Solar told family members Boutwell had shot herself. She had been out of touch with her daughter and sister for about two weeks before her daughter communicated with Solar after being unable to reach her mother on Mother’s Day.

Solar, 35, is deaf and Boutwell’s daughter used sign language in a video call with him. Since then, he’s responded to their questions, but wouldn’t tell them where he is and hasn’t contacted police, Danielle Boutwell said.

Police have only said that the death remains under investigation.

On May 15, investigators got a warrant for Solar’s arrest in an unrelated March shooting incident. The warrant said a group of people reported that after an “exchange of communication” with Solar in “the downtown area” on the afternoon of March 23, Solar pointed a gun at them. They said they drove away and Solar followed, firing several shots at their vehicle while on Interstate 10. Their vehicle was hit by one bullet.

Solar is wanted on charges of attempted first-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon, aggravated criminal damage to property and as a felon in possession of a firearm. The arrest warrant noted that Solar is on probation until 2026 for illegal possession of stolen things, simple burglary and negligent arson.